The Tank Museum, Bovington, UK

[hongkongwargamer]

Tanks, tanks and more tanks!!!!

I got all the pics posted here - Rgds Jack

 

[Carln0130]

Thanks Jackson. I'll have to check it all out after work.

 

[Alessandro D.]

Thanks for sharing, lot of stuf

 

[Yuri0352]

Thanks for sharing the travel map too. Bovington is on my bucket list when I finally make it over to England.
The M3 Grant was very impressive.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Thanks for sharing the travel map too. Bovington is on my bucket list when I finally make it over to England.
The M3 Grant was very impressive.

Oh yes, I took a particular interest at the Honeys too!

As a civilian I am very impressed with how cramped (esp) some of the smaller tank / armored cars are .. I didn't wanna squeeze myself into the some of the "open" AFVs they got there.

On the other hand, the bigger ones look like a real challenge to climb on fully laden (in a player turn) as PRC, they are real high off the ground!!

 

[hongkongwargamer]

The "Black Prince"

 

[Brian W]

As a civilian and I am very impressed with how cramped (esp) some of the smaller tank / armored cars are .. I didn't wanna squeeze myself into the some of the "open" AFVs they got there.

It's good to remember that the average height of US soldier in WW2 was something like 2 inches shorter than the average height of US civilians now. Average width has increased a bit more than that That's the power of childhood nutrition.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Also the Japanese who were regarded as literally "little yellow men" due to their average height are now pretty much up there with the rest of the world with regards to stature.

While the results of the Dutch famine ('44-'45) on the next generation was unsurprising, children born of women pregnant during the famine were under weight and sized, the effects continued into the following generation, IE the grandchildren were also undersized. That despite the fact that those grandchildren had no nutritional deficit and their parents a deficit for only a very short period of their lives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_famine_of_1944–45#Legacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenerational_epigenetic_inheritance#In_humans
for those who are interested.

Nutritional status has effects on both body and mind. Even in my lifetime I have noted the increase in average height (and unfortunately much width) due to improved nutrition.

 

[jrv]

I think also tankers were selected by size. I know fighter pilots currently are still. I knew someone that was no longer eligible to train for fighters after college because he grew two inches.

edit: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=200396

JR

 

[Mister T]

Also the Japanese who were regarded as literally "little yellow men" due to their average height are now pretty much up there with the rest of the world with regards to stature.

While the results of the Dutch famine ('44-'45) on the next generation was unsurprising, children born of women pregnant during the famine were under weight and sized, the effects continued into the following generation, IE the grandchildren were also undersized. That despite the fact that those grandchildren had no nutritional deficit and their parents a deficit for only a very short period of their lives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_famine_of_1944–45#Legacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transgenerational_epigenetic_inheritance#In_humans
for those who are interested.

Now Dutch men are the tallest in the world, so things change. Americans, who were among the tallest in 1914, are now only around the 40th place in the world; they stopped growing in the 60s.

 

[Yuri0352]

Oh yes, I took a particular interest at the Honeys too!

As a civilian and I am very impressed with how cramped (esp) some of the smaller tank / armored cars are .. I didn't wanna squeeze myself into the some of the "open" AFVs they got there.

On the other hand, the bigger ones look like a real challenge to climb on fully laden (in a player turn) as PRC, they are real high off the ground!!

Are visitors allowed to view the interiors of any of the AFV'S? I would be interested in seeing the insides of the Grant or a Stug. I wouldn't be surprised if the management said 'no'.

 

[MajorDomo]

No climbing into the AFVs, there were some cutaways which allowed me to see the insides of several tanks.

I am 5' 10", which was average Ami height in the 1960's. I am now above average high due to the influx of immigrants, primarily from Mexico.

Rich

 

[bprobst]

I knew someone that was no longer eligible to train for fighters after college because he grew two inches.

Yes, I've heard that it's not fun having to leave your kneecaps behind if you need to eject.

 

[hongkongwargamer]

Are visitors allowed to view the interiors of any of the AFV'S? I would be interested in seeing the insides of the Grant or a Stug. I wouldn't be surprised if the management said 'no'.

They allow you into some of the WW1 tanks (mostly named after Mark). I am 6ft - took a look and decided it might not be the best idea.

The OTs you can of course take a look at - even then it seems pretty cramped - especially when I imagined there are tanks running about shooting back.

One modern day AFV that looks rather interesting is the Jackal. It's lauded for being able to offer superior situational awareness.

To me it just seems like another word for ... EXPOSED. But I will defer to the treadheads in the forum.

Rgds Jack

 

[Philippe D.]

There's a similar museum in France, in Saumur - I had a look last June because there was a weekend of historic gaming in the museum, and that included a meeting of 6-10 ASL enthusiasts (playing on tables set up between the Soviet tanks, with the occasional museum visitors having a look, is an interesting experience). I'm not sure how the collections compare - I know next to nothing about real tanks anyway, I almost needed the little informative tags to make the difference between a Sherman and a Tiger.

I don't think they let you inside the vehicles either. Some halftrack-likes were open so you could see inside. Yeah, it all looked rather cramped...

 

[Mister T]

There's another one in Munster, Germany (not too far from Hamburg). Probably a tad smaller than the two previous ones, but still with quite a few vehicles (especially of course German ones).

 

[Proff3RTR]

There's another one in Munster, Germany (not too far from Hamburg). Probably a tad smaller than the two previous ones, but still with quite a few vehicles (especially of course German ones).

That is a good one at Munster Nord, a fair few runners as well, They were running a Stug III G around when I was there (late 90's), Bovy run out Tiger 131 a fair bit and she is beautiful and sounds mean as F, she will normally run around with the Museums working Panzer III J, and the size difference is quite funny.

 

[Mister T]

A Sturmmörser from there

 

[Proff3RTR]

A Sturmmörser from there
View attachment 458

absolute beast, that must be one of the very few of those still intact? Kulibinka might have one, I know Bovy does not, any one else have any ideas.

 

[Paul M. Weir]

Munster has a shït load of unusual stuff, including a replica A7V and a real Strv m/21-29 a Swedish service upgrade of the trial WW1 German LK II.
Pz I A, SdKfz 234/4, early Pz II and Pz IV A turrets, Sturmpanzer IV, pre-production JgPz IV (aka 0-Serie) are among the more usual items.