BRITTOUR 2001: IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM

The AMA UK/Isle of Man Tour (25 Aug - 6 Sep)

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Here's a quick look at some of the exhibits in Britain's Imperial War Museum in London. Other museums I visited included the IWM's Duxford annex, Eden Camp, and the National Army Museum.  You can't take photos in the Army museum so I don't have anything to show but it's VERY worthwhile to visit if you want to see the British Army, from 1415 - 1999.  That's 1415, as in the Battle of Agincourt.  They have a special display on British wars in Africa (against the Zulus and the Boers), exhibits of the Army in the 1800s, and of course extensive stuff on World Wars I and II.

The top row of the next table begins with a view of the IWM.  Those two huge guns are single 15 inch guns taken from HMS Ramilles and Resolution (old battleships with eight of these beasts in four turrets).  The next two photos show the main hall of the IWM.  There are four floors with a large number of displays and exhibits of all of Britain's services (Royal Army, Navy and Air Force).
 

The first photo on the second row is the tank used by General Montgomery when he led the British Eighth Army against German General Irwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.  The tank is a US General Grant tank with a 75mm gun on the lower right side (useful against infantry) and a 37mm anti-tank gun in the top turret (useless against most German tanks).  On Monty's tank, the gun was removed and replaced with a wooden "Quaker" gun to make it look like just another tank.  Inside, it had extra radios so Monty could keep in touch with his troops.  The next photo shows a powerful German Jagdpanther (Tank hunting Panther).  That is, it's a Panther tank without the turret.  To fire, you turn the whole vehicle to aim the 75mm anti-tank gun.  Very hard to kill and very deadly.  The last four photos show ship models - there were a lot!  On the last row, the first photo shows two British armed merchant cruisers - merchant ships with hidden guns and depth charges.  A German sub or U-boat attacking one of these was in for a nasty surprise!