Saumur

[John Fitzsimons]

I will be on holiday next week snd hope to get to Saumur. I have not been there before so do not know if you can get close enough for decent photos but if you need photos or measurements let me know and I will try. Anyway I will post lots of photos.

[Kent Wiik]

Hi John,

Visited Saumur myself some years ago and the museum is awesome especially if you are interested in the Normandy period as this is the best collection of German Panzers from that WW2-era in the world.

No problem taking photos you just have to pay an x-tra fee for permission to do so.

If you spot their newly restored Panther Ausf G can you please take some overview photos of her.
This is the latest pic I have seen of her but that one was taken more then a year ago:



I think she is on display outside.

It would be most appreciated

Kind regards
Kent

[John Fitzsimons]

Do my best Kent. If there are specific details you need let me know. I will bring a notebook for measurements also.

[Kent Wiik]

Thanks John,

I have hundreds of photos of her before and during the restoration but there is however two things you can help me with.

The thickness at the end of the mantle is one thing I have an issue with.
The kit part is made 10mm (60mm in 1:1) but the real thing was thinner, but how thin?



The Saumur Ausf G is nice to get that dimension as she has no zimmerit.

The other thing is a photo of the pannier weld holding the Early Ausf G two-part pannier together.



Was it countersunk? Was it made with more then one weld line?
A nice photo of it would be very much appreciated as no photo of such I have found anywhere.

Kind regards
Kent

[John Fitzsimons]

Do my best Kent. Are you allowed climb up on the vehicles?

[Kent Wiik]

Hi John,

If you ask kindly before climbing onto the tank it use to be ok at least it worked for me...
Or you can use a foot rule and take the measure from a distance.

I have faith in you

Kind regards
Kent

[John Fitzsimons]

Hi Kent.
That piece on the Mantlet I make out at between 2.5 and 3cm. Sorry about accuracy but trying to reach with a measuring tape. The Panther now has a heavy coat of zimmerit added. Shurzen added also which make it hard to see the pannier. I could see a weld line and got a partial photo through the gap. Will send photos when I get transferred to photobucket

[Kent Wiik]

Thanks a million John!

Hope you found Saumur well worth the trip.
I for sure will visit there again.

That was good news she now got zimmerit coating.
First it was stated she would be without only be preserved as she looked in the 1960-ties at display in Paris, Dunkelgelbe with the French map emblem.

Looking forward to the pannier photo, thanks in advance.

Kind regards
Kent

[John Fitzsimons]

Link to albums below,

SAUMUR SHERMAN

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... 20Sherman/

SAUMUR PANZER II

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... nzer%20II/

SAUMUR PANER III

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... ZER%20III/

SAUMUR PANZER IV

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... nzer%20IV/

SAUMUR PANTHER

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... 20Panther/

SAUMUR TIGER 1

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... Tiger%201/

SAUMUR KING TIGER

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... %20Saumur/

Saumur Jagd Panther

http://s904.photobucket.com/albums/ac24 ... 20Panther/

[John Fitzsimons]

I have added some links to photobucket folders.
See previous post.
Kent, some photos for you under the panther folder.

[phil fitzpatrick]

Wow John,
Looks like you were very busy with the camera,thanks a lot ,
hope you had a great time.
Will look at them all later or else my dinner will burn.
Regards
Phil

[yves mouton]

Hello John,

Thanks for sharing this beautiful pictures with us.
Hope you have a nice holiday in Saumur.
Best regards Yves

[Adrian Harris]

Great photos John.

Thanks for taking the time to get them and share them, especially the requests

Adrian.

[Kent Wiik]

Hi John,

Thanks for those photos, I think the mantle is 25mm (~4mm in 1:6) and that is what a number of drawings also say.

Sorry to say this but your Panther photos is not of their Ausf G but their Ausf A
So now you must go back...LOL (only joking )
Anyhow they give a hint how the weld in question was made but the pannier layout differs between Ausf A and G.
Your nice photos are anyway of use as a lot of other items was the same on A and G, thanks again.

Kind regards
Kent

[John Fitzsimons]

I will have to go back. Are they hiding more tanks. I appear to have missed a lot of what they had. That was the only Panther I saw on display. I was just passing through the area and said nothing to my partner about tank museum in the area. It certainly is worth a visit but you need a couple of days to see everything.