The tanks and other contents of the National Museum of Military History of Luxembourg

@ElentirENG ES 4·16·2024 · 22:42 0

Luxembourg is a little-known country in terms of its military history, largely due to the small size of its territory and its army.

The Parolan Panssarimuseo, an exceptional armored vehicle museum in Finland
A museum with military vehicles from the WWII and the Cold War in the Czech city of Rokycany

Luxembourg was part of the Duchy of Burgundy during the Middle Ages. Like the rest of Burgundy, it passed into the hands of the Crown of Spainduring the reign of Charles I, remaining under Spanish sovereignty until 1714, when it passed into the hands of the Austrian Empire. After a French occupation (1795-1815), Luxembourg became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, becoming a Grand Duchy in 1839 and gaining full independence in 1867.

Although it was a neutral country, it was invaded by Germany in both world wars (with hardly any resistance), due to its strategic position as a passage area to northern France. In 1940 Luxembourg only had a little more than 400 soldiers, an insignificant figure for the great German war machine. That year's invasion left seven Luxembourg soldiers wounded.

As happened with other countries, Free Luxembourg Forces were formed in the United Kingdom, which participated in the Battle of Normandy and the liberation of Brussels. In the interior of the country, resistance groups were formed, initially organized by Catholic explorers. Much of their activity was dedicated to hiding young people to avoid their forced enlistment in the German army. This small country was liberated by the US Army in the fall of 1944.

Luxembourg is one of the founding countries of NATO, being a member of the Alliance since April 4, 1949, although it currently has the organization's smallest army (about 900 soldiers) and is the country member that invests the least percentage of its GDP in defense. Luxembourg took part in the Korean War (1950-1953), with a unit of volunteer soldiers integrated into the Belgian Command of the United Nations. They had 2 dead and 17 injured. The Grand Duchy has also sent soldiers on international operations in several countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 1982, a group of enthusiasts and volunteers founded the National Museum of Military History of Luxembourg, an institution that has the support of the government and the Army of Luxembourg. It has its headquarters in Diekirch, in the north of the country, and has an area of 3,500 square meters. Its contents include the two world wars, the Korean War and international operations that have involved the participation of Luxembourg soldiers. The museum has managed to put together a good collection of Allied and German vehicles. This collection includes a few tanks, all American, since the Luxembourg Army has never had tanks. You can see some of the museum's contents here.

A US Army M4A1(76)w HVSS Sherman tank, 30126213, with a 76 mm gun. Nicknamed "Blockbuster 3rd", according to Pantser.net This tank fought in northern Luxembourg in January 1945 during the Allied counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge. It was part of Company B, of the 37th Tank Battalion of the 4th Armored Division. It is preserved in very good condition. It was exhibited in the Amersfoort Cavalry Museum, in the Netherlands, until the Dutch Army donated it to this Luxembourg museum.

A Volkswagen Kübelwagen Type 82 of the German Army, WH-2175. It was one of 50,788 off-road vehicles of this type manufactured by Germany between 1940 and 1945. It is in very good condition.

Another Sherman tank, in this case an M4A3-105 mm with 105 mm howitzer, 3060930, nicknamed "Blockbuster". According to Pantser.net, this tank belonged to Combat Command B (CCB) of the 6th Tank Battalion of the 10th Armored Division of the US Army, a unit that fought in the Battle of the Bulge in 1944-1945. The tank was exhibited in the Historical Museum of Bastogne, in Belgium, and was actually donated by General Desobry, who was in command of the CCB.

An increasingly rare weapon system to see: an M55 Quad Mount. It was a setup of four Browning M-2 machine guns mounted on an M20 trailer. This was used in the Battle of the Bulge.

A US Army M-47 tank (left), with serial 30537820. It was initially painted black, until 2018 when it was restored to its current appearance, which includes a large emblem of the 3rd Infantry Division on its front part. The tank is part of a monument in honor of the Luxembourg soldiers who fought in the Korean War. On the right we see an M-24 Chaffee, with serial number 30120781. This tank was added to the museum in December 2018.

A Luxembourg Police Cadillac Gage Ranger vehicle. The Luxembourg Army used these armored vehicles between 1981 and the mid-1990s. In 1992 it deployed four of them in the UNPROFOR mission in Yugoslavia. They later passed into the hands of the Gendarmerie and were used by the Grand Duchy Police until 2005.

A Woodland camouflage BDU uniform of the Luxembourg Army. The armband bears the emblem of the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a mission in which Luxembourg soldiers participated.

Uniforms worn by soldiers of the Luxembourg Army in Afghanistan, as part of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Si quieres más información sobre este museo, puedes visitar su sito web: https://www.mnhm.net

To get a broader idea about the contents of this museum, you can watch this video published by Yeah Probably a few days ago:

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Photos: Musée National d'Histoire Militaire.