Military Museum

Brussels, Belgium, March 2005

Being a tank and plane buff, I headed off to the Military Museum in Parc du Cinquantenaire check out their collection of tanks and planes. What an amazing place. Here are a few of the pictures I took of the tanks and planes on display.

Tanks

M3 Grant. While not a total success in service, the chassis was used to build the famous M4 Sherman.

M4A3E2 Sherman "Jumbo". Along with the Soviet T-34, this tank helped win the war.

Mark IV Panzer with turret skirts for added protection.

British Matilda Tank. Totally outclassed by the time the war started in terms of the 2 Pounder gun but hard to knock out due to (for the time) heavy armour.

The IS3 Stalin heavy tank .Introduced in 1944, it later participated in the 1956 invasion of Hungary and the Prague Spring in 1968.

The tank is the background is a Jagdpanther. The Jagdpanther ("Hunting Panther") was a tank destroyer built by Germany during World War II based on the chassis of the Panther tank.

Rear view of IS3 with fuel tanks on the rear deck to boost range.

The Jagdpanzer 38(t) (Sd.Kfz.138/2). Sometimes known as Hetzer ("baiter"), the tank was a German tank destroyer of the Second World War based on a modified Czech LT 38 tank chassis.

Leopard Mk 1. Technically obsolete, it is still in service with the Australian Army. Great for knocking down trees and fences. I'd love one although the Leopard Mk 2 would be better.

The Gepard flakpazer is an anti-aircraft tank is based on the Leopard Mk 1 chassis as shown above. Guns are radar guided as there's bugger all chance in hell trying to hit them on manual.

German SdKfz 7/2 half track with 20mm anti-aircraft gun mounted in the back. Just what you need for rabbit hunting on the weekends.

Link to the full collection.

Aircraft

A Supermarine Spitfire

Bristol Beaufort bomber and a Hurricane fighter plane.

Contrary to popular belief, the Hurricane did most of the fighting and shot down more german aircraft during the Battle of Britain than the Spitfire.

F4 Phantom

F4 Phantom front view. The wings folded up for storage on aircraft carriers.

Close-up.

F86 Sabre in foreground.

In the background is and example of my favourite helicopter, the Mil 24D 'Hind'. Much used during the Afghanistan war, this Russian helicopter-gunship could carry troops and missiles.