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Happy birthday Mr Curator
Recently, museum's curator Roland Gaul celebrated his 50th birthday. The whole museum and some friends staff congratulated and offered him an adequate gift and a marvelous "Jerrycan"-cake which he appreciated very much.
Big predators at the museum
The museum has finally got its own Tiger I and Panther tanks! Too bad they are only 1/9 of scale. But they are superb and very detailed models, built by talented French modelist Philippe Candé. They are not kit models but were painstakingly
crafted from sheet plastic, polystyrene and wood and painted and stenciled to match two originals left behind in Luxembourg after the "Battle of the Bulge" and (unfortunately) subsequently scrapped.
From those, the museum still keeps minor parts such as a track section and boogie wheels (for the Panther), as well as a "Zimmerit" anti-magnetic paste-coated toolbox
(for the Tiger I), as a scale comparison.
The two models are great visual addenda to the existing display of personal items and dedicated photographs donated by former German tankers engaged in the "Ardennes" in 1944/45.
The PzKpfw V "Panther" displayed as a model is of version (Ausführung) "G" type with the 7,5 cm KWK 42 type long-barelled gun and three 7,92 mm MG 34 machine guns.
The "Panzerlehrdidivision", commanded by Major General Bayerlein, cutting across northern Luxembourg towards Bastogne via Longvilly and Neffe during the first days of the "Bulge",
as well as the "Führer-Grenadierbrigade" (Major General Maeder) tank regiment which defended the area of Dahl and Nocher in early January 1945 , were both equipped with this version of the "Panther".
Tactically, the 45,5 ton "Panther" was one of best battle tanks of WWII. The showcase also displays an original 7,5 cm high-explosive-, as well as an armor-piercing round in addition to a
ball-mounted 7,92 mm armor-barreled MG34m machine gun and its ammunition bag.
On the other hand, the PzKpfw VI "Tiger I" – version (Ausführung)"E" model on display is copied from a 1945 photograph of the destroyed original at Oberwampach/Luxembourg,
knocked out during the retreat of remains of the 1st SS (LAH) division. The rare 55 ton Tiger I was eventually destroyed by high-explosive and white phosphorous artillery rounds of
the 90th U.S. Infantry division in January 1945. According to records, the tank crew was able to bail out. The "Tiger I" had the more powerful 8,8 cm KWK 36 gun and usually only two machine guns.
A 8,8 cm hollow-charge round with steel case is also shown here.
Although the black "Panzerbarett" (tank crew protective headgear) with insignia, displayed with the two models is of 1941-1942 issue, some tank crew – out by tradition – may have kept those inside the tank
to remind them of better days and of earlier wartime successes. The specimen here is actually a donation by HRH, former Grand-Duke Jean, who found it in March 1945 in Germany, as his unit, the "Irish guards" were taking a former German garrison town.
AMBA partnership with German "Huertgenwald" and "Westwall" museums and circuits in the making
AMBA, the Belgian-Luxembourg
Association of museums of the Battle of the Ardennes, is presently discussing ways of
future cooperation with German museums and associations focusing on the battle
of "Huertgen forest " and the "Westwall”, as well as with German associations preserving
regional remains of the "Westwall” in the "Eifel” and "Rheinland-Pfalz” border
areas.
A recent meeting hosted by
Adj-Maj. Jean-Claude Schmetz, curator of the "Truschbaum museum” at Camp Elsenborn brought together representatives of AMBA museums and delegates of various
German museums and "Westwall” conservation groups. The discussions focused on
"extending” AMBA to the German border area and link existing thematic museums
and historical circuits to the general theme of the "Battle of the Bulge”. In
fact, the costly battle at "Huertgen Forest”, as well as the fighting around
the "Siegfried line” and the "Westwall bunkers” cannot be dissociated from the
"Bulge”. From a military history related- and tourism point of view, future
circuits could be designed to offer interested audiences an even broader view
and scope of the war years 1944-45.
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Representatives of various AMBA- and German museums pose in front of an element of “Westwall” dragon teeth displayed at the entrance of camp Elsenborn. |
In a practical way, the 10 AMBA
museums may in the future "design” combinations as package tours for groups of
interested visitors eager to also see remaining "Westwall fortifications” and
get a feeling of the terrain. This could become a real additional value for
AMBA.
Future meetings among interested
partners will outline various regional and thematic tours in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg to be condensed in brochures and websites.
The so-far interested German
partners are:
"The Day of Infamy!"
Ettelbruck - General Patton Memorial vandalized!
AMBA and its members are filled with indignation by the coward act of vandalism on the bronze statue of General George S. Patton, jr. and the nearby Sherman tank at the memorial
park at the entrance of Ettelbruck, discovered early in the morning of April 30, 2005.
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The General Patton statue and
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.............. the nearby Sherman tank memorial of Ettelbruck profaned by graffiti vandals on April 30, 2005. |
Whoever the authors of were - they haven't understood history!
By using yellow paint and ugly slogans to express their feelings is a severe
disgrace for all those brave 5076 GIs -- including General Patton himself
-- who rest at the Luxembourg American cemetery at Hamm and in other cemeteries
and who died for our today's freedom and welfare. It
is an insult for their families and relatives - some of whom had just
returned to experience the strong bonds of friendship and joint remembrance
among Belgium, Luxembourg and the United States between who during the recent
60th anniversary commemorations.
AMBA sincerely hopes that the instigators of this lamentable act of smear will be soon tracked down and corrected. Please assist us in helping the authorities find them and report
any clues you may have.
New Museum volunteer
Congrats to Sylvie and Mike Boehler for their first baby. Son Remy
Boehler was born on April 18, 2005. Mike has been a very active member
of the museum's volunteer working team since 1999. Due to present
happy circumstances, he will have to cut back a little on his favorite pastime
- military archaeology - and working at the museum, but son Remy has
surely inherited his father's passion and talents. It may just take
a while, as the new volunteer is still in the making and has to undergo some
training ......... !
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Escorted by his proud and happy parents, Remy Boehler (born 18 April, 2005) visits the museum for the first time. |
Anyway, the entire museum staff wishes Sylvie and Mike lots of family happiness
with Remy on the occasion of his "first introduction" to the museum
on April 24, 2005. |
