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.

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

Description

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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

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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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
Entpannungspanzer 65 Prototype special tank on chassis Pz 61 (CH), one example procured 4 men, 40 tons  
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  
Nahkampfkanone 1 Self-propelled gun (CH), year of manufacture 1943, prototype on an extended Pz 39 chassis 5 men  
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  
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  
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  
Universal Carrier T16 Transport vehicle for Panzer-Grenadiers (GB), manufactured in 1944, 302 purchased, sold again in 1965 2+6 men, 4.7 tons  
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  
Leichter Panzer 51 Scout tank (F), year of manufacture 1953–1957 200 bought

 

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  
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)  
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  
Fliegerabwehrpanzer 68 Special tank (CH), year of manufacture 1977/78, 2 prototypes 2 × 35 mm cannon Oerlikon KDA, 3 men, 46 tons  
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  
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 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  
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  
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

 

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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
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  
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 (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  
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  
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  
T-54 Main battle tank (USSR), exchange item 1 × 10 cm cannon, 2 × 7.62 mm MG, 4 men, 36 tons  
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  

Literature

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

References

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  1. ^ "Aviation Museum Swiss Air Force". Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport. Archived from the original on 19 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b "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
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46°45′28″N 7°36′59″E / 46.757834°N 7.616363°E / 46.757834; 7.616363