Ardennes Road Trip

[wouter]

A while ago my brother in law asked me if I was interested in a field trip to the Ardennes. Of course I was!!!! ;D. So, I stippled out some interesting stuff to check out and of we were yesterday. The day started very cloudy and very rainy, but after a two hour drive weather luckily improved a bit. Ideal to take some nice shots of armour.

[glow=red,2,300]1st stop was La Gleize[/glow]

My big love ;D is sitting there in front of the December '44 Museum: the KT number 213. We also visited the museum, something which I hadn't done before. It's a very interesting museum with lots of photos which I haven't seen before and lots of uniforms and belongings of soldiers, put into scenes. Lots of shells, panther-, half track-, PzIV wheels, panzershreck, panzerfaust and other stuff as well. Some scale models on display as well, but they are awefull ;D. Well worth a visit when you are in the area though (5€ entry ain't much)!
some shots of 213 (hope it doesn't bore you guys too much )

















More photos to follow of other stuff, but PB is frikkin' slow uploadingwise ;D

Cheers

[wouter]

[glow=red,2,300]2nd stop: Grandmenil[/glow]

Grandmenil is a very small town and when entering, sitting to the right of a roundabout, one can find a Panther Ausf. G sitting there quietly under the trees. Really a lovely piece of Panther, and when I have the guts someday, I would really love to try to replicate this scene into a dio.






















Next stop: La Roche!

Cheers

[wouter]

[glow=red,2,300]La Roche[/glow]

La Roche has to pieces of armour on display: a Sherman and a M10 tank destroyer. In the center is a museum which sells modelling kits as well...I stayed far away from it yesterday, but it seems like an interesting museum...that's for a next time!

At the center of La Roche one finds the Sherman (a couple of years ago at that place used to be a Pershing I heard), this one was knocked out, killing the crew.

I can't help it, but when seeing the Sherman and M10, and comparing it to the Panther and KT, I have made my choice. I wouldn't want to be in a Sherman when facing a Panther




clearly the knock out damage is visible










Nice chipping ey ;D
A bit higher out of town one finds the restored Achilles









Next stop: Houffalize

Cheers

[wouter]

[glow=red,2,300]Houffalize[/glow]

On the road to Bastogne in the town of Houffalize one can find another Panther G...sadly she isn't in a great condition. This one belonged to the 116th and was flipped over in the river killing some of the crew. Up to the end of the 70's the Panthers in the Ardennes were accessible to the inside, sadly that's not possible anymore



The ball MG could still be moved a bit

something peculiar which I've never seen on Panther tracks before: additional ice cleats...I knew these were added to Pz III/IV tracks but didn't know it was done on Panthers' as well

turretnumber 401 is a repaint, the original number was 111. Original photos of the Panther suggest that she had a coat of zimmerit as well














After this we went to our final destination:

Cheers

[wouter]

[glow=red,2,300]Bastogne[/glow]

In Bastogne one can find a restored Sherman tank, which was taken out by German fire in '44, it's commander was killed but the rest of the crew survived. It sits at the Place McAuliffe












In the center is a museum which I didn't really like, but in front of the museum sits a Firefly turret, which I did find interesting








In the musea one could buy some original militaria as well (german and american helmets, amongst them a DAK helmet) and SS Collar and shoulder tabs (700€ !). I was hesitating to buy an original German panzer periscope (125€) but I backed out of it, in the end I don't have much space to place it ;D)

Anyway, it was a nice trip and I'm sure goin' back. In 2012 or 2013 the Bastogne Historical Centre should reopen and it seems interesting (they got a Hetzer! )

Hope you lot enjoyed it a bit

Cheers

[tobias5555]

Great, I think, I have to drive there to.

[spud]

Great pics wouts. It's a same most of them ain't looked after

[Deleted]

Thanks for sharing Wouter mate . Great pictures!
Nice to have a bit of history with them too.
One day I'm going to follow the route my Grandfather's took through Normandy and Germany in '44- 45.

[deafpanzer]

Loved the pictures! Thanks for doing this. Doing a trip from Normandy beach to Bastogne is on my bucket list... even my wife wants to do it too. Maybe you can be our guide in exchange for unlimited glasses of Duvel and Tuborg?

[TRM]

OH Boy Wouts!! Very nice pics Brotha'!! Some exceptional shots...only a modeler would have the keen eye to take. Those rear deck shots are priceless!! It is sad some are is such a state but, on the other hand the weathering is just incredible!! Thanks for sharing these!!!

[spud]

maybe you should add these to the library T so they wont get lost

[wouter]

thanks fellas, glad you enjoyed it as well!

Tobias: well, I can only recommend it fella

Steve: well mate, if you do, don't forget to take some pics ey ^^

Andy: that's a good idea mate ;D

T: agree mate, weathering is great to see as well. I really want to give that 'Das Reich' Panther a go someday ^^

Spud, I won't remove the photos so normally they won't be lost ;D. Good idea though

Cheers

[robbo]

Great pics mate

[bigjohn]

Nice trip wouts, Thanks for sharing all the info and photos. When ya go back, let me know, I might have ya find a pillbox and take pictures of it for me.

[AndyArgent.]

Nice one mate, jealous ?noooooooo.

[wbill76]

Lots of pics to share, makes me feel like I'm almost there with you Wouter! Nice tour!

[modelfreak72]

Dam you guy's over there you got all the good spots to hit and it doesn't take half a day to get there! I NEED TO HIT LOTTO!!!!!
Wout my friend those are some impressive pics!

[Biskup.]

Nice trip you had.
If we had monuments like that here someone would probably steal them and sell them for scrap.

[multicam]

Good stuff, Wouter. Thanks for sharing:)

[danb.]

excellent stuff Wouter really enjoyed the pics i would love to make a trip and see that it is a shame that they cant be looked after more it is the same in Normandy all the vehicles conditions there are slowly getting worse.

Dan B

[wouter]

Robbo, thanks mate

BJ, thanks dude, I'll let you know and I'll check out the pillboxes and foxholes for ya

jackwagon: thanks fella, glad you like 'em! Had a great time indeed, will be happy to go back!

Bodge...you aren't? Yeah right! ;D

Bill, glad it felt like you were there, that means my mission was succesful!

Freakstah: yeah, those are the advantages of living in a small country mate ;D. Sadly though, Saumur, Bovington and Münster are still more than 6 hour drives...

Thanks Bisk! Are you serious? Didn't know it was that bad in Poland

Hiya Nate, no prob fella, glad you like it

Dan, thanks fella. It's a pitty in a way, but on the other hand: they make nice modelling subjects. And some are looked after like that Bastogne Sherman and the KT, it's nice to know ^^

Cheers

[martyncrowther.]

Looks like you had a great time Wouter and its only in your back yard man you are lucky!

Martyn

[Biskup.]

Yeah sometimes it is.
I want even tell you about one of the biggest ones that happened because you wouldn't believe me any way.

[406 Silverado]

Wow very cool Wout's. It's been over twenty years since I've been to a couple of those places. Did you go by the cemetary or the very BIG memorial not far from Bastogne overlooking the valley ! Driving those back roads one can always spot a tank or just a turret. I'll have to dig up a pic from there (35mm) and post it up.

Thanks again for posting this, especially the Panthers

[Smudge]

Nice pics Wouts

I'm sure I've seen that Houffalize Panther G in a dio...pretty much just like your photos? Can't remember where?

Jul 17, 2012 6:56:11 GMT -5 Biskup. said:

Nice trip you had.
If we had monuments like that here someone would probably steal them and sell them for scrap.

Hi B
We used to have a Churchill gate guard near me at the old tank works in Chapletown, Yorkshire.
It disappeared around 2004 and it tooks years of speculation before it was found out what had (supposedly) happened to it. Just how does someone remove a 24 foot long, 38 ton tank in a busy area without being seen ?

Smudge

[406 Silverado]

That Panther memorial dio was done by Spencer Pollard. It will be in a model book with all the details on the model, painting, the real tank etc etc. Don't have any other info than that...read it on ML.

[Biskup.]

Smudge unfortunately that's nothing.
There was a historic train wagon that was exhibit in a small town center. One day around 10 am a crew of people arrived and started cutting it to pieces then they took it and left. No one stopped them as everyone thought it was supposed to happen but they just stole it in broad day light.
But if you think that's nothing than there was another situation where a steel bridge that was in pieces waiting to be assembled on a building site was stolen and it weight 90 tones.
After police search they found that in both cases they were cut in to pieces and sold as scrap.