To commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Falaise Gap, the French Tank Museum at Saumur has lent its' precious Panther Ausf. A to the Mont Ormel memorial for just one week ( August 8th - 17th ). Here's its rather soggy arrival last Friday... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK2Rh-YdZrk Now - I'm off on holiday to France at the end of the week. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Well if there were a beauty contest for WW2 tanks I would have to vote for the Mark V, with the long barrel Mark 111 a close second. ! Martin, many thanks for showing this video, sight and sounds are super !! Worth a little rain, especially for an Englishman ! Gaines
Now that's a really tough lawn grass ! I would have expected the beast to leave a mark especially on non dry ground.
So - all too soon - I'm back from my holiday. The good news is that my carefully-arranged slight detour on the way to Burgundy had us arriving in perfect time for the Mont Ormel commemorations in perfect weather ; so I got to take some pics of the Panther...... Having had a lifelong interest in the Falaise Gap, I was very pleased indeed to be there.
Martin, Thanks muchly, I am aware muchly ids not a word, for these additional pictures. I really like the close up of the Mark V's mantle and the fore shortened 75. I captures that ominous look of the tank perfectly. The shot of the two old adversaries is equally compelling. Good to see them at peace. The Panther wears her extra 20,000 pounds quite well. . Few would call her "fat' Who is the guy in the gray German military pants? Handsome, what ? Gaines
Just another of those tiresome ageing poseurs, waiting in the queue to have their photo taken in front of the tank !
You might want to keep an eye on him. I believe I saw that miscreant in front of the La Gleize Tiger a few months ago. Sounds like trouble...
Miscreant is the perfect word. I even see a devilish glint in his eye, that Panther might not make it back to Saumur. Gone missing as they say. His self effacing post is intended to throw one off. I did notice on the Sherman-Panther shot that one of the 75mm's is not like the other. Something I picked up watching Sesame Street with my kids, to keep a sharp eye.. Gaines
