About tracks, thick steel and more
Looks can be deceiving and perhaps all the more in the case of this half-track. You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a German-built SdKfz 251, but in reality we are looking at a post-war Czechoslovak half-track. In this article I will lay out the history of both vehicles and introduce you to some of the telltale signs which will
Continue reading
One of only a handful left, this King Tiger is perhaps the best known of the lot. Located in the picturesque town of La Gleize in the Ardennes, Belgium, this is the only Tiger II visible from the public road. Because of the incredible amount of photos I have taken, I decided to split this walk-around into multiple parts. In
Continue reading
In Panther, Martin Block and the late Roddy MacDougall combine a multitude of sources to present a single volume containing all contemporary knowledge about the Panther, its external appearance and design changes. It is not out of place in the list of standard works on the Panther like the Panzertracts 5-x series and Germany’s Panther Tanks by Tom Jentz and
Continue reading
As promised, here is the walk-around of Bovington’s Panther tank. According to the plaque welded to glacis, this was the 8th vehicle to be completed at the Laatzen factory under command of 823rd REME workshop. If you are interested in a comprehensive history of the post-war Panthers completed under supervision of the the British Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME)
Continue reading
Michael Fröhlich’s latest work dives into the history behind The other Tiger. In this 287 pages long volume the author explores the, what he considers, underexposed side of the Tiger history. Instead of focussing on Henschel’s winning design for the Tiger, the author chooses to give center stage to the Porsche’s Panzerkampfwagen Typ 101. The book, published by Motorbuch Verlag
Continue reading
Hah, yet another Leopard 2 prototype! I stumbled upon these images of a Leopard 2 prototype waaay back when I administrated a site solely about the development of the Leopard 2. The original author of the photos was so kind to let me post them. This specimen was found at the Sennelager Truppenübungsplatz, Germany. Photos below courtesy of Peter van
Continue reading
At this year’s Tank fest, Wargaming presented the newly restored Bretagne Panther. Starting in 2017, this Panther was restored at Musée des Blindés courtesy of the publisher of World of Tanks. The reveal of the Panther tank was accompanied by a campaign “Make the Panther roar again” and the introduction of a premium in-game version of Bretagne. To promote the
Continue reading
During operation Market Garden, the Ginkelse Heide or Ginkel Heath near Ede was designated DZ (drop zone) Y. On 18 September 1944 about 2000 paratroopers of the 4th Parachute Brigade (1st British Airborne Division) landed on the heath. The Ginkel Heath is now the place where the yearly airborne commemorations are held. Part of the commemoration was the wreath-laying by
Continue reading
75 years ago, in the early hours of Sunday 17 September, operation Market Garden commenced. It was a daring plan by Montgomery to outpace the Germans by bypassing the heavily fortified Westwall (Siegfried line) protecting the Ruhr area. This was part of an overarching plan by the Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF) to strike Germany on a
Continue reading
During an hour long show in the tank arena some ten vehicles were showcased. The show was split in two parts of which the first was a theatrical act “The battle of Soesterberg” in which one group of AFVs belonged to the villain, ex-general Roodhart (team red) which had to take it up against the good guys of general Blauwenaar
Continue reading
Last weekend, 24 & 25 August, the Nationaal Militair Museum (NMM) in Soesterberg held its annual summer event dubbed ‘Zomeroffensief’. Last year’s summer event focused heavily on aircraft. This year, too, many aircraft could be admired along the runway in a static-show format. Among the jet fighters were a McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II as well as Lockheed TF-104 Starfighter,
Continue reading
This little guy keeps coming back almost every museum I visit; the Goliath. Various version with differing means of propulsion have been produced throughout the Second World War. The main goal of this vehicle was to blow up the enemy. It essentially is a wire-guided bomb. An operator would steer it close to a nearby enemy vehicle via a remote
Continue reading