a virtual trip to the Canadian War Museum

[Rajin Cajun]

Great pics again.

Oh I know Ottawa is out of the way but I figured if I'm up there I will have to go out of my way to see it...of course Newfoundland is out of the way.

[phylo_roadking]

D., you know....most museums tell you NOT to take pics so that a/ you buy them at reception or b/ you don't post them on the Web and so obviate the need for actually going.....

[Dragunov]

D., you know....most museums tell you NOT to take pics so that a/ you buy them at reception or b/ you don't post them on the Web and so obviate the need for actually going..... Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy

bah. much better if you visit personally, you get to see the stuff that i don't photograph. and the architecture is quite nice too.

and hey! it's free for me (only on thursdays after 15:00h). and you guys haven't kicked me out (YET, EH!!!!). consider it a thank you for being (for the most part) hospitable, i'd hate to have to move completely to AHF. the crowd's WAY nicer here.


more stuff on the way, but it'll probably come saturday. too much homework and too much procrastination.

[Dragunov]

THE VEHICKUOLES HALL!!!


my ride of choice- kettenkrad! whoo!


the 'cockpit'


bike and sidecar. don't tell me it's not BMW.


20mm flak, I guess.


stuff.


a big gun. the wheels are sorta like those of the minenraumper.


that big 152mm sucker was captured and used on Canadian troops in Italy.


my favourite: Fallschirmjäger's recoilless rifle. don't know real name.
even awesomer is that it fully restored, traverses at the touch of a finger, but the breech wouldn't open (mind you, i wasn't trying hard).


could it be in WORKING CONDITION????? seems like this beauty has not yet met the hacksaw of Canadian authority.


barrel view.


6 pounder


nebelwerfer.


squeeze-bore PzB something. almost didn't recognise this one.




knock knock!


breech.


75mm infantry gun.


no idea.


Brennies.


various stuff.



cool, huh?


dragged up from the bottom of a lake and given as a thank you... 60 years later.


pz II


a bad shot of the roof.


JgPz4


the Ram, made in Canada. was the sherman based on this?


shermans and stuff.


duck and Churchill.


Italian tankette. tankette?!!?!


t-34.


Goliath Vergasmotor, not the cheezy electrisch one.






blur of a wooden mortar, German ww1.


and, at this point, my camera ran outta batts! maybe i'll find the postwar stuff from a previous trip, but it's late now...

[phylo_roadking]

Tankette - italian CV33 or 35. Exported all over the world, a lot of nations used either them or the Renault FT-17! LOL Just a glorified machine-gun carrier, but the italians tried to use it as a battle tank....

[phylo_roadking]

The Ram - parallel evolution.....

The 1940 fall of France, and the bombing offensive against Britain, led to a decision that Canada be made a source of manufacture of light armored vehicles and tanks. An authorization was given for the formation of two Canadian Armored Divisions in the summer of 1940. This necessitated a requirement for over 1,000 cruiser type tanks to equip these divisions. It was obvious that these could not be supplied through British production and that tank production in the United States was limited to British and American orders. The English and Canadians then decided to construct a Tank Arsenal in Canada under the administration of Montreal Locomotive Works with the assistance of its parent organization, American Locomotive. It was further decided that the Canadian built cruiser tank design would be based on that of the US M3 medium tank to save time and utilize mechanical and chassis components already in production. By the autumn of 1940, it became clear that many of the design features of the M3 would be far from satisfactory for the British or Canadian soldiers, in particular the high silhouette, sponson-mounted main armament, inadequate armor protection, and lack of radio in the turret. By January 1941 it was decided that Canada must develop and produce it's own tank utilizing the mechanical components of the M3 and make it standard with British main armament. This vehicle came to be known as the Ram tank. The Ram was named in honor of the founder of the Canadian Armored Corps, General "Worthy" Worthington. The Ram was part of his family crest.

A running prototype of the Ram was completed in June 1941. Canada's Ram with a 6pdr gun production engineering drawings were assumed to be supplied by the United Kingdom. These did not materialize. The mantlet, cradle and elevating gear had to all be designed in Canada. While the engineering was being finalized, the first fifty vehicles were fitted with the standard 2pdr gun and designated Ram Mk I. Production mounting the 6pdr gun then became the Ram Mk II. Though the Ram looked like an American M4 Sherman, it quickly became evident that it lacked the firepower needed to overcome other enemy tanks. For this reason, Rams were used as training vehicles, conversions to Kangaroos, command vehicles, and test chassis.

In 1942, the United States put the M4 into production replace the M3. The M4 incorporated all the features of the Ram and met British requirements. Thought was given to manufacture of the M4 in Canada but increased orders for the Valentine tank and the arsenal facilities in the United States rendered this idea moot. However, it was agreed that Ram production would be halted for the M4 Sherman at the earliest possible time. The specifications were laid down in September 1942 for the Canadian production of the M4AI. This tank became known as the 'Grizzly'. In August 1943 changeover in production was achieved after an amazing production of 1,941 Rams. While it had been planned to build large quantities of the Grizzly, orders were reduced when it was realized that the production of Sherman tanks from the USA would be sufficient for Allied requirements. Of the 188 Grizzly tanks built, some were allocated to British Forces but the bulk of them were retained for training.

It was as the Kangaroo that Ram tank and it's designers would make the contribution to the Canadian soldier and history. Hitting the battlefield in 1944, the Kangaroo would become the first truly successful Armored Personnel Carrier (APC). Other contributions of the Ram were as armored recovery vehicles, towing vehicles, ammunition carriers, recovery units, and experiments.

[Dragunov]

so, i went back, and things changed. new exhibit on Afghanistan. Unfortunately we were rushed (school field trip) so there's not much. so much so that we didn't get to go to the vehicle hall, i they restored a Panther and have it on show there. and my friend said that they have a V2 in storage. lamesauce.

anyhoo,


chunk of airplane from 9/11 attack. (!)


Osama Bin Laden candy.


the Sniper rifle that set the world record for longest confirmed kill, a McMillan TAC-50 "Big Mac" (after that McDonalds âmebèregère/pig's abortion.). Corporal Rob Furlong took the shot at a man carrying a RPK, part of a three man MG team. the first shot missed completely, second shot hit the man's backpack, and the third hit him square in the chest. so what does that mean? well, none of that 'super sniper' crap is true, at these ranges, it's a lot of luck. still a lot of skill, but luck is necessary.

i have like ten or so more photos of the rifle, so if anyone's interested...





rather neat photo depicting Kandahar area being handed over to Canadian troops.

the freakiest item in the whole room. this car hit an IED. the engine was blown a distance away, but the three Canadian soldiers in it were lucky to survive. IIRC one of them lost both his legs.





i have more pics of the car, if anyone is curious.

enjoy...?
Dragunov

[Dragunov]

oh yeah, more info about the lad who took the shot here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Furlong

[Waleed Y. Majeed]

Great pictures!

a porthole and some other parts from the Lusitania

The porthole might be but the medal (front and reverse) was never on that liner!
Here's a bit of info: http://www.woodrowwilson.org/visit_sub/ ... _id=375382

waleed

[Brendan Hunt]

Great photos! I especially like the Panzer II, Flak Gun w/ Operator, and PAK37!

-B

[phylo_roadking]

and PAK37!

Lovingly restored with old Avon and Conti motorcyle tyres!

[Dragunov]

and heeeeeeeey, we were sent back. again. but they added a (gasp!) Panther, so it was worth it. and i got to share some of that 'useless' information.

again, if you want a photo of something, i might have it... somewhere... so ask anyways. 'k?




ahhh!




another shot of this... thing.
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 8#p1052008


now, can anyone correct me on this? red piping- artillery, 'wings'-luftwaffe (?) red ribbon on tunic- iron cross, 2nd class (?)


well, ain't she be-autiful...




the rest of the crew


Panzerkampfwagen V ausf. A, Panther. captured somewhere in Europe, 1944, transported back to CFB Borden ( Canadian Forces Base- there's a PAK 40 and wirbelwind there too) , sent here where they stripped off the lame grey paint and restored it. supposedly the innards were destroyed- not sure why.


because. Kar 98, bwf 44. (IIRC)






this lad reminds me of Pvt. Joker from the movie Full Metal Jacket. Get some!!!


why, hello there!


backup sights on the Elcan (Ernst Leitz Canada... Canada? why here?) C79 optical sight. remember that arguement we had, Sniper?


down the barrel of the Panther... not sure what the blob is.


the star of the show! look at the Zimmerit! woohoo!










more pics of that guy and the squeeze bore 2.8cm gun (can't remember) if anyone is interested. too tired now...

BONUS QUESTION!!!
what does the "SFOR" marking that I see so often on Canadian '90s ish vehicles stand for?

enjoy,
Dragunov