HGM - Panzerhalle new in Vienna

Wars belong in museums and tanks in halls. After working very thoroughly in Vienna, the new tank hall of the Army History Museum was opened on May 23. Whether it storms or snows, was still uncertain early in the morning of the day, ultimately the sun smiled down on the event. No wonder, with a new tank museum in the HGM and a week before the victory of Austrian tank men at the Strong Europe Tank Challenge against Germany and the USA, the domestic tank force experienced two absolute highlights. At the beginning of the event, no tank was visible. On the left the hall, the whole thing located in the historic grounds of the Arsenal, where a few corners further the Army History Museum is located. The event was framed by Goldhelmchen and the Guard. Brief words from General Othman Commenda, Chief of the General Staff of the Austrian Armed Forces, and M. Christian Ortner, the director of the HGM, who leads a flourishing house and was able to open the new tank hall for viewing.

In the tank hall, all units of the mechanized troops of the Austrian Armed Forces should be represented; dissolved and active. Over the past ten years, armored vehicles have been continuously restored and made roadworthy through voluntary efforts together with the workshops of the Austrian Armed Forces. Now, approximately 26 armored vehicles can be presented to visitors. The tank, it must be said, is an Austrian invention from the year 1911. The model of the motor gun Burstyn serves as a reminder. Visionary, it was intended to cross trenches as a combat vehicle with a cannon and lead the offensive. It suffered an Austrian fate: the invention was worth nothing in the land of invention ... and yet it was ahead of its time. The First World War then led to the reinvention of the tank elsewhere. The new tank hall showcases some special features of Austrian tank history. Here, for example (with General Comenda on the right in the picture), is the prototype of the Saurer infantry fighting vehicle. The design is still heavily influenced by the Wehrmacht and is very tall. Therefore, a new design was ordered in 1959. The HGM is rich in prototypes overall. At the front is the combat infantry fighting vehicle Rarden with a 30mm cannon. In 1991, it lost the battle against the ASCOD, which is currently introduced as the Ulan infantry fighting vehicle. At the back is the turret of the "Super Kürassier." In the 1980s, the Austrian tank destroyer with components of the Leopard was to be upgraded. Another Austrian fate: the project was deemed too expensive ... German military technology has also found its way into the new tank hall. And not in small measure: the tank destroyer Jaguar 1 had a short history. Acquired in 1996, all 72 pieces were retired in 2006. A range of 4,000 meters with the HOT3 weapon system was a kind of Austrian record at procurement. The current standard tank of the Austrian Armed Forces is the Leopard 2A4, which arrived in 1997 with 114 pieces from the Netherlands. One is in the tank hall. In September, as two pieces were traveling by train through Germany to a demonstration, they were cheekily declared "scrap metal" by the Bundeswehr. In 2017, this was enough to defeat Germany and the USA - in the Strong Europe Tank Challenge. As the saying goes, he who laughs last, laughs best, and clearly has the better crew. Documenting impressively that the Austrian Armed Forces don't do things by halves, the tank hall showcases a "halved" turret from an M60A1, which was the Austrian standard battle tank before the Leopard. The model was used as a turret trainer. Historical gem: the self-propelled howitzer M7B2 Priest from US stocks was the first tank artillery of the army and was only replaced by the M109 howitzer in 1970. Pretty to look at and never implemented: the GAF prototype of a wheeled tank. Nice addition to the collection. Wooden design study. The model represents the design of a turret for the ASCOD infantry fighting vehicle. It was ultimately introduced as the Ulan in Austria and as the Pizzaro in Spain. The British Army currently plans to procure 580 vehicles based on the ASCOD 2. And this is what the overall masterpiece looks like from the inside. Orderly. All tanks are operational.

SPARTANAT is the online magazine for Military News, Tactical Life, Gear & Reviews.
Send us your news: [email protected]