1 Aug 13 Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster [picture heavy]

Wreford-Brown · 08-01-13, 10:34 AM

Just up the road from me is the town of Munster which also happens to contain the German National Tank Museum. The museum is part funded by the Stadt and part by the Bundeswehr and is pretty unique, both because the Germans produced many of the iconic tanks of WW2 and because Germany is one of the few countries which used both Western and Eastern block armoured vehicles during the Cold War which were then retained following reunification.

It has every type of mainstream Panzer from WW2 (although a few of them have still got the shell holes where they were taken out of action) and many of the Leopard series of tanks, as well as a Merkava and a few other types such as a contemporary flail tank.

The stated aim of the museum is to put every tank in their collection into full mechanical working order and during their Open Days they drive them around for the crowds - I can imagine that seeing a column of German tanks from WW2 is pretty impressive (the next Open Day is 1 Sep 13). This is partially achieved by the Bundeswehr sending their mechanics to help work on the vehicles while the Stadt maintain the buildaings and staff. If you ever visit this neck of the woods it's definitely worth a half-day visit.

I've got another hundred or so photos so please bear with me - uploading is going to take a while...

Wreford-Brown · 08-01-13, 10:36 AM

Wreford-Brown · 08-01-13, 10:37 AM

Oberon · 08-01-13, 10:43 AM

Oooh, looking forward to this one.

Loving the pics so far, very interesting display on the BTR. Schroeder will be getting some flashbacks with the Marders too.

Jimbuna · 08-01-13, 10:44 AM

Lovely shots D....how does the place compare to Bovington?

Sailor Steve · 08-01-13, 10:46 AM

Pretty awesome place!

Armor is the one aspect of warfare that never really caught my interest, but I still recognize the coolness of preserving these important pieces of history.

BossMark · 08-01-13, 10:48 AM

Very nice pics, keep them coming

Penguin · 08-01-13, 10:59 AM

Nice! Sadly I never managed to go there, yet.

Another good place for tanks in Germany would be Koblenz. It's much lesser knows as the Munster museum and is unfortunately run only by the Bundeswehr, so there's no PR, and only a crappy page - however it's open to the public. It goes by the beautiful name of Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung Koblenz - some pics can be found here: http://www.vff-wts.de/de/eineinblick.html

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wreford-Brown

The stated aim of the museum is to put every tank in their collection into full mechanical working order and during their Open Days they drive them around for the crowds

This sounds amazing. I would really love to see the AV7 in working condition - though prefer not to be inside it when it runs. It must have been a hellish place for the crew, wwith no noise or heat protection at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wreford-Brown

I've got another hundred or so photos so please bear with me - uploading is going to take a while...

yessss!

moa, please!

Wreford-Brown · 08-01-13, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Lovely shots D....how does the place compare to Bovington?

It's very similar to Bovvy - Bovington is physically larger and has a greater collection of international tank (the only non-German one I saw in Munster was the Merkava) but I think they have similar sized collections, so Munster allows a direct comparison between Warsaw Pact and NATO armoured vehicles which Bovington doesn't.

It was interesting to see three BMPs parked next to one another and directly opposite their Western counterparts and it was also interesting to see how US and Western tanks got bigger, taller and heavier while their Warsaw Pact contemporaries got smaller and remained roughly the same weight (allowing greater operational mobility).

The best contemporary armoured vehicle collection I've seen is at Shrivenham, but it's not easy to get into (a bit like the small arms collection in Warminster).

Skybird · 08-01-13, 11:02 AM

I took the freedom to link this in the eSim SBP forum.

Wreford-Brown · 08-01-13, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penguin

This sounds amazing. I would really love to see the AV7 in working condition - though prefer not to be inside it when it runs. It must have been a hellish place for the crew, wwith no noise or heat protection at all.

The A7V is the only vehicle that's a replica, but they're working off original plans to try and bring her back to life. Europe wasn't too kind to Germany after WW1.

Now for the iconic WW2 team. On the German side we have:

Wreford-Brown · 08-01-13, 11:46 AM

And on the Allied side we get:

nikimcbee · 08-01-13, 12:34 PM

Coolest....GT...thread....evah!

Jimbuna · 08-01-13, 02:03 PM

The pictures the merrier/better

TarJak · 08-01-13, 06:08 PM

Thanks for sharing your photos WB. Great looking collection they have put together.

08-01-13, 10:34 AM	#1
Wreford-Brown Sea Lord Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: In sight of Stonehenge Posts: 1,750 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 26	1 Aug 13 Deutsches Panzermuseum Munster [picture heavy] Just up the road from me is the town of Munster which also happens to contain the German National Tank Museum. The museum is part funded by the Stadt and part by the Bundeswehr and is pretty unique, both because the Germans produced many of the iconic tanks of WW2 and because Germany is one of the few countries which used both Western and Eastern block armoured vehicles during the Cold War which were then retained following reunification. It has every type of mainstream Panzer from WW2 (although a few of them have still got the shell holes where they were taken out of action) and many of the Leopard series of tanks, as well as a Merkava and a few other types such as a contemporary flail tank. The stated aim of the museum is to put every tank in their collection into full mechanical working order and during their Open Days they drive them around for the crowds - I can imagine that seeing a column of German tanks from WW2 is pretty impressive (the next Open Day is 1 Sep 13). This is partially achieved by the Bundeswehr sending their mechanics to help work on the vehicles while the Stadt maintain the buildaings and staff. If you ever visit this neck of the woods it's definitely worth a half-day visit. I've got another hundred or so photos so please bear with me - uploading is going to take a while... __________________ All my mods are available at MediaFire: SH3 Mods Other modders SH3 mods SH4 Mods ...you can't please all of the people all of the time...

08-01-13, 10:36 AM	#2
Wreford-Brown Sea Lord Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: In sight of Stonehenge Posts: 1,750 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 26	__________________ All my mods are available at MediaFire: SH3 Mods Other modders SH3 mods SH4 Mods ...you can't please all of the people all of the time...

08-01-13, 10:37 AM	#3
Wreford-Brown Sea Lord Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: In sight of Stonehenge Posts: 1,750 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 26	__________________ All my mods are available at MediaFire: SH3 Mods Other modders SH3 mods SH4 Mods ...you can't please all of the people all of the time...

08-01-13, 10:44 AM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,434 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	Lovely shots D....how does the place compare to Bovington? __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

08-01-13, 10:46 AM	#6
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Pretty awesome place! Armor is the one aspect of warfare that never really caught my interest, but I still recognize the coolness of preserving these important pieces of history. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-01-13, 10:43 AM	#4
Oberon Lucky Jack Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 25,976 Downloads: 61 Uploads: 20	Oooh, looking forward to this one. Loving the pics so far, very interesting display on the BTR. Schroeder will be getting some flashbacks with the Marders too.

08-01-13, 10:48 AM	#7
BossMark Fleet Admiral Join Date: May 2011 Location: Leeds, West Yorkshire Posts: 15,272 Downloads: 278 Uploads: 0	Very nice pics, keep them coming __________________ Never trust the Tories look what Thatcher and Major did in the 80s and 90s and look what the wicked witch May is doing now doing now

08-01-13, 11:02 AM	#10
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,599 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	I took the freedom to link this in the eSim SBP forum. __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.

08-01-13, 11:46 AM	#12
Wreford-Brown Sea Lord Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: In sight of Stonehenge Posts: 1,750 Downloads: 51 Uploads: 26	And on the Allied side we get: __________________ All my mods are available at MediaFire: SH3 Mods Other modders SH3 mods SH4 Mods ...you can't please all of the people all of the time...

08-01-13, 12:34 PM	#13
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Coolest....GT...thread....evah! __________________

08-01-13, 02:03 PM	#14
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 190,434 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	The pictures the merrier/better __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

08-01-13, 06:08 PM	#15
TarJak Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 17,052 Downloads: 150 Uploads: 8	Thanks for sharing your photos WB. Great looking collection they have put together.