AUGUST 2017
Tank Times PUBLISHED BY THE TANK MUSEUM, BOVINGTON, DORSET BH20 6JG
Tank Museum wins £2m National Lottery Support
Redevelopment with David Willey
The Heritage Lottery Fund has confirmed its support for the next phase of The Tank Museum’s redevelopment plan, which will include new Workshops. NEW WORKSHOP
T
he ‘Conservation in Action’ project is the fourth stage of the Museum’s redevelopment master plan, which has now received over £14m of Heritage Lottery Fund support in the last decade. Sir Peter Luff, Chair of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “The Tank Museum has been on a journey of redevelopment and conservation for the last 12 years. We’re proud to be continuing our support for this fine Museum with a further £2m of funding to supporting the concluding part of its plans. “The Museum has taken a specialist subject – military vehicles – and presented it in a way that makes it enjoyable and interesting to a wide range of visitors. It achieves brilliantly the aim at the very heart of our work – opening up heritage for all – and we are grateful to National Lottery players for making this possible.”
WORKSHOPS
Museum Director Richard Smith said; “The purpose of the ‘Conservation in Action’ programme is to address the long term, sustainable care of our CAR PARK 1 unique fleet of vehicles and the development of new ways for the public to encounter them through original, imaginative approaches to interpretation.
“In short, we will transform our facilities, develop our skills, deepen our knowledge and widen the horizons of staff, visitors and all the people we work with.” The new workshop will be significantly larger and better equipped than the existing facility. It will be situated adjacent to the Vehicle Conservation Centre which was built in 2013. “The new workshop will increase the amount of conservation work that can be done on our collection,” said Richard. “This in turn will allow us to host a new apprentice scheme to train the next generation of conservators and restorers.” The funding will support a research programme to build up the body of knowledge and develop best practise for the care of historic vehicles, which will be used to train future staff.
VEHICLE CONSERVATION CENTRE
CAR PARK 2
KUWAIT ARENA
“Surprisingly little is known about the long term storage and operation of historic vehicles, and this is critical to ensuring we still have a collection in a hundred years”, added Richard. There are also plans to work more closely with local schools and universities, along with exciting plans to reach new audiences through the use of digital media. “We will develop our already successful use of Facebook and YouTube to reach an even wider audience than those who are able to visit,” Richard explained. “We will cover our restoration projects in YouTube videos and share our collections and their stories on Facebook to give more people than ever access to the work, expertise and assets of The Tank Museum”. Construction of the new Workshop building is expected to commence in September and be completed by May 2018.
Curator David Willey looks at the next big Exhibitions task, and discusses the plans and challenges of redeveloping the much-loved Second World War Hall. Those who have visited The Tank Museum over the last decade will have seen a great number of changes, and hopefully most will have seen these changes as improvements. The re-displays have been done for a number of reasons. As a charity, income generation is vital to sustain the Museum, so regular new exhibitions to encourage visitors to revisit has led to an annual opening of a new display. The displays are also aimed at increasing the range and quality of the interpretation. Ensuring the interpretation and stories told meet the needs and expectations of the visitors cannot be overemphasised. The Tank Museum, whilst a national collection, a leader in its field and a training tool for the modern Army, is also a popular tourist attraction.
In years gone by.
Panzer III in the Kuwait Arena.
‘Fury’ having finishing touches added to it.
Inside...
Battle of
Kursk
New Arrival
T-34/76
New Ways to Support
The Tank Museum
Our next challenge is the redevelopment of the Second World War Hall and this may lead us into new territory. The hall is the oldest part of the Museum, originally built to house the School of Tank Technology Collection. It is for many the traditional ‘heart’ of the Museum and some returning visitors still stop, smell the air and remember with some emotion a visit from years ago. Re-displaying this hall is therefore a delicate matter.
THE TANK MUSEUM
Redevelopment with David Willey
AUGUST 2017
tankmuseum.org
TANKFEST 201 7
Restoration
Highlights from the biggest TANKFEST ever!
Old Postcard of the Hall.
How do we re-display such a collection without disappointing some element of the audience? Thinning the density of the tanks is simply not possible throughout the hall as there are too many classic tanks and our Vehicle Conservation Centre cannot take that many more vehicles. Knowing our visiting audience likes to see the human story means we will inevitably want to incorporate more personal stories and items from the supporting collection such as uniforms, memorabilia, and documents from the Archive. Our Second World War collection of vehicles is international, but with an obvious bias to the Western Allies, whilst our Supporting Collection has a strong British bias, simply due to the nature of the items we have been donated. How much should we try and encompass an international story? The actual number of international visitors is still relatively small, less than 7%, apart from events such as Tankfest where it reaches 16%. In comparison over half the visitors to the British Museum in London are from outside the UK.
The British Mark IV and French Saint Chamond.
Before Restoration...
David Fletcher giving a live Tank Chat.
The Tank Museum does most of its own vehicle restoration work, however they are occasionally sent away to external companies. Both the Daimler Armoured Car and the Vickers Light Tank Mk IV were beautifully restored and brought back to run at TANKFEST 2017.
A visitor viewing the AR Sturmtiger.
The Daimler Armoured Car was sponsored by Martyn and Michaela Tasker, who took the vehicle away to carry out a complete overhaul. At the end of 23 weeks the vehicle had been fully rewired, the brakes and fuel lines replaced, engine and gearbox rebuilt and re-fitted, and finally the car was repainted inside and out. World of Tanks in the Vehicle Conservation Centre.
Inside entertainment.
Re-enactors during the battle finale.
The Light Tank Mk IV tank has been in the Museum for the last 30–40 years without turning a wheel and is the only surviving example. A generous donation meant that it was sent to Armoured Engineering, in Kent, who have done a complete restoration; including repainting the interior and exterior, making a new front curved guard, and replacing the bearings, seals, axles and wings. There have been a few lucky discoveries, for example after thinking none of the original paint existed to use as a reference, a patch was found under a box in the turret.
From the 1970’s.
The Second World War Hall is 3,400 square metres and we cannot develop it in one go, so the work will be phased over a number of years. As with previous projects, the Museum needs to remain open so visitor flow issues will have to be incorporated into the project and a number of entrances and exits to the Hall will need to remain. By its historic nature we have old and at times failing services that need assistance - visit on a rainy day and you can see the buckets from the leaking roof. All these factors are being thrown into the mix as the Museum decides on the best way to develop the Hall and what story or theme should and could best be told for our visiting audience.
...and after at TANKFEST.
An inside view of the Vehicle Conservation Centre.
Both vehicles have been restored to the highest standards and will be running at future Museum events.
The ‘Fury’ Sherman.
Bournemouth & Poole College fashion show.
If you have a view on what we should be doing, please do help us by sending your views to info@tankmuseum.org.
David Willey Curator
TANKFEST
2018
tickets are now on sale!
Challenger 2 during the British Army display.
The inner workings.
+44 (0) 1929 405096
AUGUST 2017
THE TANK MUSEUM
New Arrival T-34/76 This T-34/76 Soviet tank has been lent to The Tank Museum by The Finnish Military Museum, Sotamuseo.
This Elefant is a veteran of Kursk.
The Battle of Kursk
Fought between the 5th July and 23rd August 1943, The Battle of Kursk was one of the most decisive battles of the Second World War.
T
he Kursk salient was a three sided bulge in the front line. It extended 160 miles from north to south and up to 100 miles west into the German lines. For the Soviets it offered an ideal springboard for an attack, but if the Germans could pinch it closed they could cut off and destroy large Soviet forces. Both sides realised it would be the scene of crucial fighting in 1943.
Finland fought the Soviet Union during the winter of 1939-40 before reaching a peace settlement in March. With the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Finland resumed hostilities with the Soviet Union in an attempt to win back lost territory.
The fearsome Tiger I.
break through the Soviet defences. This was the first time this had happened to a large German attack. On the 12th July the Soviets launched a counterattack in the north. A southern offensive began on the 3rd August. Both were successful, but costly. The end result was that the Germans were forced to retreat.
The Germans began planning their attack, named Operation Citadel, in March. Thanks to intelligence and spies the Soviets were soon aware of it. They decided to build up their defences, defeat the Germans and then launch their own counterattack. The Germans amassed 777,000 men and almost 2500 tanks, split between the northern and southern fronts. To counter them the Soviets had over 1.3 million men, 3500 tanks and 28,000 pieces of artillery and anti-tank guns plus more in reserve. They also built anti-tank strongpoints, bunkers and ditches and laid hundreds of thousands of mines. The German attack was launched on the morning of the 5th July. Fighting across the battlefield was intense and brutal, but especially around the village of Ponyri in the north and at Prokhorovka in the south. Over a week of hard fighting Germans and Soviets alike suffered heavy losses. The advancing German forces on both the northern and southern fronts were worn down and eventually brought to a halt. Neither the northern or southern attacks had been able to
On the German side the mainstay of their armoured force was the Panzer IV. Panzer IIIs and Stug IIIs were also used, as were two members of the Tiger family. Tiger I crews used its heavy armour and firepower to devastating effect. The Ferdinand (later Elefant) tank destroyer had even longer range firepower and thicker armour. The Panther tank made its combat debut at Kursk. The Elefant on display at the Museum is an actual veteran of the battle.
Kursk was the final battle for the KV-1.
Casualties on both sides were heavy. The Germans lost around 57,000 men and 250 tanks. The Soviets suffered far more, around 178,000 men and 1600 tanks and armoured vehicles. More important than just the numbers though is the fact that the Soviets were able to replace their lost equipment and many of their dead soldiers fairly quickly. For the Germans, most of their losses were irreplaceable. Kursk was a turning point. For the rest of the war the Soviets would hold the initiative on the Eastern Front, allowing them to determine the timing and location of attacks. TANK MUSEUM VEHICLES There are examples of several tanks in the Museum’s collection that fought at Kursk.
The Soviets used a small number of KV-1s at Kursk in its final battle. SU-76 assault guns formed part of the Soviet artillery strength, and were also used for infantry support and anti-tank fighting. Up to a third of Soviet tanks at Kursk were the T-70 light tank, by now clearly too lightly armed and armoured for the frontline. The T-34/76 was the most capable tank in Soviet service at the time of Kursk, and by far the most common, although it was becoming less capable against the latest German tanks.
Ferdinand/Elefant The Elefant is the only vehicle in the Museum to have seen action at the Battle of Kursk. When it went into battle it was known as a Ferdinand, but suffered from significant design flaws including the lack of a machine gun. It was later upgraded and modified and, in February 1944, became known as the Elefant. It saw action on the Italian front and, after breaking down during the campaign at Anzio-Nuttuno in May 1944, the tank was abandoned by its crew who booby-trapped the vehicle with hand grenades and mines. It was eventually captured by the Americans and shipped to Aberdeen Proving Ground in the United States for examination. Elefant is on loan to The Tank Museum from the United States Army Heritage Center.
The Panther made its combat debut at Kursk.
This particular T-34/76 tank was captured from Soviet forces on October the 2nd 1941 in Western Russia. It went into action in North-Western Russia, often spearheading attacks and destroyed several enemy tanks and artillery pieces. The tank also spent two months under water after the Soviets blew up a damn in Poventsa, but it was recovered and returned to service – only to be withdrawn in the summer of 1944 with axle problems.
After the war, the tank was used for training until 1955 and entered the Finnish Museum collection in 1980. The Tank Museum is very grateful to have such a historic and important tank on loan from the Finnish authorities.
THE TANK MUSEUM
From the Editor Nik Wyness
AUGUST 2017
New Ways to Support The Tank Museum
Events
12 – 13 AUGUST
The Tank Museum has had a series of good news in the past month, with the Heritage Lottery Fund confirming its support for the final part of the Museum’s ‘Conservation in Action’ project and the Art’s Council bestowing National Portfolio status on The Tank Museum. National Portfolio status means that the Museum will benefit from £480,000 of funding over the next four years and is further recognition of The Tank Museum’s contribution to best practice in the heritage and culture industry. The Heritage Lottery Fund has pledged its support for The Tank Museum, once again, demonstrating the confidence that they have in the Museum’s ability to deliver what it has promised and more.
New Tank Museum Shop
Meet the Dorset Storm Troopers, watch the epic battle between the Daleks and the U.N.I.T. soldiers, and enjoy sci-fi themed talks and tours, market stalls, and props around the Museum.
The Tank Museum has launched a brand new online shop! Shoppers can purchase a whole range of Tank Museum merchandise, including clothes, mugs and books. Starting from £9.99, the Museum is also selling a selection of its finest archive images and recent photographs, for people to display on their own walls. Friends of The Tank Museum memberships can be easily purchased from the new shop. There are also a wide range of models on sale, including COBI and Tamiya models, and books from the world of armoured warfare. By purchasing directly from The Tank Museum, you are supporting efforts to conserve and preserve this unique collection.
16 SEPTEMBER
TIGER DAY VIII Visit tankmuseum.org/shop
In 2017 Tiger 131 will only make two appearances in our arena. As the only running Tiger I tank in the world you really can’t afford to miss it! Advance tickets only.
Both sets of funding will enable the Museum to continue to improve its exhibitions, look after its collection and reach out to new audiences. One of the other big challenges facing the Museum at the moment, is the redevelopment of the Second World War Hall. It is an incredibly popular space in the Museum and we are keen that our visitors feel involved in the process of its development. If you have visited the Museum, do email info@tankmuseum.org with your thoughts. In the meantime we are looking forward to marking a highly significant date in the Royal Tank Regiment’s calendar - the centenary of the Battle of Cambrai in November. It was at this battle, on 20 November 1917, that tanks were first used en masse and to good effect, and is marked by the Royal Tank Regiment each year.
7 OCTOBER
TANKMOD Patreon The Tank Museum has launched a fundraising page on the US based sponsorship website Patreon. The site allows supporters and online followers of The Tank Museum to show their appreciation for the work The Tank Museum produces, particularly on social media, by making monthly donations.
Nik Wyness Head of Marketing and Engagement
The Tank Museum will be inviting exhibitors from across the UK to exhibit their models throughout the Museum. Miniature, Remote Control and Scale models will all be in attendance. Annual Passes are valid.
The platform is widely used by digital content creators around the world to financially support their activities, and offers subscribers a range of benefits in return for the monthly support. Currently The Tank Museum offers several membership tiers, with varying benefits. For example ‘Sergeant Patrons’, who pay $6 per month, receive early access to new Tank
Museum videos, unique supporter computer wallpaper, and can submit their questions for an online Q&A with The Tank Museum Curator. Alternatively Colonel Patrons, who pay $25 per month, receive all of the above as well as a Tank Museum lapel pin, producer credit on Museum videos, a Tank Museum t-shirt and membership of the Friends of The Tank Museum. With the help of Patreon, the Museum is able to continue its work as a charity and tell its story to an ever-growing audience – many of whom may never have the chance to visit the Museum. Please visit patreon.com/tankmuseum for more information.
THE TANK MUSEUM - THE WORLD’S BEST COLLECTION OF TANKS
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