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Other Stuff => General Wargames and Hobby Discussion => Topic started by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:42:08 PM

Title: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:42:08 PM: Hi gents,

Today it was a sunny summer day here in Athens.
As I was returning home, I decided to make the outside tour of the Athens War Museum.
The outer perimeter is garnished with guns of various ages and makes, guns mainly from the Balkan Wars, WWI and WWII
It was a long-time wish to take some pictures of all of them and here I share them with you.

For the interior view of the War Museum, I suggest the Virtual Tour page
http://warmuseum.gr/en/virtualTour
and some 3D videos of historical battles
http://warmuseum.gr/en/3D-historical-battles

Here we go then, I made the tour, taking pictures of every gun I met, just as it is placed, not in a chronological series.
Hope you'll enjoy!
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:44:10 PM: French Schneider 105 mm Mountain Gun, 1919/1924 model
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:47:13 PM: French Hotchkiss 939 anti-aircraft gun
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:49:46 PM: French Schneider 75 mm Mountain Gun, 1919/1924 model
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:53:00 PM: Krupp gun, Essen 1906.
Very interesting ornaments on the muzzle
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:55:31 PM: Two British Mk1 25 pdr guns
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:55:53 PM: British 40mm anti-aircraft gun, 1940
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:00:36 PM: British MkII depth charge launcher
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:03:43 PM: British 25pdr Mk1 gun, used for ceremonial funerals
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:04:58 PM: Artillery Mk1 trailer, 1943
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:12:29 PM: British Armstrong 6 inch Howitzer, 1895 model
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:13:59 PM: Cromwell Centaur Mk VIII gun turret
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:15:59 PM: French Schneider 85mm Field Gun, 1925 model
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:19:07 PM: French de Bange 120mm Medium long gun, 1878/1916 model
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:22:31 PM: Austro-Hungarian 100mm Skoda 100/17 Field Howitzer, 1914 model
Used by the Central Powers during WWI and by the Italian army during WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:24:58 PM: German Krupp-Schuman 57mm armoured carriage gun, 1894 model
Used by the Central Powers during the WWI
Spoil from the Bulgarian army 1918
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:27:24 PM: Chech Skoda VZ 14 150mm Field Howitzer
Spoil. Used by the German and Italian armies during WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:30:08 PM: German Rheinmetall Flakvierling 38 20mm Light Anti-aircraft gun
Spoil. Used by the German army during WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:32:35 PM: French 1937 Puteaux 47mm Anti-Tank gun
Spoil. From the French Army in the possession of the German Army during WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:34:46 PM: Bofors MkI 40mm Rapid-Fire Anti-aircraft gun, model 1937
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:37:18 PM: French Hotchkiss 25mm Light anti-aircraft gun, 1939 model
Spoil. From the French Army in the possession of the Italian and German Armies during WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:39:52 PM: Krupp WWI gun
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:42:19 PM: Chech Zobrojovka Brno 15mm Heavy Anti-aircraft Machine Gun, 1938 model
Spoil. Used by the German Army during WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:44:24 PM: Chech Skoda VZ 15 75mm Mountain Gun, 1915 model
Spoil. Used by the German Army during the WWII
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:45:46 PM: French Schneider 75mm Mountain Gun, 1919/1924 model
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:47:39 PM: British 3,7 inch Howitzer MkII Mountain Gun
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:49:23 PM: British 6 lbs Siege Gun, early 19th Century
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:52:27 PM: Austro-Hungarian Skoda 75mm Mountain Gun, 1915 model
Spoil from the Turkish Army. Used by the Hellenic Army during the 1919-1922 Minor Asia Campaign and during the 1940-1941 Greek Italian War.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:54:44 PM: Gun from the Ioannina Fortress
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:56:55 PM: British Naval Gun, late 18th, early 9th Century
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 07:57:32 PM: Tour completed.
These guns narrate more than 150 years of Hellenic war history.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DeafNala on October 27, 2019, 08:35:50 PM: That is quite an array of splendid looking artillery piece. Despite their lethal purpose, the French 75's have a certain elegance about them. OUTSTANDING PHOTOS!
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 08:38:58 PM: Thank you! It was a really sunny day and the camera worked well.
Instruments of death, yes, but pieces of World History.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: Belgian on October 27, 2019, 08:43:06 PM: Quote from: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 06:53:00 PM
Krupp gun, Essen 1906.
Very interesting ornaments on the muzzle

The text on the barrel is Dutch, and is also mentionned in the national anthem of the Netherlands. Makes me wonder how that gun ended up in Greece ???
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 08:46:39 PM: Yes, indeed! I saw the inscription was in Dutch!
Also peculiar ornaments in three rings around the muzzle.
I searched for narrative plate, but there was none.
It may remain a mystery, until I find someone from the museum who knows more, in my next visit.
Thanks for commenting!
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: vtsaogames on October 27, 2019, 09:11:56 PM: Thank you for the tour. Noted that many of the Krupp guns were pre-hydraulic recoil.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 27, 2019, 09:19:47 PM: Quote from: vtsaogames on October 27, 2019, 09:11:56 PM
Thank you for the tour. Noted that many of the Krupp guns were pre-hydraulic recoil.

Made before WWI.
Glad you liked the tour!
Thanks for dropping by!
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: Poiter50 on October 28, 2019, 12:07:36 AM: Had the chance to tour that some years ago, a great collection.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 28, 2019, 10:09:38 AM: Quote from: Poiter50 on October 28, 2019, 12:07:36 AM
Had the chance to tour that some years ago, a great collection.

Happy to know this. A great collection, indeed.
And all the guns exhibited are preserved in good condition.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: Jemima Fawr on October 28, 2019, 10:27:28 AM: Fantastic! That certainly is a broad collection of artillery and I don't recall seeing a British 6-inch Howitzer or 3.7-inch Howitzer anywhere else.

The military museum in Tenerife is very similar in that it has a very wide range of rather unusual and 'road less travelled' artillery pieces.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on October 28, 2019, 10:33:25 AM: I'm glad you liked it!
If there is a special interest for a certain gun type, I may go and take some more detailed photos in my next trip there.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: ArisK on November 11, 2019, 09:35:59 AM: Quote from: Belgian on October 27, 2019, 08:43:06 PM
The text on the barrel is Dutch, and is also mentionned in the national anthem of the Netherlands. Makes me wonder how that gun ended up in Greece ???
The text and Queen Wilhelmina monogran seem to be standard for the Dutch-manufactured 7-veld Krupp copies. Even the muzzle ornamentation:
https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/foto-s/detail/7c6011b4-eb18-11df-a391-13966e870614/media/1840bd3d-e59b-78ad-112c-ba7e4537a7e8 (https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/foto-s/detail/7c6011b4-eb18-11df-a391-13966e870614/media/1840bd3d-e59b-78ad-112c-ba7e4537a7e8)
https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/foto-s/detail/d121d3a7-0821-5813-c016-7c2d6bf4622c/media/a2d2328c-1620-29cd-bfde-f19da8f607f4 (https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/foto-s/detail/d121d3a7-0821-5813-c016-7c2d6bf4622c/media/a2d2328c-1620-29cd-bfde-f19da8f607f4)
https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/foto-s/detail/d121d3a7-0821-5813-c016-7c2d6bf4622c/media/a2d2328c-1620-29cd-bfde-f19da8f607f4 (https://nimh-beeldbank.defensie.nl/foto-s/detail/d121d3a7-0821-5813-c016-7c2d6bf4622c/media/a2d2328c-1620-29cd-bfde-f19da8f607f4)
Given the Wehrmacht's propensity to steal any equipment that wasn't nailed down (and some that was), it's probable that the guns came to Greece with the various second-line formations that did occupation duties during the war.
Aris K.
Title: Re: Athens War Museum, the outside tour: Guns!
Post by: DintheDin on November 11, 2019, 12:03:14 PM: Aris,
I really appreciate your vast knowledge and ability to correlate historical sources!
Thanks a lot for the reply, which answers also to @Belgian
Cheers!