Museums with Axis small arms

[Gaijinaho]

For those of you in the U.S., a very good place to see captured weaponry is at your local VFW and American Legion Post. In our collection case we have US Civil War weapons, M1903-A3, K98, Austrian Mannlicher rifle, Nambu pistol, Flak 38 20mm, Type 38 Arisaka, grenades, a German 50mm mortar,etc etc. Another local post has MG08 and other items. Most of us are glad to have people come in and talk and see what is there.
Later, Gaijinaho

[Kapitan]

See also page of Warsaw Uprising Museum http://www.1944.pl and Museum Batlle of Bzura River 1939 in Kutno http://muzeumkutno.com/mbb.html - both museums in Poland.

[fredleander]

While not exactly a museum (they do show a few items in a one-floored building at the gate) the Eben Emael fortress in Belgium must be one of the most interesting and original WW2 sites still to be seen. It's all there with penetrated steel cupolas, casemates and tunnels. The place is crawling with rabbits....!.....

It can be a little hard to find it of you do not know exactly where it is as it is largely grown over. Going through the village of Eben Emael there is a small sign (was some years ago, anyway) pointing down a narrow street to the main entrance.

I also recommend the Oscarsborg Fortress in the Oslo approaches (you know - "Blücher"). You can even stay overnight....!.....Drive to Drøbak and take the local ferry over to the fortress. Or land at the small-boat quay with your own boat.....

The old 28 cm. guns are still there. Look as if they arrived yesterday....

[jerseydamien]

I believe the Channel Islands Military Museum, in Jersey Channel Islands is worthy of inclusion in your museums section. The museum is housed in a German bunker which is attached to the sea wall defences and therefore is a definite part of Hitler's Atlantic Wall defences. The museum is crammed full of different German equipment and weapons left over from the Occupation years. The museum first opened in May 1989 and is now 21 years old and gaining in tourist and collector popularity as each season passes. Owing to the fact that the museum is in a bunker its not vast in size but it makes up for that with the quality of the kit on display. If you want to see more on the museum and the collection feel free to go to www.festungjerseymilitaria.com and see what else there is.

[sisuno]

That is correct, Sarge. And recently (2004, I believe) another He111 was salvaged from a lake in central Norway. The German PIC was present at the actual lifting it out of the water. It was one of several planes that had landed on the ice April '40. During daytime the ice started to melt and the wheels went through the top-layer ice with the consequence that it could not be moved - and later sank.

The finest object at The Flymuseum in Oslo is, in my opinion, the Northrop NPB. It was salvaged from a river bed on Iceland and refurbished by former employees of the Northrop factory in the U.S. After that it was presented as a gift to Norway.

Hi there was also an ju88 salvaged the same time as the he111. the he111 went back to Germany but the ju88 is still in Norway and being restored . There is still a german see plane in this water, i think it is called a Albatross , but it will not be salvaged sinse it are klassified as an war grave.There is also an ju52 and a ju87 lying there. The water is called Jonsvatnet close to Trondheim. The pilot on the he111 name was Artur Von Casimir. he died a few years ago.

[Gustav_SC]

Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna.

The best part of their large collection is WWI related.

However, their WWII collection has all the main German WWII small arms. From memory: P-08, P-38, K98k, StG44, MG34, MG42, MP40 etc. Plus a Fiesler Storch scout plane in great condition, a Pak40 75mm AT gun, a 20mm AA gun, a Panzerschrek, etc.

[CHARLEMAGNE 4]

GREECE
War Museum of NAFPLIO.
Amalias 22...Nafplio city...Peloponnese
Telephone : 27520 25591
http://www.nafplio.gr/moyseiamenu/polemikommenu.html

[CHARLEMAGNE 4]

GREECE
War Museum of Thessaloniki.
Grigoriou Lampraki 4...TK 54636...Thessaloniki city.
Telephone : 2310 249803
http://www.warmuseumthessaloniki.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJpY375DhaA

[Tony Williams]

The UK Ministry of Defence establishment at Shrivenham is on your list, but they have a much greater variety of items than is suggested. They have a small but excellent small-arms collection which they keep for study purposes, and it includes some rare weapons such as the Walther MKb42(W), the unsuccessful rival to the Haenel design which became the MP 43 etc. I was very lucky once and got to shoot it (a rare privilege), and have also fired an FG 42 there. Semi-auto only, unfortunately!



However, before you all rush off to England you should be aware that the Shrivenham site is effectively a military base and is never open to the public. I have been fortunate enough to be invited to give presentations to their annual Small Arms & Cannons Symposium (which is mainly for military, government and industry delegates), which is how I got in.

[YankeeZulu]

National Infantry Museum, Columbus, GA.

http://www.nationalinfantrymuseum.org

Airborne and Special Operations Museum, Fayetteville, NC.

http://www.asomf.org

[HaShomer]

A great military museum, which has Axis small arms and much more is the West Point Military Academy Museum in New York. A great collection in a beautiful setting just north of NYC.

[JohnWestfall]

I would definitely like to visit the Museum if allowed. Since I have a huge interest in army and their weapons.

[pitfighter]

The UK Ministry of Defence establishment at Shrivenham is on your list, but they have a much greater variety of items than is suggested. They have a small but excellent small-arms collection which they keep for study purposes, and it includes some rare weapons such as the Walther MKb42(W), the unsuccessful rival to the Haenel design which became the MP 43 etc. I was very lucky once and got to shoot it (a rare privilege), and have also fired an FG 42 there. Semi-auto only, unfortunately!



However, before you all rush off to England you should be aware that the Shrivenham site is effectively a military base and is never open to the public. I have been fortunate enough to be invited to give presentations to their annual Small Arms & Cannons Symposium (which is mainly for military, government and industry delegates), which is how I got in.

Tony, I am looking at the G-Type (last production model) FG42 to your left, how was it shooting beside that muzzle brake?
They had got it working pretty efficiently at that point, but the "side-blast" is interesting to experience up close.

Quite a privilege to shoot the mkb42(w) for sure - your photo really accentuates the straight line of the receiver into the stock, looks like it was probably quite comfortable. Hopefully too focused to notice the fallschirmjaegergewehr concussion.

[Tony Williams]

It was quite a few years ago now, but I can't recall noticing the blast. I was wearing double ear protection (as always at Shrivenham) which probably helped!

I do recall observing the muzzle flash from the FG 42, though - a ball of fire about a foot in diameter, clearly visible even in broad daylight!

[James A Pratt III]

D-Day Museum in New Orleans

All US Army divisions have division museums