Eye Candy

[DD696]

Way back when I was just a young whippersnapper I lived in Delaware for a few years. During this time I made 3-4 trips to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. Each time I went I was in awe of the field of armor. American, British, Italian, Japanese, Russian, French and German tanks. Objects I never thought I would ever see. Looking down a long line of armored vehicles and seeing something huge down towards the end. Gazing upon shermans, a churchill, t34/76 and t34/85, a JSIII, PzII, PzIII's, PzIV's, 2 Panthers looking as mean then as they did about 75 years ago, Hetzers, Marders, Jagd IV, StuG's, JagdPanther, then standing next to a JagdTiger and seeing the actual battle damage on it. Later I saw another massive vehicle and thought at the time it was some type of SPA, but no, here was a Ferdinand of Kursk later reborn as an Elephant of Anzio (family rumor has it that my stepfather fought at Anzio, and fact has it that he served in the 5th Ranger Battalion to the end of the war).

Enjoy.

https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=1818159

I also later took pictures of the artillery there (lots of artillery), but it was mostly unidentified and I wasn't quite as interested. I will try to find that thread if there is any interest here.

[sPzAbt653]

Better known as 'The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps Museum', I hear it has relocated. Wiki says it was 'previously located at APG, was moved to Fort Lee, Virginia, as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Act'. I live about 20 minutes from APG and have been there and also have some nice pics, but I guess I won't be going there anymore [:(]

I used to work in that area and fondly remember the distant sound of munitions tests.

From my collection, a self propelled Gatling Gun at APG.

[DD696]

As far as I can discover, most of the Aberdeen tanks as well as those that were at the Patton Museum have been moved to Fort Benning, Georgia. A year or so ago I was going to make a pilgrimage back to the Patton Museum (saw it back in '76) to revisit the Tiger II there. Checked the website and found they were Out of Business. They are building a new facility at Fort Benning to display them. I could be wrong, tho. Some 14th Under-Secretary of Non Essential Government Material may have decided to did a big hole and bury them.

Edit: Regarding munitions tests. I live a fair ways from the home of the 3rd Infantry Division, but my house shivers and shakes from the training they do there. Sometimes it goes on all night long. Booming and shuddering. The sounds of freedom. Makes me wonder what it was like for the citizens of Berlin in April 1945.

[cathar1244]

There used to be a pair of Panthers that sat outside the French military museum in Paris (Invalides). Those are moved now as well. I think one of them may have ended up at the French cavalry school at Saumur.

Cheers

[MausMan2]

That was a great museum. Good to know its not there anymore as I was thinking of a trip just to see it again. Was there back in 2000 for a week-long training class on post for USACE employees. Included a tour of the museum on the third day I think. I returned a couple times after.

[Lobster]

There's a little museum along I-80 at Lexington, Nebraska. Not big but it has some nice displays. The small museums are becoming a rare breed. https://www.heartlandmuseum.com/

Another one by I-80 and Hwy 63 exit was bulldozed a few years ago to make way for expansion of the interchange.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: Lobster

There's a little museum along I-80 at Lexington, Nebraska. Not big but it has some nice displays. The small museums are becoming a rare breed. https://www.heartlandmuseum.com/

Another one by I-80 and Hwy 63 exit was bulldozed a few years ago to make way for expansion of the interchange.

The “World's Smallest Museum” (yes, that's its official name) in Superior, Arizona measures 134 square feet and houses “artifacts of ordinary life,” including a letter written by John F. Kennedy, a Beatles concert poster and a rock believed to be the World's Largest Apache Tear.