Tanks for the Memory...

 By the time we had reached Brussels during the 1999 trip, we had expected only to see the bland insides of the airport. Finding the massive museum, very near the centre, which housed both vehicles and aircraft, was a genuine surprise. If only I could remember the name of the place. All of the tanks were outside, and rather than leave them as rusting hulks, obvious attempts at genuine colour schemes (for the most part) had been made.

I had heard of the low profile design on the T72/T80 when I was a schoolkid. I hadn't appreciated just how short the driver would have to be to fit inside. When I saw this, I understood why WRG rules didn't allow hull down Soviet vehicles.

The Panzer IV was also remarkably 'petite'.

Though the massive SU152 more than made up for it. Watching these monsters roll toward you must have been terrifying.

 Inside...and the Hind. Again, when you see the model versions, you think that there is great difference in size between the Hind and the Huey or Blackhawk...

Again, the gunners position looked very cramped. Getting this close to a Hind made up for any disappointment though. Mind you, screaming low over the ground, being tracked by radar, as you man the gun with no control over this machine, must have a damned high pucker factor.

Party Like it's 1999...

While clearing space for more figures (sigh...) I discovered some pics from my 1999 Belgium trip, where in addition to squeezing in the Belgian Grand Prix (and avoiding all the insane Ferarri fans), I managed to follow part of Jochen Peiper's route during the Ardennes offensive, together with other 'Battle of the Bulge' attractions, AND visit the second finest tank museum in all Christendom - in Brussels. Here are the pics...

You might think these first shots uninspiring, but scroll down. This is the Kaiserbaracke crossroads in 99, followed by a rather famous shot from film recorded at the time.

The crossroads has changed dramatically over the years (and yes, with the spirit of wargaming in mind, I gathered twigs to make trees *sigh*). This was the exception however. Stoumont station was eerily quiet. Had I continued down this road for another few hundred metres of course - facing away from the pic, I would have stumbled upon Peiper's last abandoned Panther by the road. I found out about that a month afterward, while reading another book. Damn.

In contrast, Parker's Crossroads was almost a tourist attraction.

This Hetzer (I think in Bastogne) was tiny. We fail to appreciate the size of some of these armoured vehicles I think...

Until that is, you go to La Glieze and see the Tiger II ! Apparently a local woman persuaded the US engineers to leave it there for a few bottles of plonk. Go on Missus!

Next time...pics from the tank museum.