Just got back from a few days in Normandy which included a bit of Norman and WW2 related sightseeing.

If anyone's not decided on their holidays this year, Normandy is gearing up for the 70th anniversary of D Day with a lot of new exhibitions and special events.

As we were driving around we found this on one hill (Hill 112 to be accurate), a nice Churchill VII.

A good tank, not terribly fast but with excellent armour and a reasonable gun.




But on the other hill (just outside Vimoutiers) was this...



No wonder the allied tank crews were 'Tiger Happy' and frightened of any Panzer they saw.

On the western side of Pegasus Bridge there's a Cromwell CS on a plinth.

I love the way the Churchill just seems to be parked 

Good comparison pics. I know the Tiger was quite a lump but I didn't just how much of a lump it was. Any more?

QuoteOn the western side of Pegasus Bridge there's a Cromwell CS on a plinth

Technically (and I'm being geeky here) this is a Centaur IV, the Centaur didn't have a meteor engine and was only used by the Commando Support Unit.  It has been done up for the 70th aniversary and looks realy nice, if small.

QuoteAny more?

Quite a lot, although I didn't visit any of the main museums except Pegasus Bridge which was on the way to the ferry port.

The Churchill on Hill 112 has the driver's viewing port half open which allows the full thickness of its 152mm of armour to be apreciated.



There are lots of odd tanks dotted arround, where they're out in the country it's pretty much exceptable to climb all over them but where there're in a museum they are off limits, which is understandable but a bit of a shame as apart from maybe scuffing the paint it's hard to see how any damage could be done to even the smallest tank.

Damage to the punter on all the sharp edges. Also theft of bits, scouse wargamers I used to know smuggled ammo racks from a panther back from t'Ardennes.

IanS

QuoteDamage to the punter on all the sharp edges

I did pick up a few scrapes and bruises but nothing serious and a small price to pay for climbing all over a Tiger Tank, even in the rain!

Not sure about bits going missing though, every thing I saw had aleady lost all removeable bits and what was left was securely welded on or shut.  Also after 60 odd years in the open everything else looked pretty solidly rusted up.

Hello
I borrowed your pics ( I hope you will agree ? if no, tell me, and I will erase it )
I wanted to resize them to the same scale..


Thank your for showing these.

yes I'll have the tiger please

Looks like the start of a game of World of Tanks!

Hi Ronan,

That looks really cool, wish I'd thought of doing it, I like the way the two backgrounds merge.

I remember that the Tiger felt much bigger than the Churchill, even bigger than in the photos, but as the 'scale object' looks the same size in both the relative sizes must be correct.

I would also prefer the tiger but as it ran out of petrol on its way to the battle on balance I think I'd prefer the Churchill and hope not to meet a Tiger.

There would also be four or five Churchills to every Tiger.

Very useful comparison photograph, the vital difference is in the size of the turret ring.  The bigger it can be, the heavier the gun.  The big tracks on the Churchill are a throwback to World War I.

Not directly relevant but on Monday Sir John Gorman died. A singular man by many measures, for instance he was a Catholic Unionist politician (a rare thing), but also a genuine war hero.
Commanding a Sherman in the fighting at Cagny he scored a hit on a King Tiger, but it bounced. Their gun then jammed, and the Tiger began to round on them. Thinking quickly he ordered the Tiger rammed, and the resulting collision disabled both. After bailing out he commandeered another tank and returned to knock the King Tiger out. He and the driver were decorated.
So if you are brave enough you can use more than your main gun to knock a stronger enemy out!

Quote from: DanJ on 28 May 2014, 08:07:05 AM
I remember that the Tiger felt much bigger than the Churchill, even bigger than in the photos, but as the 'scale object' looks the same size in both the relative sizes must be correct.

I suspect that the apparant relative size is impact by the 'scale object' being at the middle of the Churchill and in front of the Tiger. The camera being above the Churchill and below the Tiger is probably adding to the effect.

The telling point for me is that Dan can rest his arm on top of the Churchill hull while the Tiger hull is up to his ears