Normandy Report Part 2: Bayeux Museum

[Shawn Ramsey]

Thanks for posting Philipp. I am enjoying the pics very much.

Shawn

[Philipp Gross]

Glad you like them

As I said, there's much more to come from this museum.

Philipp

[Philipp Gross]

Has it really been 5 weeks since part 1 already?

Sorry about that....here's a selection of the rest, you can find the full set with a few more detail photos and full resolution on my Flickr account.

Inside the museum we are greeted by the usual collection of artefacts....maps, documents, uniforms, small arms:




Quite a surprise was this former R35 or H38 turret, formerly in use as an Atlantikwall emplacement. Regrettably the gun is missing.



Speaking of Atlantikwall, also an Abwehrflammenwerfer 42. A number of these dug-in flamethrowers were used on the invasion beaches, with limited success.


More of the usual stuff. Forgive my lack of enthusiasm, but you see this in each and every museum in Normandy There's more interesting stuff further down, I promise









40mm Bofors:


German 105mm Flak, the big brother of the 88:


Pak 40:


German DKW Motorcycle:


German uniforms:


US 75mm Pack Howitzer:


I should have taken this one with me


After the main exhibition hall comes the vehicle hall, which has a few nice pieces.

Sexton:


Still looks good, I wonder if it would start?


M3 halftrack in French markings:


2cm Flak 38:


M55 50cal quadmount:


8,8 cm Flak 36/37, the paint looks original?


Studebaker radio truck:



The barrel of a 12,8 cm Flak, that thing is huge


A fairly large diorama tries to give an impression of the aftermath of the Falaise gap...hidden in the rubble are the wrecks of a Wespe and a Flakpanzer 38(t).






And finally the Caterpillar D7, as mentioned previously it came with the Canadians to Bayeux and toiled in a local quarry until the 80's, when it was taken over by the museum, still in perfect working condition.



That's all from Bayeux. Thanks for looking

The next report will be about the 18th century fort near Merville and the German bunkers around it.

Philipp

[Vincent Power]

More great pictures there Philipp. Thanks for sharing them. Those dug in flamethrowers sound particularly nasty.

Cheers,
Vincent

[Chris Smith]

If that is the original colour on the 88mm then my mustard coloured Bergepanzer IV isn't so far off after all

Nice photos, thanks for sharing.

Chris

[Philipp Gross]

Thanks everyone, glad you like them

Chris, here's another 88, definitely in original colours, it was pulled from a lake at the Frankfurt airport in this state:



Lots more photos here.

Philipp

[Vincent Power]

Love the patina on that thing. The two shades of yellow on the base are particularly interesting. It could be a project for me

Vincent

[Philipp Gross]

It seems like the rust from underneath has tainted the dark yellow into a more orange hue than it originally had. Other areas seem to have faded a lot. I wouldn't paint any operational piece like this, but I guess that's not an issue for you

Philipp