Panzermuseum Thun
Panzerjäger G 13
Panzerjäger G 13 (2011)
LocationOutdoor area of the Thun weapons range
TypeHistory museum, technology museum
Visitors6600 (2011)
DirectorSwiss Army Museum Association
WebsitePanzermuseum Thun on the HAM Foundation website

The Panzermuseum Thun is a museum in Thun in the Canton of Bern in Switzerland.[1] Exhibited in the museum are foreign and Swiss tanks as well as examples of Swiss self-propelled artillery and static artillery.[2] In November 2023 it was announced that the museum would be dissolved over the next one and a half years.

Description

The exhibits are located in the open air at the Thun weapons range and can be viewed during office hours of the Swiss Army Museum Association within the Dufour barracks, entrance on Military Street. Since some of the over forty exhibits have been in the open air for a long time, a large number of them are restricted in their ability to drive and function.[2]

Exhibits

The following exhibits can be seen on the exhibition grounds:

Name Type – year of manufacture – procurement Characteristics Photo
Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light combat vehicle (GB), manufactured in 1934, 6 units were purchased for the Swiss Army (2 in 1934, 4 in 1935) 2 men, 1 × 7.5 mm machine gun, 3.8 tons Vickers-Carden-Loyd Light Tank Model 1935
Renault FT Light combat vehicle (F), manufactured from 1917, 5 units were purchased (2 in 1921, 3 in 1939) 2 men, 1 × 3.7 cm cannon, 6.7 tons Renault FT-17
Tiger II "Königstiger" King Tiger B, main battle tank (D), manufactured in 1944, handed over to the Swiss Military Museum in 2007 as a permanent loan.[3] 1 × 8.8 cm cannon L71, 3 × 7.92 mm-MG, 5 men, 68 tons Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II
T17E1 Staghound Scout tanks (GB), manufactured in 1943, 64 units were purchased (early 1950s), never introduced, used as target vehicles 5 men, 1 × 37 mm cannon, 2 × MG, 12 tons Staghound
M3 Special tank (USA), year of manufacture 1941/42, conversion from M4 main battle tank 6 men, dummy cannon, 27 tons
Panzer 68 Panzer 68/88, Swiss main battle tank (CH), manufactured 1988–1993, 195 units 4 men, 1 × 10.5 cm cannon, 2 × 7.5 mm MG, 41 tons Panzer 68/88 Schweizer Kampfpanzer (CH)
Centurion (tank) Centurion main battle tank (GB), procurement 1958–1960, 100 units procured 4 men 1 × 10.5 cm cannon, 2 × 7.5 mm MG, 50 tons Centurion Kampfpanzer (GB)
Entpannungspanzer 65 Prototype special tank on chassis Pz 61 (CH), one example procured 4 men, 40 tons Entpannungspanzer 65
M48 Patton Main battle tank (USA), year of manufacture 1954, exchange item 4 men, 1 × 9 cm cannon, 1 × 7.62 mm MG, 1 × 12 mm MG, 45 tons Kampfpanzer M48
Nahkampfkanone 1 Self-propelled gun (CH), year of manufacture 1943, prototype on an extended Pz 39 chassis 5 men Nahkampfkanone 1
7.5 cm cannon later 10.5 cm Howitze 42 10 tons
Nahkampfkanone 2 Gustav Assault gun (CH), year of manufacture 1942–1945, prototype in four versions, no series production 5 men, 7.5 cm anti-tank gun, 24 tons Nahkampfkanone II
Schützenpanzer Lang HS.30 Armored personnel carrier (D), manufactured from 1956, two prototypes without a turret in military testing, exchange item 2+8 men, 1 × 20 mm cannon, 14.6 tons Schützenpanzer HS 30
Panzerwagen 39 (Praga) Light combat vehicle (CSR/CH), year of manufacture 1938–1939, 24 purchased 3 men, 24 mm cannon 38, 2 × 7.5 mm machine guns, 8 tons Panzerwagen 39 'PRAGA'
Universal Carrier T16 Transport vehicle for Panzer-Grenadiers (GB), manufactured in 1944, 302 purchased, sold again in 1965 2+6 men, 4.7 tons Universal-Carrier T16
Hetzer Self-propelled gun (CSR/D), year of manufacture 1944–1949, 158 purchased 1 × 7.5 cm anti-tank gun 1940, 1 × 7.5 mm MG, 4 men, 16 tons Panzerjäger G13
Leichter Panzer 51 Scout tank (F), year of manufacture 1953–1957 200 bought

Leichter Panzer 51

7.5 cm tank gun 51 1 × 7.5 mm machine gun, 3 men 14,5 tons
AMX 13 self-propelled howitzer Tank artillery (F), manufactured in 1956, 4 purchased for troop trials
10.5 cm howitzer L30 1 × 7.5mm or 7.62mm machine gun, 5 men 16,5 tons
Panzer 58 Main battle tank (CH), year of manufacture 1958, 2 prototypes, 10 pre-series vehicles 1 × 8.4 cm tank gun 58, 1 × 20 mm cannon, 1 × 7.5 mm MG, 4 men, 35 tons Panzer 58
Saurer Tartaruga Combat armored personnel carrier (CH), manufactured in 1959 or later, an exhibit purchased for testing 1 × 20 mm MK, 3+9 men, 18.2 tons (with turret) Saurer Tartaruga
Mowag Pirat Combat armored personnel carrier (CH), manufactured in 1962, an exhibit purchased for testing 1 × 20 mm cannon (turret dismantled), 3+9 men, 18.1 tons Schützenpanzer MOWAG Pirat
Fliegerabwehrpanzer 68 Special tank (CH), year of manufacture 1977/78, 2 prototypes 2 × 35 mm cannon Oerlikon KDA, 3 men, 46 tons 35 mm Flab Panzer B22L
15 cm heavy howitzer 1942 L28 howitzer (CH), manufactured in 1942 ready to fire 6.8 tons
76.2 mm anti-tank gun Anti-tank gun "Ratsch-Bumm“ (USSR), manufactured in 1938[4] 2 tons
4.7 cm Pak on Renault R35 Tank destroyer (D), year of manufacture 1941–1944, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 4,7-cm-anti-tank gun (CSR), 3 men, 10 tons
Sturmgeschütz III Sturmpanzer (D), year of manufacture 1943–1945, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 7.5 cm cannon L48, 1 × 7.92 mm MG, 4 men, 24 tons StuG III
Hetzer Tank destroyer (CSR/D), year of manufacture 1944–1945, gift from F, trials in CH, predecessor of the G13 1 × 7.5 cm anti-tank gun 39 L48, 1 × Flab-MG, 4 men, 16 tons Jagdpanzer 38(t)
Jagdpanzer IV/48 Assault gun (D), year of manufacture 1943–1945, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 7.5 cm cannon L48, 1 × 7.92 mm MG, 5 men, 24 tons Jagdpanzer IV
Panzer IV Typ H Main battle tank (D), year of manufacture 1937–1945, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 7.5 cm cannon L48, 2 × 7.92 mm MG, 5 men, 22.4 tons Panzerkampfwagen IV
Jagdpanzer V Jagdpanther Tank destroyer (D), year of manufacture 1943–1945, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 8.8 cm cannon L71, 1 × 7.92 mm MG, 5 men, 46 tons

Jagdpanther

Panther tank Main battle tank (D), year of manufacture 1943–1945, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 7.5 cm cannon L70, 3 × 7.92 mm MG, 5 men, 44.8 tons Panzerkampfwagen V Panther Ausführung D
8,8 cm PaK 43 L71 from battle tank VI Tiger II (D), manufactured in 1944 Ball screen Tiger II from battle tank VI Tiger II (D), year of manufacture 1944, thickness 150 mm 8,8-cm-PaK 43
M7 Priest Self-propelled gun (USA), year of manufacture from 1942, gift from F, trials in CH 1 × 10.5 cm howitzer, 1 × 12.7 mm MG, 7 men, 24 tons M7 Priest
Schützenpanzer SPz 11-2 Kurz Hotchkiss Armored personnel carrier (F), year of manufacture 1951, exchange item, special equipment for radio operators 1 × 7.5 mm MG, 2+5 men, 8 tons Schützenpanzer Kurz Hotchkiss
M47 Patton Main battle tank (USA), manufactured in 1950, purchased for trials in CH 1 × 9 cm cannon L70, 2 × 7.62 mm MG, 1 × 12.7 mm MG, 5 men, 44 tons M47
M4 Sherman Main battle tank (USA), manufactured in 1942, purchased for tests in Switzerland 1 × 7.5 cm cannon, 2 × 7.62 mm MG, 1 × 12.7 mm MG, 5 men, 32 tons M4 Sherman
Centurion Bridgelayer Bridge-laying tank (GB), year of manufacture 1961–1963, 2 exhibits purchased for tests in the CH chassis such as the Pz 57 Centurion 3 men, 50.8 tons

Centurion Bridgelayer

Centurion (tank) Main battle tank (GB), year of manufacture 1948–1952, purchased in Canada 1 × 8.4 cm cannon, 2 × 7.6 mm MG, 4 men, 50 tons Centurion Mark III
T-34/85 Kampfpanzer (UdSSR) Year of manufacture 1943–1953, exchange item 1 × 85 mm cannon, 2 × 7.62 mm MG, 5 men, 32 tons T-34-85 model 1945
AMX-VCI Armored personnel carrier (F) (Infantry Combat Vehicle), manufactured from 1955, purchased for trials in Switzerland 1 × 7.62 mm machine gun in turret (removed), 2+10 men, 12.5 tons AMX-VCI
T-54 Main battle tank (USSR), exchange item 1 × 10 cm cannon, 2 × 7.62 mm MG, 4 men, 36 tons T 54
Leopard 2 Main battle tank (D) M+77101 was the first of 35 Leopard 2s delivered from Germany in 1987, 345 Leopard 2s were manufactured in Thun until 1993 4 men, 120 mm smoothbore cannon, 42 rounds, 62 tons Leopard 2

Literature

  • Martin Haudenschild: The development history of the Panzer 68, SAM, March edition 2006, (online-PDF 4,17 MB)

References

  1. ↑ "Aviation Museum Swiss Air Force". Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Panzermuseum Thun" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on 2016-05-18.
  3. ↑ "English – Military and Fortress Museum Full-Reuenthal" (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  4. ↑ Information according to Panzermuseum Thun. but not possible because the weapon was only developed two years later and was only produced from 1941 onwards

46°45′28″N 7°36′59″E / 46.757834°N 7.616363°E / 46.757834; 7.616363

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