Military Collections in Sweden – Fourth Chapter

January 1, 2026February 1, 2026 CarloRLeave a comment

The geographical location of Sweden on the map of Europe naturally put it on the front line of the Cold War. With a very long shoreline taking most of the northern border of the narrow waters of the Baltic Sea, since jets made their appearance on the stage of military strategy, this Scandinavian kingdom found itself just minutes away from the Soviet Union (which at that time engulfed also today’s Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), as well as from Communist-led Poland (see for instance this post) and German Democratic Republic (much covered on this website, see for example here).

Keeping up with a long-established tradition of neutrality, dating from soon after the age of the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century, during WWII and, afterwards, with the beginning of the Cold War, Sweden managed to stay out of any major explicit alliance with the Western Nations. During the Cold War, by continuing this non-aggressive policy, Sweden was a relevant contributor to the overall stability in the Northern European region.

Considering the early accession of Norway and Denmark to NATO to the West of this sector, in the momentous years following WWII when the USSR was still ruled by Stalin, who had just aggressively sealed the fate of the newly-conquered dominions in Eastern Europe, the independence of Finland, sharing a long, militarily untenable land border to the East with the Soviet Union, was particularly precarious (see Hanko, in this chapter). While leaning towards the West and being historically adverse to Russia, Sweden carefully avoided entering NATO, while still establishing commercial links notably with the UK and France for military supply. This attitude, and the increased geographical distance between NATO and the USSR, likely helped to dilute tension between the two opposing blocs in the area – which nonetheless peaked at some points in history before the demise of the USSR – thus mitigating the chance of an outbreak of hostilities, despite a massive military presence on both sides.

Concerning the military budget however, the neutral policy of Sweden did not by any means entail renouncing to self-defense. A solid economy with natural resources and a well-established tradition in mechanical industry and warfare supply, Sweden was perfectly conscious of the need to sustain its geopolitical role with a credible military power, such to deter as much as possible an aggressor, and ensure survival in case of an open war, even in the high-technology war scenario developing in the post-WWII years. Spared the devastation brought about by WWII, Sweden’s strategy planners and industry started in earnest developing especially ground and air forces.

The development of the air force and the air defense system was carried out in an integrated fashion, within the STRIL (Stridsledning och Luftbevakning, which might be translated into Combat control and Air surveillance) programs. Updated over the years (notably the first being the embryonic STRIL 40, followed by -50, -60 and -80, corresponding roughly to those decades in the 20th century), this program embodied the need for monitoring and self-defense. Considering in particular threats coming from the air, airspace monitoring and related information gathering/processing were carried out through a purpose-designed network of stations and command centers. Having ascertained the type of threat, the Air Force would deploy a proportional countermeasure, accounting for its plans for self-defense. This could be carrying out an intercept by scrambling aircraft – something which happened regularly for the decades of the Cold War, following violations by the Warsaw Pact forces – or, in case of an open aggression, for example deploying SAMs to down attacking aircraft.

The evolution of the STRIL program over the years reflects the development in the technology of the threats, and of the defense system itself. This passed from being based on optical detection and early jets, brought to an intercept point with purely verbal communication, to several types of radars linked directly to situation rooms, and purpose designed aircraft, which starting from the SAAB J35 Draken in the 1960s could receive data of an aggressor via datalink.

After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR, changes in the geopolitical scenario meant the partial scale-down of the Armed Forces, yet also the update of the still existing Sweden’s surveillance system based on more modern technology. Notably, Russian scouting operations and temporary violations of the air space of Sweden have continued over the years, thus giving a practical reason for maintaining a minimum level of alert.

As shown in previous chapters on this site (see here, here and here), retracing the fascinating history of the Armed Forces of Sweden through visits to dedicated museums, collections and surviving sites, especially the Cold War decades did leave behind some traces, which are still there to be seen.

In this chapter, two sites with many links to the history of STRIL can be found. One is a perfectly preserved installation, a node in the airspace monitoring network in Åstorp, close to Helsingborg. The other is the exceptional technical collection of the Missile Museum in Arboga, run by former staff of the Armed Forces of Sweden and passionate technicians, and preserving in a lively and rich exhibition countless items retracing the history of military missiles, as well as many aspects of air defense, especially in Sweden over the Cold War years.

Photographs have been taken from both sites during visits in the summer of 2025.

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STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp
Missile Museum, Arboga

Sights

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp

On the origin of the STRIL system – Brief historical note

The STRIL system, an acronym standing for Stridsledning och Luftbevakning, which might be translated into Combat control and Air surveillance, was first systematized in 1948, following the preliminary program STRIL 40, with its roots in the experience gained and in the technology of WWII. A key component of it was the availability of air surveillance stations, physically built as soft manned tower constructions, where staff of the Optical Air Guard, typically voluntary women, kept the airspace under watch (similar to the Royal Observation Corps in Britain, see this chapter). Before 1948, information from these visual intelligence gathering points traveled to a number of decision centers (Jaktcentral, precursors of the Sector Operation Centers) by wire, where additional staff of the Guard managed to create an overall picture of the situation and threats, and military officers could eventually authorize a reaction, typically scrambling aircraft for an intercept, in case of an airspace violation.

With the quick and dramatic evolution of military technology in the first years of the Cold War, the STRIL 50 system, started in 1948 and fully implemented by the mid-1950s, inherited, developed and structured the existing network. The territory of Sweden was divided in 21 sectors, which were covered by optical information gathering points, in the form of 1’300 Air Surveillance Stations (Luftbevakningsstation, or LS in short), i.e. towers like in the previous system, manned by the same Optical Air Guard, which however was now under the control of the Air Force. Arranged in a hub-and-spokes fashion, these stations reported to Sector Operation Centers (or SOC, Luftförsvars Gruppcentral, or LGC), of which 50 existed over the national territory. Finally, the command and control (C2) centers were 11 so-called Air Operation Centers (Luftförsvarscentral, or LFC), where the military staff could authorize and coordinate a counteraction against a threat.

Radar systems, both range-finding and altitude-finding, were a major technological addition of STRIL 50. Initially imported in the form of light or movable systems with moderate capacity, a constant investment in this technology brought to Sweden premium British (Marconi, Decca), Italian (Selenia) and later US (ITT-Gilfillan) technology. Radar information was a mainstay of the STRIL 60 program, largely integrating usual optical LS towers, thus strongly increasing the coverage and range of the pre-existing monitoring system. The level of automation increased steadily over the 1960s and 1970s, merging range, altitude, speed and direction information of a potential threat, and presenting them on a digital plotter to human controllers, directly in the LFC C2 centers. At the beginning of the 1960s, datalink parameter transmission allowed controllers in the LFC to provide flight data of an aggressor to the cockpit of the J35 Draken, avoiding easily detectable verbal communication, for an increased level of effectiveness.

In this constantly evolving technological scenario, the implementation of the OPUS system allowed to still profit from the pre-existing LS and local LGC centers. Within that system, the human operators where supplied with a threat labeling system, allowing them to digitally communicate data of whatever optically detected air traffic, including position and direction. This was automatically collected and filtered in purpose-implemented electronics within the LGC, visualized on a local plot, and forwarded after filtering to the LFC, thus integrating the automatically-processed radar information available to the C2 centers. Perceived also as a safety layer in case of an attack to the inherently vulnerable radar stations, the Optical Air Guard stayed until after the end of the USSR, finally disbanding in 1994.

A visit of the site

What you see in Åstorp is an original, perfectly preserved Sector Operation Center, i.e. an LGC, which stands as an ideal specimen to understand the structure and technology of this element in the defense network implemented through STRIL.

The Center is in a bunker built underground in the rock (as typical to the early Cold War era, see this chapter), and is accessible via a steep and narrow flight of stairs from an unassuming, deceptive wooden hut. Once to the bottom, the structure is all at the same floor level.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

A technical room is accessible besides the entrance, with a power generator and electric cabinets for managing power supply in the bunker. The major components in the system, still working, are made by Hägglunds, a major mechanical brand in Sweden (also making the highly successful Bandvagn 206 tracked trailer vehicle, still in use today).

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

Then you get access to the main hall of the bunker, with a somewhat informal appearance, dominated by armchairs and low tables, and with a kitchenette in a corner. Everything is original and clearly dating from the Cold War era in terms of style.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

From this gathering and relaxation point in the bunker, it is possible to reach immediately four relevant functional rooms. The first, and likely the most distinctive, is the situation room, which is visible also from the hall through a large transparent glass window.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

To the far end from the entrance is an elevated console desk, with signal receivers, telephones and keyboards.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

The room is basically built around a tactical table, with a map of the area pertaining to the SOC, where the information gathered by the LS reporting to this station could be represented graphically. The table you see is possibly the only reconstructed part of the bunker. Over the years, with the technological developments described above taking place (especially in STRIL 60), this table was updated with some degree of automation in the representation of information. The original piece in place when the bunker was decommissioned was taken away at some point, and a careful reconstruction of an analog table has been employed to give a lively idea of the appearance of the situation room in a time when information was managed manually. Furthermore, a regional map and a situation board are visible close to the entrance.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

The location was manned by staff of the Optical Air Guard, traditionally women since the WWII era. These were regimented non-military voluntary staff, whereas the commanding officer of the center was from the military. He usually stayed in a second room reachable from the bunker hall, and overseeing the situation room through a smaller glass window.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

In that room, his desk has been preserved in a mint condition, with a typewriter, and even military kits with pens and pencils. Close by is a more recent computer console, with a cryptography device.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

A very interesting component of the visit is a number of original manuals and publications scattered around the bunker. Among them are aircraft recognition manuals, reporting the silhouette of known aircraft from all nations, and the corresponding relevant performance. These original manuals offer an interesting cutaway of the air force arsenals on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and their evolution over the years.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

Another core technical room reachable from the hall is dedicated to signal gathering and management. The appearance here is mostly from the higher-technology phases of STRIL 60 and the OPUS system. Among the most distinctive features are the cabinets with the electronic boards from the era, which allowed for the management of the data coming from the peripheral station of the network, including for filtering, visualization on the situation table, and forwarding to the LFC.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

The original devices once employed by staff on top of the LS towers are on display here – two portable consoles, one for vocal communication, and another special console for allowing the controller to specify data of the observation target, including its course. The original battery pack is still in place, with labeling from the time.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

Interestingly, some of the older optical gear is actually from Hitler’s Germany, marked with the Eagle of the Third Reich.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

Vocal communication lines allowed inbound traffic, as well as broadcasting capability, which could be directed also to the local population in case of an incoming attack, also employing recorded messages.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

The fourth technical room accessible from the hall is was for air pumping and filtering. Despite not intended for survival of a numerous staff over a long time span, the bunker had an air filtering capability, as typical from the WWII and early Cold War era, when the bunker was built. Today, this system helps in keeping the place ventilated and fighting humidity. Manual pumps from the time are in place, as well as original spare parts, from governmental supply.

STRIL Sector Operation Center (SOC), Åstorp – Sweden Air Observation Bunker for Defense

Finally, a small sleeping room, reportedly seldom employed for the task, can be found with original berths.

Getting there and visiting

The site is not open to the public, and credit for allowing me and a friend of mine on this exceptional visit goes to the current manager of the place, Mr. Anders Sundberg, and to Mr. Erik Mårtensson, retired officer of the Armed Forces of Sweden, who arranged this visit. It is possible to visit the place by prior appointment only. Contact sightraider.com to establish contact with Mr. Sundberg, who speaks English and has a detailed knowledge of this site as well as of the entire defense system of Sweden since its origin. A visit is therefore warmly recommended for a first-hand experience of an original site within the defense network, and for learning about it from its knowledgeable manager.

Missile Museum, Arboga

The Arboga Robotmuseum, mostly dedicated to missiles, engines and air defense systems of Sweden, can be found in the town of Arboga, roughly 90 miles west of Stockholm.

The town has a long tradition in warfare development, an heritage which is still lively represented by the presence of the Armed Forces and of companies operating in the field of intelligence and warfare systems, including a branch of SAAB. Their quarters are to the south of the town, where an old airbase can be found, with a one-of-a-kind bunker in the side of a local hill, dating from the 1940s. Today employed as a warehouse and barely visible from the northern fence of the airport, this bunker-hangar was designed for missile-related study and development, witnessing a significant commitment of the Swedish government towards that field of research, and towards the town Arboga as a strategic location, already back in a time when rocketry was in its infancy.

The museum is geographically close to the city center. Besides being supported by the Government within the official network of museums dedicated to the heritage of the Armed Forces in Sweden, it is run by a dedicated group of enthusiasts, mostly former military staff or knowledgeable technicians, which give an especially lively atmosphere to the place.

The display starts with a collection of items retracing the history of rocketry in Sweden. Curiously enough, a rare original V-1 from Hitler’s Germany dominates the display by the entrance! Similar to other locations in northern Poland and the Danish island of Bornholm (see here), territories geographically north of the Third Reich’s experimental laboratory of Peenemunde (see this chapter), and within range of the V-1 and V-2 early self-piloted flying weapons, were crash-landing places for experimental flights gone out of control. Southern Sweden was no exception. Moreover, the one you can see in Arboga is the only well-preserved V-1 landed in Sweden. The good state of conservation is evident looking at the fuselage and engine casing.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Even the onboard systems are almost perfectly in shape, including the knob to set the target distance covered by the flying bomb (measured approximately, by recording the rotations of the small ram propeller to the front). Also the actuators for the movable tail surfaces can be seen. They were fed from two tanks of compressed air, one of them, sectioned, revealing the fabric-inspired construction.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Most interestingly, the pulse-jet core, with the injection pipes and the radially oriented valve system, is also displayed.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

For many nations including Sweden, the analysis of the – for the time – very advanced aeronautical projects of the Third Reich constituted a valuable starting point for their own development programs in the field. The topic is relevant to the museum in Arboga, where many early designs of autonomous flying platforms developed in Sweden are represented. Notably, an early project from the Navy, the RB310 on display, from soon after WWII, was pushed by the the same motor type as the German V-1 (note the distinctive side inlets).

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Yet until the late 1950s the pulse-jet concept lived on with the RB315 ‘Agaton’, where the air breathing component of a developed version of a pulse-jet (the SM11, not dissimilar at a glance from the original German design) can be seen emerging on the fuselage.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Still air-breathing yet based on small turbojets, two interesting designs from the same era are on display. One is the compact long-range anti-shipping RB15F, developed for the SAAB AJ37 Viggen, and employed as well with the JAS39 Gripen. The other is the target drone developed by Beechcraft in the US as MQM-107, and in service in Sweden as the RB06. Its own small French-made TRI 60 turbojet can be seen below the the aircraft.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Perhaps the most massive among those on display is the ship-mounted version of the RB08A. This design was operationally employed within the Navy (see here), and later for coastal defense employing land-based batteries. It was pushed by a small turbojet by the French company Turbomeca. This heavy radar-homing anti-shipping missile is displayed with some of its 1960s-fashion internal systems dismounted.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

A full array of missiles employed by Sweden’s Armed Forces yet originally designed in NATO Countries is on display, along with a number of prototypes and models originally from Sweden.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

A less-known chapter well covered here is that of special under-wing pods. For example, the BOY401 flare dispenser for the Gripen reveals a massive sized and non-trivial construction, when checked from a close distance. Even more complex is the BOX3 pod, originally designed in the 1960s for the SAAB J32 Lansen as a decoy dispenser for detection jamming, with provision for flare and even a nose-mounted radar.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Active jammers are represented for example by the Apparat 27 and the U22 capsule, on display side by side, ahead of the fuselage piece and engine from a SAAB J37 Viggen.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

A second area of the museum is dedicated to diverse smaller-scale ground-launcher missiles, as well as drones. For example, the very successful RB53 Bantam and RB56 ground-launched anti-tank missiles are on display, with the corresponding aiming device and computer. The bigger RBS17, the Swedish version of the AGM-114 Hellfire, has been placed side by side with others, allowing for a direct size comparison. It is in service with the coastal defense artillery.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

An interesting cutaway is offered for the case of the RBS90 surface-to-air missile, revealing the complexity within the casing of this type of weapon. Nearby are two unmanned flying platforms employed by Sweden’s Armed Forces, the French-imported UAV01 and the lighter Swedish design of the UAV02 with its own control console. Sweden employed a SAM systems for protection of strategic sites, like airbases. Notably, the massive British-design Bloodhound missile was employed (one can be seen outside the museum). A detailed scale reproduction of a a SAM battery cand be found here as well.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Cameras, flash lights, pods employed for PHOTINT/SIGINT, and a radar head from the nose cone of a J37 Viggen attack aircraft are on display as well.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Notably, some of the gentlemen behind this collection were deeply involved in the airspace monitoring and defense activities of Sweden (see also the previous site on this page) during their military careers. Their experience with the STRIL initiatives is a fundamental knowledge base in this respect, and a chat with them is warmly suggested for everybody with an interest in this chapter of warfare history. Some of the radar consoles to be found in the top-level nodes of the air defense network (LFC), where all data from peripheral nodes were assembled to represent the detailed situation of the air space, are on display in the collection. They allow the visitor to retrace the technical evolution of the radar technology for air defence.

Notably, since the arrival of the SAAB J35 Draken, it was possible to send the data of an intruder to the panel of the aircraft via datalink from the console of the radar system (in particular the Decca PS-08 radar, of which four covered the exposed territory of Sweden, was an enabler in getting sufficiently accurate data). The console is on display together with the panel of the Draken. A supersonic single-pilot aircraft with exceptional performance, that aircraft was not easy to pilot with a fully analog cockpit. The addition of information on another aircraft, theoretically very effective for managing an intercept, in an operative scenario required a very high skill and preparation by the pilot, to face a very high workload.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

The general amelioration of electronics over the years allowed to develop these systems, in conjunction with the appearance on the scene of the SAAB J37 Viggen and later the JAS39 Gripen, greatly reducing the workload of the pilot by displaying target information on scopes or maps, making them more promptly usable.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

A mainstay of the defense system, radar consoles allowed controllers to keep the entire airspace of Sweden under watch. During the Cold War, the range of these systems allowed to scan well south of Berlin and within the USSR. However, the vantage geographical position of Sweden on the boundary of the Eastern Bloc put this Nation at risk of intrusion. For safety, in the mutual mistrust among opponents typical to the Cold War, camera recorders were employed since the 1960s to keep trace of radar blips, also to the aim of proofing intrusions or violations. The special camera arrangement on top of a radar scope is on display as well.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

These recordings are now a valuable and interesting trace from the past, witnessing momentous events like the withdrawal of Soviet forces following the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and the (sad) conclusion of the crisis, large exercises of the Warsaw Pact forces over the Baltic, or little-known, evident intrusions of Soviet aircraft over Swedish territory, and even the overflight by a USAF Lockheed SR-71, at its typical, extremely speed. This incredible material, visible in the museum in the form of a cyclically-running documentary, can be purchased as well after visiting.

A big component of the museum is dedicated to a large and neat collection of aircraft engines. The aircraft design program of Sweden, based on the SAAB designs from the late 1940s until the end of the Cold War, was supported by jet engines modified mostly by Volvo, starting from British or American designs.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

The presentation in the museum allows to learn much about the specific features of many of these aircraft engines, by displaying cutouts, technical drawings, as well as components of the ancillary systems and utilities (pumps, generators, etc.). Interestingly, a poster-size reproduction of an old picture portrays the local bunker hangar in Arboga (see above).

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

An interesting display of cockpit panels from Swedish aircraft allows for an analysis of the evolution of their design. An old flight simulator for training purposes, the ubiquitous US-designed Link Trainer, was apparently employed also in Sweden.

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Finally, another exceptional feature of this museum is the availability of two simulators of the SAAB Draken and Viggen! These have been prepared making use of sections of their respective fuselages, notably including the cockpit. They make for an unmissable experience for everybody, especially if you already have some piloting experience – in that case, you may have chance to fly one of these two iconic attack aircraft from the Cold War with incredible realism, for example on an intercept mission versus a Soviet cargo, guided by the expert words of an authentic radar controller!

Missile Museum, Arboga – Robotmuseum – Sweden’s Air Force Defense STRIL

Getting there and visiting

This one-of-a-kind museum on a very interesting and special topic makes for a must-see destination for everybody with an interest in the Cold War. The exact address of the museum is Glasbruksgatan 1, 73231 Arboga. The location has a large parking ahead of the entrance. The premises taken by the collection, on the ground floor of an old industrial building, are compact and easy to tour. Yet the collection is very rich, and a visit interacting with the group of friendly volunteers (some of them speaking English fluently) running the site might easily take 2 hours or more for an interested subject.

Additionally, an experience on the flight simulator is definitely worth a visit on its own. This can be arranged by prior email or call, and combined with the visit. The professional website, with full information on the museum and exhibits in multiple languages, can be found here.

My own exceptional experience on this site together with a friend of mine, which included memorable flights in both Draken and Gripen simulators, was kindly sponsored and arranged jointly by the Volunteers of the Arboga Robotomuseum, in particular Mr. Antero Timofejeff, and by Mr. Erik Mårtensson, both former officers of Sweden’s Armed Forces. To these gentlemen and to the Volunteers go my personal thanks and congratulations!

Military Collections in Sweden – Second Chapter

April 6, 2025 CarloRLeave a comment

Visiting southern Sweden offers many opportunities to dig into the rich military history of this beautiful Country in Scandinavia. As pointed out in the initial chapter on this topic (see this post), after centuries spent in assuring a stable and strong position in Northern Europe, often times with the help of a powerful military, Sweden managed to keep a neutral role in all major conflicts raging over the continent in the 20th century. While avoiding to openly taking the parts of any of the foreign contenders, in order to defend its territory and its neutrality policy, Sweden invested much in the development of national technology and in the military field.

This process was successful, resulting in a gallery of interesting and original industrial products introduced over the years, especially (yet not only) in the field of defense. Among the most tangible outcomes of this push, considering the years of the Cold War, are the unique Swedish school of aircraft design, culminating in the SAAB aircraft dynasty, as well as the establishment of factories manufacturing field weapons or land vehicles for all purposes, notably ranging from cars for everyday use to heavier armored vehicles, which are still in business today.

Of course, this development process profited from contacts with the West, especially Britain, France and the USA. For instance, in the post-WWII years, selected jet engines, missile systems or tanks were purchased from the West. Interestingly however, after the end of the Cold War, some surplus material of Soviet production, coming from newly opened borders, ended up in the inventory of the Swedish military. This reflects the often pragmatic philosophy behind procurement, usually adopted by the Armed Forces in this Country.

For those with an interest in the rich military history of Sweden, several collections can be found in the southernmost part of its territory, which is coincidentally the easiest to reach and visit from continental Europe. These collections, often actively supported by groups of enthusiasts, offer a glimpse of the technical and military tradition of this welcoming Country.

In this chapter, two of the most prominent museums in the area dedicated mostly to artillery are covered, with photographs taken from a visit in 2024.

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Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm
Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad, Kristianstad

Sights

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm

The exhibition of the Hässleholms Museum merges a few thematic collections, gathered and carefully maintained by local groups of enthusiasts. The topics are mainly technical vehicles of the Swedish Armed Forces – including armored vehicles, field transport vehicles, trucks, field kitchens, jeeps, special purpose trailers, etc. – and vehicles for the fire brigade. In addition, the museum has on display weapons, technical gear and training material employed by the Army.

It is actually from here that the exhibition starts. Support material like transportable field kitchens, including one from WWII years, and a portable forge for processing horseshoes are on display, within nice full-scale dioramas portraying scenes from different ages.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Training material include medical material and a rig for simulating a reanimation maneuver on a human body. Further medical gear includes many items for field surgery, as well as a diorama of field surgery room set up in a tent.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

A huge, super-interesting collection of training plates is on display – really rare in this size. Plates are typically employed for illustrating the assembly of mechanical systems (weapons, on-board systems of vehicles or aircraft, etc.), or to shortlist the basic characteristics of enemy vehicles. Most of these clearly date from the Cold War era, and refer to military material from those decades.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Original cases with figurines to recreate tactical scenarios, for operation planning or training purposes, make for an unusual display. Similarly, reviews and brochures covering topics of military interest, as well as vehicle recognition charts in Swedish language (in this language are also the training plates) are unusual items to find.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Some of the plates explain what to do in case of a nuclear attack, or one carried out with chemical agents. These plates are displayed together with protection gear, mostly gas masks, and antidotes – including an automatic syringe for injecting the neutralizing agent for nerve gas (atropine)!

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Artillery weapons, like special grenades, shoulder launchers, and various types of mines and standard cartridges, are displayed as samples in convenient display cases.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Even a few fragments of the Third Reich battleship Tirpitz, sunken in northern Norway, ended up here – as well as in many other military museums in Scandinavia (see this post). These armor pieces have been employed for testing some type of ammunition. The thickness of this armor is always impressive!

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

A gallery of uniforms, including personal light weapons and technical gear (like skis or portable aiming devices) conclude this part of the exhibition.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

The collection of military vehicles takes two adjoining hangars. It is particularly appealing for technically-minded people, since it looks like mechanics workshop, with a mixture of assembled and disassembled vehicles, allowing to see the inside, as well as the on-board sub-plants.

Armored vehicles on display are really many. Among the most massive are a Centurion battle tank, and a recovery vehicle for the same type. This highly successful British tank has seen extensive and prolonged use by the Swedish Army from the early 1950s to the 1990s, when it was phased out in favor of the German Leopard heavy tank. Depending on the variant, the Centurion was attributed several code-names in the Swedish inventory, namely Strv 81, 101, 102 and 104 (Strv standing for Stridsvagn, the Swedish word for tank).

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Ahead of the tank, you can see its very power train, composed of the mighty Rolls-Royce Meteor, 27 liters V12, 650 hp engine, and the Merrit Brown Z51R transmission gearbox. The recovery vehicle is roughly as massive as the tank itself.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Close by the Centurion, another sizable item is the armored bridging vehicle Brodbandvagn 971 (aka Brobv 971), which is the Swedish inventory name for what is actually a GDR-designed machine! Looking for a bridging vehicle compatible with the weight of the Leopard tank, a relatively cheap alternative was found in the BLG-60 model, originally manufactured by the German Democratic Republic (GDR) modifying the blueprint of the Soviet T-55 tank, and later sold as surplus by reunified Germany. Roughly half of the 32-units batch got from Germany in 1999 is still preserved today in Sweden, including the exemplar on display here.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

The bridge span is 20-m when deployed, and the top load is 50 tons (actually a bit short of the weight of a Leopard tank…).

Next, a rare sight here is the Rlpbv 4014 radio link armored track vehicle. Again, this was originally an East German tank purchased as surplus by Sweden. It was modified in that instance from the original Soviet design (named MT-LB) into a signal relay platform, supplied with parabolic antennas. The latter were removed from the tank upon retirement, which took place by 2011, together with all technical gear. Only a few machines were sold to Finland at the time, and the exemplar in the museum is the only surviving of this specific type in Sweden.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Close by are a Pbv 301 and a Pbv 302 armored and tracked infantry fighting vehicles, designed and largely employed by Sweden. Pbv 301 dates from the 1960s, and was superseded by Pbv 302, eventually manufactured in more than 600 exemplars during the Cold War and employed uniquely by the Swedish Army until retirement in 2014.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Bigger and heavily armed vehicles are interspersed with service vehicles, typically designed in Sweden, or propelled by Swedish engines. These include a trucks with cranes, field ambulances, technical wagons with tooling for repairs carried out in the field.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Motorcycles are well represented too, some of them with interesting side skis, installed for advancing on snowy terrain.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

A rather unusual sight is a full-scale field bakery! This is composed of a trail to prepare bread dough, and a big bakery oven. This and similar components of military supply, albeit often overlooked, are actually crucial in real operations, just like field guns and armored tanks – a quote attributed to Napoleon actually tells ‘An army marches on its stomach’!

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Smaller items on display in the same area include several types of engines, presented on transport cases, attached to testing rigs etc. These engines range from Volvo to some US manufacturers, and include marine engines, tank engines and gas generators.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Another highlight of the show is a Stridsvagn 103. An original Swedish design from the 1980s mostly intended for domestic supply in consideration of the characteristics of the Swedish territory, this tank is designed for a crew of three, but conceived to be optionally fully operated by a single crew. It is equipped with a blade to prepare a dugout, thus converting into a field cannon, and it is able to move in shallow waters. The only limitation is in the lack of a turret, which is traded-off for a better compactness and low-rising side section, which in turns makes this tank less exposed to enemy fire especially on uneven terrain, where chance of hiding is higher.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Beside the tank, it is possible to see the engine, and the corresponding tank-trailer and support vehicle, a tracked vehicle itself called Bgbv 82, and obtained as a modification of the Pbv 302 (see above).

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Nearby, several technical vehicles, including trucks and trailers (some with provision made to carry skis!), can be checked out as well.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

An interesting Swedish vehicle here is a tracked anti-aircraft missile launcher, model Lbrbv 701 manufactured by Hagglunds. The main weapon is the surface-to-air missile Robot 70. The aiming device is particularly prominent to the front of the vehicle.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

An array of three anti-tank machines is presented next. The first is a tracked anti-tank missile carrier, named Pvrbv 551, and originally capable of carrying 8 anti-tank missiles, shot from a single barrel on top of the tank. The second is a wheeled vehicle, named Pvpjtgb 1111 and manufactured by Volvo. This still carries a 9-cm recoil-less gun, and it was supplied with 8 shots. The third is a Pvpjtgb 9031, an even lighter vehicle from the 1960s, featuring again a 9-cm recoil-less anti-tank gun.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

A few tanks designed in Sweden conclude the display in the first of the two dedicated hangars. On the two extremes of the same row are a Strv 74 and an older m/38, aka L-60. The former was a light tank developed in the late 1950s by physically modifying older m/38 models (both types were manufactured by the Landsverk company in Sweden), and kept in service until the 1980s.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

In between these two tanks are displayed a Strv m/42 and two exemplars of the self-propelled cannon m/43, respectively a tank-destroyer version (Pvkv m/43) with a prominent 7.5 cm anti-tank gun, and anti-aircraft version (Lvkv m/43), featuring a 40 mm twin-barreled anti-aircraft gun.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

The second hangar has in store a rare Strv m/40, developed during WWII based on the m/38 (see above). All other vehicles on display are wheeled. These include the Tgbil m/42, a 4×4 armored transport. This vehicle is an impressive Swedish design (with several big names involved in the design) enjoying an incredibly long career, spanning from WWII to the early 21st century through several upgrades and modifications.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Another iconic Swedish design by Volvo is the TP21, an off-road personal transport vehicle, originating in the 1950s from the successful PV800 civilian series by Volvo.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

Also in this area field kitchens are on display, together with trucks, tractors and other technical vehicles.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

The final indoor component of this impressive collection is made of vehicles belonging to the fire brigade. The crucial role of firefighting was made even more complex back then, due the limited supply of pressurized water on the territory, as well as the use of wood as the basic material for construction, and of open fire for many more uses than today.

The earlier vehicles are mostly carriages or cars converted for carrying small pumps, evacuation ladders and water hoses.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

More modern vehicles on display are mostly US-designed types (Ford, Chevrolet).

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

The collection in Hässleholm is completed by a few items sitting outdoor. These include a Volvo P210 transport van, a red Hägglunds Bandvagn 206 – a marvelous and very successful multi-purpose, all-terrain tracked transport (see also this post) – and a Brobv 941, a bridge-layer vehicle introduced in the 1970s and in service until the end of the Cold War to support operation of the tank units of the time.

Hässleholms Museum, Hässleholm – Military museum in Southern Sweden

All in all, this museum is an unmissable stop for those in search of an insight on the history of artillery and military technical production of Sweden.

Getting there and visiting

The museum is located on the eastern side of Hassleholm, a peaceful village in the southernmost region of Sweden. The exact name and address is Hässleholms Museum – Norra Kringelvägen 9, 28141 Hässleholm. Large parking on the inside apron. There is a little cafe inside, and a little shop. Visiting might easily take about 2 hours for an interested subject, reading the documentation and taking pictures.

The website, in Swedish language, but pretty self-explanatory at least for the most relevant visiting information, can be found here.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad, Kristianstad

The Museum of Artillery has been established in the southern town of Kristianstad, for roughly two centuries the home of the A3 ‘Wendes’ Artillery Regiment. This was originally formed in 1794, and stationed permanently (partly or entirely) in Kristianstad since 1815 until 1994, with disbandment following in the year 2000.

The collection is physically hosted in a few low-rise buildings and depots. Most of them are accessible on a self-guided base, where a couple of them can be visited only on a guided tour.

The building where the ticket office is has on display some interesting communication equipment, including encryption gear, retracing the history of military communication in Sweden from the end of the 19th century to the full span of the Cold War.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Most of the consoles are made in Sweden, but some made by Nokia, Philips or Siemens are similarly on display. In the same room the history of grenade construction is illustrated, through relevant specimens of shells and cartridges.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

An adjoining building is employed for gatherings by veterans, sympathizers and preservation groups, and usually showcases an annual temporary exhibition. At the time of my own visit in 2024, the theme of the exhibition was the combat-readiness in Sweden, from WWII onward.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

The other buildings are former depots, and offer a wide range of artillery pieces and military vehicles, covering the history of artillery warfare in Sweden.

The artillery pieces on display in a first depot are from the 19th century. They include some very interesting one-of-a-kind exemplars, for example a French cannon from Napoleon’s army! The iconic ‘N’ mark of the French Emperor is still intact on top of the barrel.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Another interesting item is a rocket launcher, made in Sweden from 1832, and cloned from an earlier British model. This early system, well ahead of its time as a concept, was not satisfactory in terms of field performance, thus it was phased by 1846. Additionally, an early multi-barreled gun from 1875 has been restored by volunteers to an almost pristine condition.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

An experimental recoil-suppressing gun carriage, with a prominent metal spring integrated in the structure, is on display along with many pieces which allow to appreciate the gradual improvement in the technology of field guns over the 19th century.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

The exhibition on artillery pieces is continued in another depot, mostly with horse carriages, needed for the movement of artillery, as well as with position artillery. The big calibers here, mostly made in Sweden, offer a very complete display of the catalog of guns employed for defense. Typically too heavy for quick repositioning, the purpose of this type of gun was that of defending fortresses or coastal positions.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Moving on to the last two depots, these deal mostly with the Cold War era. In a first one, artillery technology from the Cold War era is on display, including guns, as well as tons of technical devices for aiming, communicating, taking field measurements, etc.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Among the artifacts on display is an original camera for reconnaissance troops, as well as incredible traces of an espionage operation! You can see two maps of the same location, one released by Swedish authorities, the other by the Soviet Union. The latter is clearly way more accurate than the former, when it comes to describing a site of military interest, undisclosed on the Swedish map. Based on the date of the Soviet map, the espionage activity must have taken place in the early 1960s, at the height of the Cold War.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

A diorama displays a reconstruction of an entrenched observation post.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Two adjoining dioramas reproduce a fire control post and a gun emplacement for a 10.5 cm howitzer. This design from 1940 saw action well into the 1960s and the Cold War, which is the time of the gun emplacement diorama. Notably, a muzzle velocity measurement system is mounted on the cannon.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Measuring atmospheric conditions in the field is an often overlooked component of artillery action, but it is actually crucial when good precision is required for a hit. Especially when a cannon is capable of hitting way ahead of its muzzle, a good knowledge of the state of the atmosphere – including wind intensity and direction, as well as the temperature and other properties of air – between the cannon and the target is totally relevant for accurately computing the trajectory and hit point of the shell. For example, a substantial error of some hundred meters on a hit may result for a shell travel of 20-30 km, typical for a high-performance field cannon of the Cold War, even for a mild wind below 10 knots.

An aiming system PE07/R based on a radar and a balloon with onboard sensors is on display, intended for the 10.5 cm howitzer.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

A much more modern weather radar and fire control station for the Bofors 15.5 cm FH77A field gun can be similarly checked out. Dating from the 1970s and the early digital era, this original Swedish system offered improved range (almost 20 km) and accuracy with respect to all previous models.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Two exemplars of the FH77A gun are on display as well! The cannon had a good maneuverability and autonomy of motion. It could be transported on longer distances coupled to a Scania 411 truck, also on display.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

In the same room are a French 15.5 cm cannon, acquired in the 1950s, and a much older Krupp 21 cm howitzer. The latter, a German design from 1917, represents the top caliber ever pressed into service by the Swedish artillery, and saw action in Finland, where it was leased out during WWII (see this post).

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

A bit of an outlier here is a diorama of a cavalry charge from the 19th century – which is however impressively well-crafted!

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

The last depot is especially lively in the summer, when vehicles mostly preserved in fully working conditions are taken out on the apron! Anyway, the depot is also interesting as a static display, with many well preserved items, all formerly in service with the Swedish armed forces.

These include first a full range of motorbikes, some of them today rather sought-after classics! They are notably of different makes, including British makers like BSA, Triumph and AJS.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

A self-propelled, tracked 15.5 cm cannon, listed as Bkan 1A in the inventory of the Swedish Army and made by Bofors in 1965, stands in front of an older m/43 self-propelled gun, from 1943.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

A PBV 301 armored transport and a Caterpillar bulldozer frame an interesting Radiobandvagn 203B. This articulated tracked vehicle resembles the Bandvagn 206 (see above), but it was manufactured by Bolinder Munktell, Sweden. It dates from 1967, but the Volvo engine looks like brand-new!

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

A US-made Dodge T214, a highly successful machine produced in more than 250,000 units, is on display in its original late-1940s Swedish camouflage. Sweden acquired more than 200 of these utility vehicles from a surplus deposit in France, after WWII.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

An example of Pvpjtgb 9031, with its distinctive recoil-less anti-tank cannon, and a Pbv 302 (see above), are on display alongside many military transport vehicles, mostly made by Volvo.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

An interesting item is a gas generator designed by Ford, yet bearing Swedish labels, hence likely intended for the Swedish market. This device could employ wood or charcoal to produce gas, which when suitably processed through heat-exchangers, can be employed to run an internal combustion engine. In an emergency situation, like when facing a shortage in oil supply, this type of device can be profitably employed to propel vehicles. This was a rather widespread option during WWII. Bulkier designs can be employed for running larger piston engines, e.g. for electric power production.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

On the apron between the depots, more vehicles and guns can be found. Some of them are typically recovered under a roof in the winter, to be taken out in the good season. These include perfectly working examples of a Volvo TP21 military transport (see above) – a predecessor of the modern XC90 SUV! – and a massive Volvo HBT artillery tractor. This half-track vehicle was based on a German design. It was built in Sweden in roughly 100 units, and employed for transporting troops, as well as cargo, including cannon trailers or self-propelled cannons. The speed of each track is controlled together with the direction of the front wheels by the pilot’s yoke, allowing for an easier steering action.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Finally, a few more guns are on display outside, including a rare m/1946 multi-barreled cannon made by Bofors, and even a Soviet 12.2 cm gun m/1932-1937, largely employed within the Soviet Bloc, from Stalin’s era to the 1990s, and donated by a Czech artillery collection to the Artillerimuseet.

Artillerimuseet i Kristianstad – Artillery and military museum in Southern Sweden

Getting there and visiting

The Artillerimuseet can be reached at the address Köpingevägen 86-30, 29163 Kristianstad, which corresponds to a nice countryside location, roughly 3 miles south of the small center of Kristianstad. Access is via a short unpaved road, and the parking area inside is very convenient.

The place is run by knowledgeable volunteers, mostly former military staff. A visit of what is described here, which corresponds to what you can see on your own without a guide in the good season, may take about 1.5-2 hours for an interested person.

Please note that the cashier accepts only cash (possibly other forms of electronic payment available for Swedish residents). The website (mostly in Swedish) with full information is here.

The Wollenberg Bunker – Linking East Germany and the USSR

April 21, 2024April 22, 2024 CarloRLeave a comment

	Heading to Berlin or the former GDR? Looking for traces of the Cold War open for a visit?
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The events taking place on the geopolitical stage during the last decade of the Cold War – the 1980s – gave little indication of the imminent collapse of the Soviet-led Eastern Bloc (1989-1991). Correspondingly, looking at the amount of technology developed and deployed in the military field during the late, hi-tech stage of the Cold War, it is easy to notice that opponents on both sides of the Iron Curtain dedicated a significant (and even increasing) budget in preparation for a possible total confrontation. Reading papers and specialized books from the time, the outbreak of an open conflict, such to put a violent and abrupt end to years of opposition between the two opposing systems by recurring to nuclear warfare over the territories of Western Europe (most of them belonging to the NATO alliance, and all being substantially more militarized than today), was not deemed just likely, but more as a matter of time.

The БАРС system – The tropospheric network of the Warsaw Pact

In that era of extreme tension, it is not surprising that one of the most sophisticated and expensive assets developed and deployed jointly by all Nations in the Warsaw Pact, of course led by the USSR, came alive. History would cut its life short though, and as soon as the Warsaw Pact disintegrated, as a result of the opt-out from communist dictatorship of all Countries in Eastern Europe, this asset was decommissioned. This system was the tropospheric communication system ‘БАРС’, a Russian word reading ‘BARS’ and meaning ‘snow leopard’. The name stands as an acronym for four words in Russian, which translate into something like ‘Sheltered autonomous radio communication system’.

The idea put forward by the Soviet top-ranking military staff in the early 1980s (prior to the onset of Gorbachev administration) was that of a system capable of transmitting complex orders (not just simple signals, like for opening a bunker door or silo, but articulated messages) in a safe encrypted way, at a long distance and minimizing the chance of a complete breakdown even in case of an enemy nuclear attack. Despite being not new, the concept of a resilient and reliable system, such to allow exchanging significant amount of data without relying on cables, had been tested in earlier stages of the Cold War only for short-radius operations. Mobile transmitters/receivers, loaded on purpose-designed trucks, allowed for a reduction of the risk of a direct hit from an attacker, and for a quick redeployment in case of need. However, for the amount of data and range required for the coordination of a war scenario, involving many different Countries, and geographically encompassing an entire continent, a different system was required, capable of transmitting more massive data flows on longer distances, with a reduced risk of a sudden or complete interruption.

The БАРС system was based on a certain number of stations, scattered over the territory of the Countries of the Warsaw Pact. Each node was built as a bunkerized, manned military installation, featuring high-power, high-frequency fixed antennas emerging from the ground, and an underground shelter protecting all the technical gear required for manipulating the data to be sent or received, interfacing with the other existing local (i.e. national) networks for military and executive governmental communication, and of course managing the tremendous amount of energy required to pump a long-reaching signal into the ether.

Laying on the front line with the West, hosting a Soviet contingent of some hundred thousands troops (see here and links therein), aircraft (see here), missiles (see here) and nuclear warheads (see here), and being a key-ally of the USSR in case of the outbreak of an open war (at least until late 1989), the German Democratic Republic (or GDR, or DDR in German) was clearly included in the БАРС network from the initial drafting phase. Similarly, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, and of course the Soviet Union (which included Belarus and the Baltics, and stretched west to Kaliningrad), all had БАРС stations on their territory. Stations were located at a range of a few hundred miles from one another, thus within the range required for each of them to communicate with one or more of the other nodes. Data (e.g. orders, reports or authorizations) input locally could be relayed along the network through intermediate nodes, down to the intended destination node. There were 26 nodes in total, of which four were in the USSR.

The Wollenberg site – Bunker 301 ‘Tushurka’

The GDR in particular had three stations built, all along the border with Poland, and located east of Berlin – namely Station 301 in Wollenberg, at the same latitude of Berlin, Station 302 in Langsdorf, towards the Baltic coast, and Station 303 in Röhrsdorf (near Königsbruck), not far from Dresden in the southeast of the GDR territory. The first among them, the Wollenberg site (codenamed ‘Tushurka’) could communicate with the other two national stations, as well as with Station 207 in Poland, from where data would be transmitted further down the network, towards the USSR.

The site was built by the GDR state, with technical hardware coming from several Countries within the Warsaw Pact, and most of the military hi-tech components manufactured in the USSR. The actual site (similar to its sister sites) was built in the frame of a highly secretive operation. The staff comprised about 60-70 men, the majority of which were military, where about 15% were civil technicians. Maximum security clearance was required, due to the top-secret nature of the installation and of the overall БАРС system. The bunkerized part of the installation was only a component of the larger premises of the base, camouflaged within the trees on the side of low-rising hill.

As pointed out, the immense spending required for setting up this multi-national hi-tech military communication system, which was extensively tested and completely commissioned (as a network) by 1987, did not save it from a quick demise and disappearance. In particular, Station 301 went definitively offline as early as August 1990.

However, the fate of the Wollenberg site was not so sad as that of many former Soviet or NVA (i.e. the East German Army) installations in the GDR. The high-power antennas were torn down, but except from that, little material damage was inflicted to the buildings and bunker on site. The place was basically shut-off and left dormant, until when a society of technically very competent local enthusiasts started a plan to preserve and open it to visitors, as a memorial specimen of the technology of the Cold War years.

A visit to the Wollenberg bunker site reveals a tremendous deal of interesting details, very uncommon to find elsewhere in the panorama of Cold War relics around Europe. Thanks to a careful preservation and restoration work, the bunker has most of its original systems still plugged to the grid and lit-up – some of them are reportedly still working! Even though the communication networks have been severed, the experience in the bunker is really evoking, and the atmosphere – with all the lit-up cabinets, lights, CCTV cameras, 1980-style screens, etc. – closely resembles that of the bygone era when БАРС was operative!

This report and photographs were taken during a private visit to the bunker, carried out in the Summer of 2023.

Sights

A visit to the the installation in Wollenberg starts from the original high-security access gate. As you may quickly notice when passing through it and getting a first view of the site, the state of preservation is exceptional. Except for the lack of military staff around, everything looks mostly like in the years of operation.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

A group of soft-construction service buildings and a reinforced multi-entry garage constitute the first – and visible – nucleus of the installation. All buildings are painted in a camo coat.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

A former building for the on-site staff has been turned into a permanent exhibition, with memorabilia items from the Cold War years, when the Nationale Volksarmee (or NVA, the Armed forces of the GDR) cooperated with the Soviet Red Army and the national Armed forces of other Countries in the Warsaw Pact.

A meeting room, now employed also for small gatherings, is especially rich of interesting and diverse items, including emblems, books, memorial plates and pennants, as well as TV screens, hi-fi systems and and beamers from the era.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Another room has been set-up as a control center for the base, with an original console and regional maps.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Compared to military bases (for aircraft or tanks), the Wollenberg installation is rather compact, with a main road giving access to most of the (not many) buildings on site, as well as the bunker. Actually, the bunkerized part was built under a low-rising hill, with the antennas originally standing on top of it. Access to the bunker is possible either by climbing uphill on the main road, or through a suggestive original pedestrian tunnel. The latter starts from within the service building itself, and – somewhat unexpectedly, for an underground installation – it climbs uphill, while keeping beneath the surface of the hill side slope. The lower end is guarded by an original CCTV camera.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

At the top end of the tunnel you can find the actual access to the bunker. The design and reinforcement level conferred grade ‘D’ protection according to the military standard in use at the time, with grade ‘A’ being the strongest. Access is through an airlock, constituted by two tight doors at the opposite ends of a small vestibule built in concrete. This design allowed protection from the blast of a nuclear device.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Notably, the locking mechanism of the tight doors is Soviet military standard, which can be found in high-value installations like nuclear depots elsewhere in the Eastern Bloc (see for instance here in Poland, and here in Czechoslovakia).

To the visitor with some experience of Cold War installations, it will be apparent from the very start of the tour that the state of conservation of the bunker, including the systems in it, is exceptional, similar to the rest of the Wollenberg site. The original warning lights and the CC-TV camera for identifying people at the entrance are still in place.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Next to the entrance, a control room with technical gear for checking-in can be found – including original dosimeters for radiation and chemicals, mostly Soviet-made. Looking inside these devices is possible, and reveals a great deal of sophistication in the design and realization of the military-grade material from the time.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Showers and sinks for washing, as well as canister for disposing of contaminated clothes, are located in the same area.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Upon getting access to the sealed area of the bunker and passing by the decontamination facility, you find yourself on the top floor of the underground bunker. The high-technology gear required for the transmission/reception of data on the БАРС network, as well as the interface with other national communication systems, required for receiving data, issuing orders, etc. over the territory of the GDR, were located on this floor.

Two symmetrically placed rooms host two twin transmission centers for the БАРС system. A single manned console can be found in each of them, surrounded by electronic cabinets and switches. At a closer look, all the material herein is Soviet made, and labeled in Russian only.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

On the wall ahead of the console station is a set of cables, communicating with the antenna and allowing to set the orientation and monitoring its status.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

The actual signals transmitted to the antenna, or received from it, traveled along special hollow ducts, with an almost rectangular section. Bundles of these ducts can be found in the ‘Sender’ (which means ‘transmitter’ in English) room, immediately next to the room where the manned console is.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

The modulation and demodulation of the signals going out and coming in respectively through the antenna on top of the bunker required some special pieces of electronics, which included the Soviet-designed KY-374 klystron (codenamed ‘Viola’), a component to be found in the cabinets of the ‘Sender’ room.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Following the hollow ducts, it is possible to find where they finally exit the usually manned part of the bunker, bending into receptacles and leading outside. Piping related to other systems, including air conditioning, can be seen as well crossing or running in the same narrow technical corridors.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Beside the consoles monitoring the antenna and the data flowing through it, a kind of operative room for communication can be found, where consoles allowing to receive and forward data and communication to/from all systems are on display. This largely original room features consoles of different levels of technology.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Original explanatory schemes showing the basic features of the БАРС system are on display in that area – in Russian!

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

An adjoining room features the cabinets required for making all these system work. The cabinets are really many, with a significant share of material manufactured in the USSR. The sight of all these cabinets together is really impressive, and tangibly provides the feeling of a high technology, sophisticated and expensive design. It compares well, but in a largely up-scaled fashion, to the electronics to be found in some special communication bunkers on the western side of the Iron Curtain (see here).

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Interspersed with the original arrangement of the cabinets and consoles are some displays of original material. These include specimens of different types of cables for signal transmission – some of them hollow and pressurized, others featuring impressive bundles of thinner wires – the KY-374 klystron, and other once top-secret core components of the БАРС transmission system. Also on display is one of the few remaining parts of the original system of antennas, once on top of the bunker. The antennas were the only part to be physically torn down when the system was decommissioned, upon the demise of the Warsaw Pact and the end of the Cold War.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

The bunker was manned by military and technical staff 24/7. Furthermore, as typical for bunkers from the Cold War era, provision was made at a design level to allow the staff to live isolated within the bunker for an extended period of time, in view of the eventuality to face a nuclear fallout scenario.

On the same floor as the technical rooms, the commander of the station had his own private room. This is still adorned with typical Soviet iconography, as well as everyday material from the age when the bunker was operative.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

A small canteen, with a kitchen and a modest living room, can be found at the same level. An original storage room has been employed to gather examples of everyday products, like soap, skin care cream, etc., as well as canned food, cocoa, and beverages of all sorts.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

This represents a very rich catalog of now largely defunct and forgotten labels, from the age and regions of the Eastern Bloc (and especially from within the GDR). Also on display are bottles of spirits, likely still very good!

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

The visit proceeds then to the lower floor, which can be reached through a flight of metal stairs.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

The lower floor host the plants required for the regular operation of the entire bunker, such to guarantee operational ability even in case of an enemy attack carried out with nuclear, chemical or biological warfare. The air filtering and conditioning system is very modern. Beside typical filtering drums for particles, to be found also in other bunkers (see for instance Podborsko here), you can see a bulky filtering and climate conditioning system, neatly arranged within two parallel square-shaped ducts. Filtering against chemicals as well as biologic agents was carried out employing special active filters.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Sensors for the level of contamination of the bunker air can be found in different rooms. Much material here is standard Soviet-made.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Systems for water pumping and compressed air can be found as well, including compressors, pumps and reservoirs. Looking at the always interesting factory labels in this area, it is easy to find export products of Bulgaria, Romania and other communist dictatorships of the era. Of course, much hardware is also manufactured in the GDR.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Electricity was supplied from the outside grid, yet capability for self-sustaining in case of a grid loss (for instance in case of war) was implemented as well. Three big German-made Diesel generators have been put in place, and are still in an apparently good condition.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Another example of the high technological standard reached in the late Cold War era is represented by the control room for the plants within the bunker. A manned control station, with a console and a direct view of lit-up cabinets, reporting the status of the various systems running in the bunker, compares well with control rooms of large industrial plants in operation today.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Carefully kept in its original status, with many of the electric links and cabinets still working, the sight of this room is especially evoking.

Also on the lower floor are the sleeping rooms for off-duty staff. Typically, this was not employed except for drills, when the bunker could be sealed to simulate operations in case of the outbreak of hostilities.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Back to the upper floor, it is possible to exit the bunker via a stairway and through a side gate. You will find yourself on top of the low-rise hill where the bunker has been dug. Here the concrete base of the crane where the БАРС antenna used to sit are still visible. Notably, these antennas were much smaller than the tropospheric antennas employed for the TROPOSCATTER system of NATO. This was the result of a different bandwidth employed for transmissions. Therefore, even in the days of operation, the antennas on top of the bunker were not as sizable as those of TROPOSCATTER installations (which were enormous in size).

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

Looking closely, in the top area of the installation, the duct for supplying the Diesel oil tank of the bunker can be found, similar to sensors for radiation and other atmospheric parameters (similar to what can be found also in other nuclear-proof bases, for instance here). These allowed to monitor the conditions of the outside air, detect an attack and trigger or manage the sealing of the bunker in case of need, by locking all the tight doors.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

This access to the bunker is fenced by the original electrified fence, severing this area from the rest of the installation through a further layer of security.

Wollenberg БАРС Bunker 301 – GDR vs. USSR communication facility

All in all, a visit to the Wollenberg bunker offers an incredible insight in a fascinating and crucial field of warfare – data and communication exchange – as well as a lively and evocative display of a late Cold War hi-tech installation from the Soviet side of the Iron Curtain!

Getting there & Visiting

The German name of the Wollenberg bunker is ‘Militärhistorisches Sonderobjekt 301 Wollenberg’. It can be reached very easily with a car. It can be found in the open countryside along the regional road 158, driving about 35 miles (about 1 hour) northeast from downtown Berlin towards Poland. The exact location is between the small village of Höhenland (~4 miles) and the more sizable Bad Freienwalde (~6 miles). There is a large parking area immediately next to the road, giving direct pedestrian access to the premises of the former military installation. Despite being placed very conveniently, the site is rather elusive when passing by, since it is hidden in the trees and not directly visible from the road. The address corresponding to the place in Google Maps is Sternkrug 4, 16259 Höhenland. The inconspicuous village of Wollenberg, giving the name to the installation, is just nearby, but it is not crossed by the regional road, and it should not be employed for pointing this destination with a nav.

The Wollenberg bunker is a listed historical installation. It is perfectly maintained, privately managed, and it can be regularly accessed with guided tours. These are offered typically one day per week in the summer, or by prior arrangement. Possibly the best option for getting the most out of your visit is getting in contact with the group of very knowledgeable enthusiasts running the place. The official website is here (do not be discouraged by the ‘static’ appearance of the website, they are very active, and they shall typically answer your inquire).

My visit was planned by initiative of Dr. Reiner Helling (see also here), and we visited in a group of three, including the guide (Dr. Michael Schoeneck, a former engineer, with a profound knowledge of any technical aspects related to this installation), which happened to be a perfect option for touring also the narrowest receptacles of the bunker. Visiting in groups too big may be not advisable, since the rooms and corridors are rather narrow, and the place may turn overcrowded for interacting with the guide and for taking good pictures. I think the visit – including the technical content – may be tailored to the needs of the audience. For technical-minded subjects, historians and former military, a visit may take about 2-3 hours (the latter was my experience). In my case, the guide could understand but not speak fluent English, yet Dr. Helling could translate with ease all the explanations. Of course, if you have at least a basic knowledge of German and of the technical material you are looking at, this may simplify your visit, which is in any case highly advisable for those interested in military technology and the Cold War.

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War Museums in Western Poland

June 25, 2023 CarloRLeave a comment

Similar to other Countries around the Baltic Sea, Poland has a positive attitude towards its military past. Beside castles, barracks and traces of war from older ages, remarkably also some war material from the 20th century, and especially from WWII and the Cold War, has been in the focus of conservation activities.

The mystery bunkers in the southwest of the Country dating from the years of the Third Reich (see here), or the Soviet Monolith-type bunker in Podborsko (see here) and the impressive fallout monitoring center in Kalisz (see here), stand out as major remains from WWII and the Cold War for everybody to check out – and they are just examples.

Along those sites with a history of their own, Poland has many war museums, thematic collections and exhibitions to offer, retracing the evolution of its rich and extremely complex military history.

Looking at the 20th century, it is apparent that Poland has been swept violently and insistently by the winds of war. At the start of WWII, it was surrounded by the Third Reich on two sides, something that contributed to its quick invasion and defeat at the beginning of the conflict. A special relationship with the British meant some from the Polish military ended up directly in the British ranks in exile, whereas others were incorporated in a pro-German Army. However, in the closing stage of the war, when the unfriendly Soviets invaded from the East on their run to Berlin, some from Poland entered the ranks of a pro-Soviet, anti-German army.

Following WWII, Poland was re-founded with new borders, basically those we know today, and due to the presence of the Soviet Army on their territory, they quickly fell under communist control. The relationship between the USSR and Poland military was strong during the Cold War, and the military assets of the Polish Army were massive. The Red Army was also physically stationed in the Western part of the Country, in preparation to a much planned full-scale ‘atomic-supported blitz’ to the Atlantic coast, which luckily never materialized.

The many collections to check out in Poland these days are especially rich in Cold War era supply, and therefore they are tremendous resources for finding many examples of Soviet technology from the Cold War era. However, in most cases also highly valuable material from WWII and from the fierce battles fought on Polish territory mainly between the Germans and the Soviets can be checked out.

This post presents a quick, mainly pictorial description with excerpts from several collections open for a visit in Western Poland. Photographs were taken in the summer of 2020.

Navigate this post – Click on links to scroll

The sites presented in this chapter are all in the Western part of Poland, i.e. west of Gdynia and Poznan. They are listed here below, basically from south to north on a map.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora
Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora
Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan
Museum of Armaments, Poznan
Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz
Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie
Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg
Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin
Naval Museum, Gdynia
Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka

Sights

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora

The collection of the Museum of Military History in Jelenia Gora is arranged on an open-air apron. Here you can find several items mainly from the Soviet inventory – albeit in several instances physically manufactured in Poland – and once adopted by the Polish Armed Forces.

In the area closer to the ticket office, possibly the most exotic – or harder to find – items include transportable radar antennas. Items like these are still today the backbone of anti-aircraft defense, and are employed to either detect enemy aircraft or to guide surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) against this type of target. Differences among antennas reflect their actual purpose, as well as different range, intended target level (close to the ground, higher layers of the atmosphere, …) and ease of deployment. The latter is clearly inversely proportional to the bulkiness and weight of the antenna.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

Truck-mounted antennas on display include an RW-31 and JAWOR-M2, both from the 1970s, respectively with a vertically- and horizontally-mounted antenna on top.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

Exemplars of more modern RT-17 (on top of a taller tower) and PRW-17 models from the 1980s, the latter manufactured in the USSR, feature a somewhat larger size. Despite movable, these antennas are mounted on more articulated trailers.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

Many more trailers and trucks are on display as well.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

Further on, a few tanks and armored vehicles can be found. These include a well preserved Soviet T34-85, a modernized version from the early 1950s of the original homonym design, which gained fame with the Red Army in the closing stages of WWII against Hitler’s Wehrmacht.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

Similarly interesting are a BTR-152, a troop transportation armored truck of Soviet make, and a launcher for a triplet of SA-6 Gainful SAM. The latter, namely a 2K12M, is an interesting and pretty widespread Soviet-made item from the early 1970s, with very good tactical deployment capability granted by its tracks. Also on display is a classical BM-13 Katyuscha rocket launcher, again a workhorse of the Red Army in Stalin’s era.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

The latter part of the museum hosts a number of artillery pieces of various size, ranging from ship-mounted anti-aircraft machine guns, to field cannons, anti-tank cannons, etc. These are mostly from WWII, but reaching to the early Cold War period, and invariably share a Soviet design.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

An especially interesting design is a recoilless B-11 cannon, designed against light armored vehicles. Of lighter design with respect to other guns of the same bore, it was pretty widespread as a tactical weapon in the early Cold War stage in countries of the Warsaw Pact.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

A Mil helicopter, warship guns and some water mines complete this compact yet rich and well-maintained collection.

Museum of Military History, Jelenia Gora – Muzeum Historii i Militariów – Poland War Museum

Getting there & Visiting

The museum is called ‘Muzeum Historii i Militariów’ in Polish. It can be found less than 1 mile southeast of the city center, to the east of the road 367 going south to the border with the Czech Republic. It can be reached easily with a walk from the city center, or by car. Free parking on site (limited capacity, but properly sized for the place). The exact address is Sudecka 83, 58-500 Jelenia Góra.

The museum is made of an open-air exhibition only (no inside display), where all artifacts can be checked out on a self-guided basis once past the ticket office. Plates with basic data and information in double language Polish-English are available ahead of most of the items on display.

The site is rich in material, yet not too big or extensive in size, hence easily digestible even for those without a special interest in military technology. Very convenient to reach and walk. Most artifacts are in a good to very good general condition. A visit taking many good pictures may take up to 1 hour for an interested subject, 15 minutes may be enough for a quick walk. Website with many detailed information, including an inventory of the weapons on display (also in English) here.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora

The prominent collection of the Lubuskie Museum of Military History is composed of an inside exhibition, hosted in a converted villa from the 19th century, and a major open-air display in the garden, where some of the items are protected under light structures.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Inside the museum building, a few rooms witness the involvement of Poland in several wars over the centuries. Beautifully crafted weapons from the 17th century, including both firearms and edged weapons, can be found in a number.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Several display cases are related to the involvement of Poland in WWII. The articulated history of the Polish Armed Forces in WWII is witnessed by the number of uniforms, medals and papers resulting from actions of Polish corps within the ranks of foreign Armed Forces – especially British.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Light weapons and technical gear from the time is abundant, including genuine material from the Armed Forces of the Third Reich, which occupied substantial parts of the Polish territory for almost the entire duration of WWII.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

A historically interesting item is the headdress of a Polish officer killed in the Soviet town of Katyn, in the homonym massacre ordered by Stalin against the the ranks of the the Polish Armed Forces, soon after portions of the Country had been taken over by the Soviets upon agreement with Hitler. This was an unprecedented move to devitalize the Polish military structure by killing all key-figures in it. A pistol employed for executions and a few more memorabilia items from this awful chapter of Polish history are similarly on display.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Other rooms cover the technological evolution of military gear during the Cold War. Here, items on display range from air-to-air missiles – partly dismounted to allow looking at the electronics inside – tactical weapons, aircraft-mounted guns (always with impressively sized cartridges!), as well as anti-radiation suits with protection masks, flight suits, helmets, visors, and much more. Most of the material from those years obviously comes from the Soviet inventory.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

In the outside exhibition a few thematic areas can be found. Possibly the richest among them is that of armored vehicles and artillery pieces. A major highlight is a couple of exemplars of the Soviet SU-152 self-propelled gun from WWII, made of an impressive 152 mm gun on a tracked vehicle. One of the exemplars has been recently refurbished and looks mint.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

More Soviet tanks include some versions of the T-34 – a classic combatant of WWII – a T-55, and a more recent fully-working T-72, an icon of the Cold War in the 1970s. This is sometimes moved around in the apron.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

A long array of guns, mostly field cannons, can be found on the border of the museum garden.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

An impressive sight is the gigantic 2S7, a 207 mm self-propelled cannon manufactured in the Soviet Union from the 1970s, and still employed today by both Russia and Ukraine. Side by side with its ‘little cousins’, the monster size of this asset from the Eastern Bloc is readily apparent.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

A second thematic area is centered around SAM missiles and their launchers, as well as theater missiles. Also radar antennas for aerial target tracking or missile guidance are on display.

Some major SAM Soviet systems are on the list, including the SA-2 Guideline, the SA-3 Goa and the SA-4 Ganef. The latter is present with the corresponding deployable radar (model code SNR 1S32M1), together composing the 2K11M1 SAM system, codenamed ‘Krug’ in Russian.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Theater missiles include the so-called Luna-M system (model code 9K52), composed of a wheeled transport truck and a missile (9M21), as well as an original transport trailer with a Scud missile! (See this and this chapter for dedicated information on Soviet-designed theater missiles)

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Aircraft on display range from the early Cold War period – end of the 1940s – to the more hi-tech stage of the 1980s. Early jets include MiG-15 and MiG-17, and a pretty rare Jak-23, all in the colors of the Polish Air Force. Propeller aircraft include an Il-14 transport and a license-built Douglas C-47, aka. Lisunov Li-2 in the USSR.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Notably, the first defection to the West of a pilot from the Eastern Bloc on a Soviet-made jet fighter happened from Poland. A Polish pilot flew a MiG-15 to the Danish island of Bornholm, having departed from the Baltic coast of Poland. This was immediately after the death of Stalin, in March 1953. The controversial diplomatic case that ensued from this action was settled returning the aircraft to Poland, obviously after a secret and thorough inspection. The pilot moved to Britain and the US. His flight suit is in the Smithsonian collection in Washington, DC.

More recent aircraft include two MiG-21, a Su-20 and a Su-22. The latter is still operated by the Polish Air Force, and is presented in the museum with an underwing cannon pod for strafing. Also on display is a larger Il-28 light bomber.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Massive technical trucks, like movable pontoons, amphibious vehicles, etc. can be found in yet another thematic area, together with a small WWII diorama. The latter features a possibly original Third Reich emblem.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Finally, a small hangar to the far end of the exhibition area has on display a range of restored items of special interest. A didactically disassembled SA-4 Ganef missile allows to see the inner structure of this modern machine, still in use today.

Several field rocket launchers, including a Katyuscha, as well as field cannons and shells, make for a comparative display.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Interestingly, also a full array of air-to-air missiles, and aircraft components including almost complete engines can be checked out in this display.

Lubuskie Museum of Military History, Zielona Gora – Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe – Poland War Museum

Getting there & Visiting

The Polish name of the museum is Lubuskie Muzeum Wojskowe. It is located southeast of the small village of Drzonow, just west of Zielona Gora. The exact address is Drzonów 54, 66-008 Świdnica. Easy parking possible along the little-trafficked road ahead of the entrance.

Rather unapparent until you get very close to it, the museum hosts a very rich collection, with a long list of artifacts to check out in an open-air exhibition, as well as really interesting and well-presented thematic rooms in the classical building – once a private residence – employed as ticket office and museum.

Despite the understated appearance, the museum is really worth visiting for everybody with an interest in weapons, especially field artillery and air defense. The physical extension of the site is relatively small especially for the content, hence the display is very dense and easy to tour. A complete visit may easily take 2 hours or more for an interested subject, and when visiting with kids or uninterested subjects the site offers plenty of intriguing sights as well, so it may take at least 1 hour.

The organization is really active, with a very rich website and many temporary war-themed exhibitions and events. Unfortunately, all plates and descriptions are in Polish only. Yet the collection is in a generally very good state of conservation (with the exception of some of the aircraft exposed to the elements in the courtyard), and offers a very rich insight in the past assets of the Polish Armed Forces, including literally tons of Soviet-made gear.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan

For those visiting Europe with a specific interest to armored vehicles and tanks, the Armored Weaponry Museum of Poznan is a must-see. Besides an extensive collection with some tens of tanks and vehicles mainly from WWII onward, all preserved in mint condition (many of them still running!), the museum has been carefully and modernly designed, making for a very enjoyable visiting experience.

The exhibition is hosted in a few adjoining hangars, where vehicles are grouped based on technology, provenience, intended role, etc. The following pictures provide only an excerpt from this great collection. Tanks from different Countries are well represented. Starting from WWII, a British Centaur tank and an Achilles anti-tank self-propelled gun are displayed side by side with lighter vehicles.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

A very rare Sturmgeschütz-IV, a self-propelled assault cannon from the Third Reich Wehrmacht, has been carefully restored and colored in an impressive camouflage. A SU-76 and ISU-152 self-propelled cannons of Soviet make are also on display.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

Battle tanks include an ubiquitous Soviet T-34, and comparatively less common IS-2 and IS-3 Soviet designs. Both conceived amidst the battles of WWII based on experience against the technologically impressive German armored machines, the IS-3 entered production too late for WWII, and was instead rather widespread among the Countries falling in the Soviet orbit during the Cold War, to see action in the Cold War era.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

Tracked missile launchers as well as cut-out engines are on display.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

Among the most iconic tanks from the early Cold War period are the Soviet T-54 and T-55. The exemplars on display are movie stars, having been featured in ‘The bridge of spies’ by Steven Spielberg, who also left an autograph signature on the huge turret of one. From the same period is a PT-76 Soviet amphibious tank.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

NATO counterparts from the early 1950s include the US-made M47 and M60 Patton.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

Many more vehicles are on display from the Cold War, mostly from the Soviet galaxy, and covering several functions from carrying troops to vehicle recovery and repair. Also modern self-propelled guns like the 2S1, another Soviet model, are on display.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

A small collection of parade cars, once employed by high-ranking military or governmental staff from the USSR, is on display.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

An interesting addition is a couple of PT-91, which is a Polish-designed development of the highly-successful Soviet T-72 design, currently manufactured and employed by Poland, and exported to several Armies in the world.

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

Outside, a WWI scene is reproduced with a steam railway engine carrying a WWI fighter replica on a trailer!

Armored Weaponry Museum, Poznan – Muzeum Broni Pancernej – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

The Polish name of this world-class museum is ‘Muzeum Broni Pancernej’, and it is located in the western outskirts of Poznan, one of the largest cities in Poland. The exact address is 3 Pułku Lotniczego 4, 60-421 Poznań. Large parking inside, flat access, totally easy to tour.

The collection has been transferred to its current purpose-built location in 2019-20, therefore it is totally modern and exceptionally well presented. The collection is completely indoor and away from the elements, with a suggestive low-light atmosphere, and tons of information for every single tank or vehicle on display, in double language – Polish and English.

A primary destination in Europe for everybody with an interest in tanks and armored vehicles, visiting may easily take more than 2 hours for an interested subject. Due to the number and attractive good condition of the items on display, not less than 1 hour is advised also for those with a less specialized interest.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan

Conveniently located in a nice park, which lies in the area formerly belonging to a Prussian fortress from the 19th century, this museum is a branch of a larger entity, which manages several war-themed exhibitions in town. The museum is composed of an inside display and an open-air area, where larger items like tanks, cannons and aircraft have been placed for display.

Due to an unforeseen closure on the day of my visit (2020) I could only access the outside part of the exhibition.

The most prominent asset is an Il-28 twin-jet light bomber. This is flanked by a Su-22 fighter-bomber, as well as a MiG-21 and a MiG-17 fighters, all Soviet designs adopted by the Polish Air Force over the years of the Cold War.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan – Muzeum Uzbrojenia – War Museum Poland

A beautifully restored An-2 biplane, an ubiquitous workhorse in the USSR, the Eastern Bloc and exported to many clients around the world still operating it today, can be found to complement this heterogeneous collection.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan – Muzeum Uzbrojenia – War Museum Poland

A display of transport vehicles include both vans and transports from the Eastern Bloc, and a US-made 4×4 vehicle.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan – Muzeum Uzbrojenia – War Museum Poland

An SA-2 Guideline SAM is presented on its launcher in a ready-for-launch attitude.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan – Muzeum Uzbrojenia – War Museum Poland

A big collection of field cannons, anti-tank guns and lighter pieces of artillery from various ages starting from WWII is aligned on a side of the exhibition, where you can spot also a MiG-15 fighter from the late 1940s.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan – Muzeum Uzbrojenia – War Museum Poland

Armored vehicles include some armored transports for tactical deployment, self-propelled cannons and tanks.

Museum of Armaments, Poznan – Muzeum Uzbrojenia – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

The museum in Polish bears the name ‘Muzeum Uzbrojenia’. Among the many war-related museum in Poznan, which also cover conflicts from various ages in history, this can be found easily in the middle of the Citadel, north of downtown Poznan. Access to the old Citadel fortress – now a park – is not possible by car, but parking for accessing the park by walk is abundant all around. I would suggest parking on the southern side of the citadel, for instance in the public parking area located at Al. Niepodległości, 61-001 Poznań, for easily accessing also other monuments of interest, like the war cemetery and the Soviet commemoration monument from the Great Patriotic War (described here).

The exhibition is convenient to reach, and located in a very nice and relaxing park, ideal also for taking a breath from the crowded historical city center of popular Poznan.

As noted above, I could not visit the inside exhibition on the underground level, due to an unforeseen closure. The outside part can be walked in 20-30 minutes, since it is arranged on a relatively compact apron. Most exhibits feature a modern explanatory panel in double language, including English. An institutional website with visiting info (in Polish) is here.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz

The collection of the Land Force Museum branch in Bydgoszcz is displayed in two parts. A large purpose-built – and recently renovated – building hosts temporary exhibitions, as well as a number of thematic rooms, with high-quality dioramas flanked by display cases with material ranging from weapons and technical gear to uniforms and memorabilia.

The thematic rooms cover the history of land armed forces in Poland over the ages. Among the most striking war material from before the 20th century are authentic pieces of armories, swords and edged weapons from the 16th and 17th centuries. In those years, the Polish Army was pivotal in helping the Empire to fight against the invading Islamic Ottomans, who had conquered the eastern-European territories up north to today’s Hungary, and had reached the gates of Vienna. Some material, including uniforms, maps and firearms, dates back to the 19th century, including the Napoleonic Wars and the German Second Reich period.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Of course, most of the items on display date from the 20th century. Especially nice dioramas include a setting in WWI and the inter-war period.

The evolution of the war material, including the appearance of automatic firearms, is readily apparent following the display cases, which of course include much gear from WWII.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Looking at the uniforms on display, you can note the number of unusual affiliations of the Polish ranks, who due to the complex evolution of the occupation of their national territory, had to deal with several allies and invading forces, who were enemies to one another. Thus the original Polish Army survived a kind of incorporation within the British Army in exile, but also within the Third Reich, the Red Army, and tried also to act independently at home. It is hard not to get confused, and possibly the best way to get the hang of this fascinating plot is by following the display in a museum like this one!

Dioramas from the Cold War are particularly interesting, and perfectly recognizable by the distinctive anti-radiation or chemical warfare suits worn by the models. Also the firearms and the technical gear on display is in line with the evolution of the tactical hazards faced on the front.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Much of the material on display from this age is clearly of Soviet make. The inside exhibition ends with the most modern engagements of the Polish Army in recent conflicts.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Outside, a nice array of perfectly preserved field guns, anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft guns can be found on the platform ahead of the front entrance.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Also mortars and tactical rocket launchers are on display.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Possibly even more captivating for the eye are a T-34 tank in a rampant position, and a the sheer beauty of a T-72 tank. Both iconic Soviet-designed models, these tanks were supplied to most Countries in the Soviet orbit over various stages of the Cold War.

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Another massive tracked object is a 2S1 self-propelled cannon, looking mint like the T-72!

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Finally, also two missiles can be found, an SA-2 Guideline SAM, and the Scud, a tactical nuclear-capable missile which became a widespread asset in Eastern Europe over the years of the Cold War (see this post).

Land Forces Museum, Bydgoszcz – Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

The Polish name of this very nice museum is ‘Muzeum Wojsk Ladowych’, which includes also other branches in Torun (see here) and Wroclaw. The location of this major branch is in the northern outskirts of the town of Bydgoszcz, at the address Czerkaska 2, 85-641 Bydgoszcz.

The museum does not feature a private parking, but good parking opportunities can be found for free on most of the quiet residential streets around (for instance, I found a number of free lots on Świerkowa, 85-632 Bydgoszcz).

The collection is interesting and generally attractive both inside and outside, with high-quality dioramas with much original material, as well as ‘big items’ like guns, tanks and missiles outside. Its size and level of detail are well balanced for both the more committed technically-minded subjects and those with only a general interest in the topic, especially kids. Visiting may require 1 hour for the permanent exhibition, more including the always interesting temporary exhibitions.

Some paneling with double language explanations including English can be found along the visit. The official website with access information in English is here.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie

The collection of the Museum of Coastal Defense is reportedly one of the largest private military collections in Poland. It is hosted in the evocative frame of an original Prussian fort from the 19th century, Fort Gerharda. Originally designed to guarantee free access to trade ships entering the Szczecin Lagoon and going to the major inner port of Szczecin, the fort was potentiated in more instances, but basically never saw war action. It was later employed as a reserve fort by the German Kriegsmarine, and by the Soviets as a depot for a while after WWII (similar to Komarom in Hungary, see here). Over the last two decades the fort was substantially restored, and opened to the public as a major attraction.

Access to the fort, rather compact in size, is through a drawbridge. The inner courtyards are the setting for bulkier collection items, including original cannons from the 19th century, as well as anti-tank cannons from WWII!

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Range-finding gear, half-dismantled torpedoes, machine gun turrets and more can be found in the recesses of the articulated geometry of the low-rise constructions inside the fort.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Some of the ammo storage bunkers in the fort can be seen inside.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

The core of the collection of the Museum is inside the central building in the fort, an interesting multi-level construction. Older items date from the 19th century or earlier. Reconstructed scenes from the life in the fort at the time include men working around a heavy piece of artillery, a communication office with a telegraph and the nicely reconstructed kitchen of the fort.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Other scenes are from WWI and WWII, including men around a howitzer and a German soldier hiding in an apartment!

Interesting memorabilia items range from larger ones, like original flags from warships, to smaller personal items for everyday use, like canned food or table games employed by the troops.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

The collection of weapons and technical gear is really rich and interesting, and mostly centered on material from the inter-war period onward. Racks of rifles an light arms of various makes are on display.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

A part of the collection is especially focused on weapons by the marvelous Soviet/Russian weapons designer Mikhail Kalashnikov.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Of major interest are also special military suits, against poisonous agents, gas, etc. dating from the Third Reich and Soviet era.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Some of the displays of foreign origin are really unique – and unexpected on the northern boundary of Poland! Others bear Cyrillic-written tags, witnessing their Soviet origin.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Many artillery range finders are on display, of different make and level of complexity. They include a rare Cold War computer-assisted model.

Museum of Coastal Defense – Fort Gerharda, Swinoujscie – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

Fort Gerharda is right in the northwestern corner of Poland, on the Baltic Coast less than 1.5 miles from the German border. The reference town of Swinoujscie (Swinemünde in Prussian times) is located on the western bank of the water access from the Baltic to the Szczecin Lagoon. The fort is instead on the eastern bank. The waterway can be crossed via a quick ferry. Access from mainland Poland is seamless along the E65.

Fort Gerharda is a bit hidden in the trees, despite in a rather urbanized area, and therefore not easy to spot even from close apart. However, a fence with a small parking clearly mark the entrance. The address is Ku Morzu 5, 72-602 Świnoujście. More parking spots can be found along the same road.

The ensemble of the fort plus the collections in the museum make for a very interesting and rich visit for everybody, including families. For the more technically-minded subjects, the military collection, despite compactly presented, is rich of very interesting items. A visit of 1-1.5 hours to the complex is likely, depending on the level of interest.

A website with many updated information is here (in Polish, with a rich downloadable leaflet in English).

This area is rich of interesting sights for those with an interest in military history, including the ‘Vineta Battery’ WWII/Cold War fort (see here), and a prototype of Hitler’s V-3 multi-stage cannon, actually built in northern France (see here).

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg

Kolobrzeg is the Polish name for Kolberg, a town belonging to Prussia (then Germany) at the times of the two World Wars of the 20th century. The place was a theater of war, in the focus of a fierce battle in the March of 1945. The Polish Army and the Soviet Red Army, along their march to Berlin, isolated the town from the south, triggering a massive evacuation of German military forces and civilian population by sea, to further west along the Baltic coast in Germany. It is estimated that more than 100’000 people were evacuated in less than a week. In the attack, the town was almost completely destroyed. As a matter of fact, most residential housing today clearly dates from the communist era.

The Polish Arms Museum is the ideal location to see memories from this great battle, as well as for retracing the military history of the Polish Armed Forces more at large. The collection on display is composed of an inside display and an outdoor exhibition.

Inside, the items on display, mainly preserved weapons, armories, but also parts of ships, date to as far back as the 16th century. The role of the Poles in countering the Ottoman Islamic domination in Europe is retraced through precious weapons from the time. Clearly more abundant are the items from the interwar and WWII period. An organic display of uniforms is featured, witnessing the many affiliations of the Polish troops during WWII.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

Uniforms and light weapons belonging to the Western Allies, the USSR and of course the Third Reich are on display in this nice collection.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

A small diorama with a painting related to the conquer of Kolobrzeg in WWII is clearly part of the show.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

In a hall immediately ahead of the open air exhibition, some restored light transport vehicles are on display, including jeeps and trucks, as well as a light plane.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

The outdoor exhibition features an array of heavy armored vehicles. These range from Soviet-made tanks – including a T-34 and IS-2 – and self-propelled cannons – for instance a massive ISU-122 – and armored vehicles, to a tracked Scud missile launcher, in very good general conditions.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

A well-stocked array of field guns, anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns is aligned along a side of the exhibition court.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

Aircraft on display include Soviet-made material which saw service with the Polish Air Force, in particular an Il-28 Beagle, as well as a Su-22.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

A rather unusual item on display is a railway carriage, in the colors of the USSR railway service, the same model employed for the deportation of people from Europe to the gulag system in the USSR at the time of Stalin, and later – in some cases – to return them to their home Countries. A vivid exhibition on this terrible part of WWII and early Cold War history is narrated inside the carriage, through maps, photographs and other memorabilia items (unfortunately only in Polish, but many of the artifacts are almost self-explanatory).

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

A Soviet SAM, an SA-2 Guideline, is on display on its pivoting launch platform.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

The Navy Museum in the same town is an outdoor-only exhibition, mostly made of two well-preserved warships, namely the anti-submarine patrol ‘Fala’, from 1965, and the missile launcher ‘Wladyslawowo’ (NATO class Osa-I) from 1975. The former was laid down in Poland (Gdynia), and withdrawn from service in the 1990s, whereas the latter was manufactured in the USSR and saw service until the 2000s.

Both are interesting examples of Cold War warships. The armament of the ‘Fala’ was mainly composed of depth charges. Many of the original rooms are preserved in good conditions, showing some of the most interesting technical gear installed on this type of warship.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

This includes the navigation room and the deck, with the helm and engine controls on top. The canteen, cabins and official quarters are on display, with a depressing – likely original – Soviet-style upholstery and furniture. Interestingly, despite being a Polish warship, most of the labels, including explanatory ones intended for use by the hands on board, is in Russian.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

Technical gear include an inertial system, and acoustic sensors to find and track enemy submarines.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

The engine compartment hosts two big 2.500 hp Diesel engines, plus three Diesel generators for electric energy supply. The control room for the electric and propulsion system is inside a dedicated cabin. Again, writing is almost invariably in Cyrillic only.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

The Osa-I class ‘Wladyslawowo’ was designed around four P-15 (SS-N-2 Styx) surface-to-surface passive-active homing anti-shipping missiles. The mission of this very fast warship, capable of a peak speed of 40 knots, was that of hitting surface shipping. For self-defense, the ship was equipped with two AK-230 turrets, served by an automatic aiming system, as well as a rack of four Strela-2 light surface-to-air missiles. The overstructure of the ship is very limited, the upper deck being mostly taken by the Styx missile hangars. Inside, the technical rooms – still in very good condition – include sensors, inertial navigation gear, as well as compartments for the troops.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

Also visible are the engine rooms. Three bulky 4.000 hp Diesel engines provided power to as many propellers, producing the power needed for the high speed of the warship.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

The deck (GSD) is stocked with yellow cabinets, allowing to monitor virtually all plants on board. As expected on a Soviet-made warship all writing is in Cyrillic.

Polish Arms Museum & Navy Museum, Kolobrzeg – Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu – War Museum Poland

All in all, a visit to the Navy Museum is really evocative especially for those with a fascination for the Cold War. The Osa-I class saw extensive service in the cold waters of the Baltic, including with the GDR, and this exemplar represents an easy-to-reach specimen offering a rare glimpse in Soviet marine technology from the time (similar to the K-24 Juliet-class submarine in Usedom, not too far from this location, see here).

Getting there & Visiting

The Polish Arms Museum, named ‘Muzeum Oręża Polskiego w Kołobrzegu’ in Polish, is located in the city center of the coastal town of Kolobrzeg. The exact address is Gierczak 5, 78-100 Kołobrzeg. The open-air part can be clearly spotted from outside – like a fenced city park – when walking the (really) crowded pedestrian area. Due to the totally central location of the museum, right in the most touristic area of this small town, parking in the vicinity may be not the easiest task, but many parking lots are theoretically available in this district. Another option is parking out of the city center at all, and enjoy a pleasant walk to the museum and other attractions in its vicinity.

The Museum is rather compact in size, and a popular destination. It offers many interesting items, including less obvious ones for more technically-minded visitors, as well as well as heavier armored vehicles, artillery pieces and planes which will appeal to everybody. A visit of about 45 minutes to 1 hour may be fine for a complete tour.

The open-air Navy Museum, aka. ‘Kołobrzeski Skansen Morski’ in Polish, is located beside the marina. A convenient public parking just 150 ft from the museum entrance is here, 54.175972, 15.559315. The two warships can be boarded and visited thoroughly on your own, making for an interesting and rewarding visit for everybody. A time of 45 minutes to 1.25 hours may be adequate depending on your level of interest.

Walking between the two destinations in town is an easy stretch of about 20 minutes one way.

The two locations are brilliantly administrated by the same subject, the ‘Muzeum Oreza Polskiego’, which also has under its umbrella other sites of great interest in the vicinity of Kolobrzeg, including the world-class exhibition of one of only two preserved and accessible Monolith-type Soviet bunkers for nuclear warheads in Europe (Podborsko, see here). The website – unfortunately only in Polish – covering all the sites managed by this association, with many details on the exhibits beside logistical information, is here.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin

The Museum of the Air Defense in Koszalin offers an exceptional insight in the capacity and evolution of the anti-aircraft defense systems deployed in Poland. The collection in this hidden gem, relatively far from the tourist path (especially from abroad), is based on the heritage of a similar initiative from the Cold War years, when Poland was a satellite of the USSR especially in terms of weapons supply. As a result, the display allows to get a detailed overview of the Cold War anti-aircraft technology of the Soviet Union, with examples of material (especially surface-to-air missiles) still in use today in many Countries.

The collection is located close to an active military academy, in a quiet and secluded neighborhood of the town. The exhibits are partly inside, partly outside on a small apron around the museum building.

Some initial dioramas are focused on range-finding gear, with material dating from WWII and the Cold War era. Anti-aircraft machine gun batteries are also on display.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

A centerpiece of the exhibition is a didactic cutout of an SA-2 Guideline (aka. S-75 Dvina) SAM, an early anti-aircraft missile from the 1950s, which was however rather effective. The propulsion system, guidance mechanisms and warhead are on display. The latter appears relatively small compared to the overall size of the missile, but it is actually rather powerful. This system was not intended to physically touch the target, but an explosion of the warhead in proximity to the target could be enough to irrecoverably damage an aircraft.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

A super-interesting sight is the array of cabinets employed for the launch of the SA-3 Goa (or S-125 Neva). An example of the corresponding battery of missiles is located outside. This suite, was called Karat-2 in Soviet standard, allowed for TV-guidance of the SAM system. This incredible piece of technology from the time of the Iron Curtain – and from the early age of miniaturized electronics – is presented partly lit-up, revealing the colors of the buttons, and making it even more captivating – you would like to try all its functions like in a new video game! Needless to mention, all writing on the labels is in Russian.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

Another unusual sight in the collection is a static example of the still widespread SA-6 Gainful (or 2K12 Kub). Further material on display include instrumentation and cabinets for launch control and guidance of other missiles, or for managing radar-gathered information.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

Smaller anti-aircraft weapons are also represented, like the Strela-2 shoulder launched missiles.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

On display in the outside exhibition are very interesting items, starting from a battery of two SA-3 Goa, side by side with their corresponding target tracking antenna. The latter, pretty rare to see in museums, is actually composed of a suite of antennas, and is designed to track smaller and low-flying targets, against which the relatively small SA-3 missile is particularly effective.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

Close by are an SA-2 Guideline in an upright ready-for-launch attitude, as well as a SA-4 Ganef, sitting horizontally.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

Another radar antenna is the truck-mounted PRW-9 altitude finder, complementing the guidance suites of the SA-2 and SA-3 as well.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

Armored anti-aircraft vehicles are also on display, similar to anti-aircraft guns, trailers, SAM missile canisters and field range finders. An interesting item is a searchlight (model APM-90), which unexpectedly does not come from WWII, but was instead put in production in the early 1950s, well in the turbojet era and atomic age. It was a handy item mostly for helping aircraft in homing on obscured airbases in case of war. It was truck-mounted, and could employ the same engine of the truck for power production – ingesting up to 17.5 kW, thus remaining visible from a distance of 80 miles!

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

As a bonus, two aircraft are on display in the museum, a PZL TS-11 Iskra trainer, and a Yakovlev Yak-40 three-jet small transport, employed for state flights. The latter, a Soviet aircraft from deep in the Cold War era, was withdrawn from service apparently in the 2000s. Manufactured in more than 1.000 exemplars, this type was rather widespread in the USSR and its satellites.

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

The aircraft can be accessed – through the unusual back door! – revealing a neat interior, and a captivating purely analog cockpit. The typically Soviet black rubber ventilation fan for the pilot is prominently hanging from the ceiling!

Museum of Air Defense, Koszalin – Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

The name of this exhibition in Polish is ‘Muzeum Obrony Przeciwlotniczej’, and its location is in the southeastern suburbs of the northern town of Koszalin, itself less than 5 miles from the Baltic coast. The exact address is Wojska Polskiego 70, 75-903 Koszalin. The place is surrounded by neat, active military facilities (academy). The museum is easily noticed from the road, thanks to the bulky and unusual items on display in the outdoor exhibition! A small parking area can be found cross the road with respect to the gate.

The display is gathered in a single building, surrounded by a small yard. Visiting is totally easy, and the collection is not too big, yet extremely interesting and well preserved. A visit of at least 1 hour will be needed for technically-minded subjects, whereas for the general public 30 minutes may suffice for a quick look at everything. The place is managed and frequented by former men from the military, who will likely offer you further insight if you ask. Some information is in double language (Polish and English) in any case.

The museum is currently a branch of the bigger Museum of the Air Force located southeast of Warsaw (Deblin). The website of the latter provides information also on the Koszalin site (see here).

Naval Museum, Gdynia

The port town of Gdynia, since long the major industrial port of Poland, is also home to the collection of the Naval Museum, an eminently military collection, with some unique items on display from various ages, making it a primary addition to the panorama of naval museums in Europe.

This museum is composed of two parts, namely an exhibition building, located right ahead of the nice touristic waterside and featuring an indoor and outdoor exhibition, as well as nothing less than an original destroyer from the 1930s, the venerable ORP ‘Blyskawica’, a true WWII veteran!

The indoor exhibition has been refurbished recently, making the visit light and enjoyable. Among the artifacts on display are original anti-aircraft guns, previously installed on warships, of diverse size and provenience.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

Torpedoes, including old German designs from before WWI, are on display together with rare examples of sea mines. Some of them are cut to ease looking inside.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

The Soviet anti-shipping missile P-15 (SS-N-2 Styx) and its evolution P-21/22 are on display as well, with photographs witnessing their deployment on board Polish warships.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

Interestingly, also aircraft-carried missiles and rocket pods, of Soviet make, are on display. Everything comes with a technical description in double language, allowing to obtain many information on the exhibits on site.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

A rare artifact is an experimental weapon from the Third Reich, a rocket-torpedo. Valuable memorabilia items include many documents and papers, as well as uniforms, from ages before the 20th century. A fragment of the flag of the ill-fated ORP ‘Gryf’, a massive mine-layer from WWII sunk by the German forces at the beginning of WWII, is prominently on display.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

The outdoor exhibition is hosted in a small yard to the side of the museum building. Bulkier artifacts have been put here, including cannons from the ORP ‘Gryf’, several torpedoes and torpedo-launching tubes, depth-charge launchers, older cannons from the age of sailing ships, weapons, propellers (of downed aircraft and ships) and even a helicopter!

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

Perfectly visible for everybody passing by, a major focal point of the museum is the ORP ‘Blyskawica’. This destroyer was laid down in Britain, together with a twin ship, for the Polish Navy in the mid-1930s. Unfortunately, Poland was among the first Countries to fall under the attack of Hitler’s Third Reich. The Polish Government and a good part of the Armed Forces were evacuated to Britain. In particular, the troops and much of the savaged war material was incorporated in the ranks of the British, with a special agreement which kept the two formally independent, and defined a scheme of mutual anti-German cooperation.

A very modern ship for the time, well armed and propelled by steam turbines granting a speed nearing 40 kn, the ‘Blyskawica’ fought for the entire duration of the war, with key roles in several war actions. After the war, the ship was reclaimed by communist Poland. Following an accident to the propulsion system, it was never fully repaired, and it was converted to a marginal role before retirement and re-opening as a museum ship in the 1970s.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

Today, this perfectly preserved warship makes for a really captivating sight. The naval guns and much of the machinery on board clearly bear British markings.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

The engine room can be visited, and offers an exciting view of the mighty boilers an steam turbines allowing the destroyer to reach its incredible top speed.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

Beside this warship, even though not part of the museum, chance is to see the ‘Dar Pomorza’, a splendid sailing ship from 1909, employed as a training ship between the 1930s and the 1980s.

Naval Museum, Gdynia – Blyskawica – Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

The museum, called ‘Muzeum Marynarki Vojennej w Gdyni’ in the local idiom, is located in a prominent location in the most touristic part of the port town of Gdynia. The building of the museum is separated from the destroyer ORP ‘Blyskawica’, which can be reached with a 3 minutes walk from the museum. The address of the museum building (hard to miss) is ul. Zawiszy Czarnego 1B, 81-374 Gdynia. Parking lots are available around the building and in public parking. However, please note that this totally central area may be very crowded in the high season, so be prepared to some traffic congestion.

The inside collection is very interesting and valuable, yet not disproportionately big. Therefore visiting can be enjoyable for the committed military minded subjects and for the general public as well. A visit to the building may take 30-45 minutes. A visit to the glorious destroyer Blyskawica may take as much, depending on what parts of the ship are actually visible – thanks to the prominent position and historical value, ceremonies and cultural events or visit sometimes take place, therefore the ship is at times only partially open.

The museum is very modern, boasting a well-designed, up-to-date website in double language (here). A smartphone app can be employed to take you along the museum historical path.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka

This impressive collection was created through a private initiative after 2010. It bolsters two equally interesting and fascinating sections, one devoted to shells and bombs, the other to vehicles – either armored, transport or civilian. The collection is very rich and exceptionally well presented.

The shells and bombs display is one of the largest collections of shells, cartridges, shoulder-launched rockets, air-dropped bombs, land mines, etc. to be seen in Europe. The presentation follows a thematic-chronological order, therefore you will start with cannon balls, walk through shells from field cannons from the 19th century and WWI, and end up with a plethora of WWII and Cold War items.

To the inexpert eye, a cannon or mortar shell may look like a dull piece of metal. Looking closer, you notice that most of the shells are actually rather complex pieces of machinery, with mechanisms inside them to regulate the behavior of the shell after fire.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Furthermore, many types of shells exist, engineered to maximize the damage against some type of target or another – armored vehicles, buildings, ships, troops, deposits of explosives, wooden constructions, metal constructions, etc.

Extremely interesting is the collection of WWII air-dropped bombs. As known, the accuracy of bombing raids left much to be desired during WWII. Furthermore, as you can clearly see here, bombs from the time were relatively small, with a limited yield. These factors in turn forced bombing groups to carry out massive attacks, with many aircraft involved, to maximize the effectiveness of the mission.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Mortar shells take several dedicated display cases. Represented are many and diverse models from different provenience.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

A similar impression as with shells you get looking at land mines – so many different designs, corresponding to different targets, and of course resulting from engineering efforts carried out in different Countries, and over several ages. These include material from WWII, like explosives put on railway tracks, glass mines or air-launched land-mines.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Original explosives from the Third Reich are on display, with clear swastika and eagle insignia on them!

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

An incredible and unique display is related to triggered explosive devices. This includes several original triggers, from the US, Soviet Union or Third Reich, and from various ages.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Shoulder-launched rockets include the pretty famous RPG from the Soviet Union – displayed together with original instructional panels! But also more technically evolved rockets are on display – or parts of them, like what appears to be the homing system of a SAM missile!

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Demining gear follows suit – a rich collection also in this respect – together with grenades, both hand-launched or rifle-mounted.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

A collection of purely Cold War gear is that of anti-radiation suits, measurement gear, and instructions for emergency in case of a nuclear bombing raid. These are very similar to their Western counterparts (see this post).

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

A few dioramas are build including original material from WWII, including Third Reich uniforms, and the Cold War.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

This really impressive collection is just a part of this great museum. The second part is composed of a series of vehicles, ranging from cars and buses, to military trucks and, of course, armored vehicles and tanks. Similar to the previous part, the appearance of this component of the museum is exceptional. It is no surprise that all the vehicles here are working, or undergoing restoration to a working condition!

A first display is related to civilian vehicles from the communist era, some from the Soviet union – like a GAZ car – or from Poland – like interesting license-built Italian cars, labeled as ‘Polish-FIAT’!

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

A second hangar has on display a set of wonderful trucks, including German Mercedes-Benz trucks from WWII – similar to the one featured in the Indiana Jones movie ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’! – and massive Soviet designs, like ZIL and more modern KRAZ.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

A separated hangar hosts a number of US-made trucks and jeeps, and a nice collection of rare OPEL light trucks from Germany. Also on display are a glider and a few side-cars.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

A focus of the visit is of course the hangar dedicated to armored vehicles. These include Soviet designs, like the iconic T-34 and T-54, and working replicas of German vehicles – in particular a Panther. Even an original Gepard moving light artillery battery from West Germany is part of this collection!

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Even on standard days when non special events are planned, it is likely you will see some of this massive vehicles moving around, on the apron and along a small circuit to the back of the museum!

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Also field cannons and other artillery pieces – including anti-aircraft guns – are on display.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Leaving the museum, you may notice a Guideline and a Ganef SAM from the USSR, as well as a static T-54 in a desert camo.

Museum of Military Technology ‘Gryf’, Dabrowka – Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf’ – War Museum Poland

Getting there & Visiting

The location of this impressive collection (‘Muzeum Techniki Wojskowej ‘Gryf” in Polish) is somewhat secluded in the trees, close to the small village of Dabrowka. The address is ul. Ppłk. Ryszarda Lubowiedzkiego 2, 84-242 Dąbrówka, and the coordinates to the entrance are 54.55185, 18.17217. The place is in the countryside, some 20 miles west of the major port town of Gdynia.

The museum is compact to tour, but the exhibits are many, extremely interesting and nice to check out, especially thanks to the exceptional state of preservation. This is true for both the many vehicles and for the exhibition on artillery inside, one of the most impressive of the kind to be seen in Europe – and one of the most neatly presented!

The collection may require 1.5-2 hours at least for a technically minded person. A 1 hour visit is advised for the general public. Time may vary, however, in case live exhibitions are taking place – usually involving tanks performing some acrobatic maneuver!

A small restaurant is open inside for lunch around midday.

Their very good website, with full information for a visit and also about the collection, in both Polish and English, is here.

Preserved Cold War Bunkers in Northern England

April 8, 2023 CarloRLeave a comment

The central role taken by Britain in WWII, firstly containing and then countering the expansion of the Third Reich, is duly and proudly celebrated all around the Country, with memorials and thematic exhibitions, often hosted in historical locations, regularly open for a visit.

The United Kingdom joined NATO as a founding member in 1949, and had already been at the forefront of a European anti-Soviet alliance with France since 1947. The strategic political and military ties with the US, pivotal in putting and end to WWII in Europe, were kept over the following decades, against the menace constituted by the Eastern Bloc. Thanks to its geographical position, and bolstering a nuclear arsenal, strategic bombers and submarines of its own, Britain was a major player of the Cold War.

Despite that, the Cold War left behind comparatively less memories than WWII, with only a handful installations open to the public, and somewhat out of the spotlight. In this regard, this reflects an attitude generally widespread in Europe towards the traces of the second half of the 20th century.

However, for people with an interest in the Cold War age, and more in general for those with a thing for (especially nuclear) warfare technology, there are two really unmissable sights in Northern England, which make for a vivid hands-on experience of the ‘era of Soviet threat’.

One is the Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker, with a fascinating history starting in WWII and spanning the entire duration of the Cold War. Here one of the finest collections of nuclear-war-related material in Europe can be found, together with much additional material from the era, in a largely preserved historical site.

Another is the York Cold War Bunker, built in the Cold War age to provide protection to the staff of the Royal Observation Corps (ROC) in case of a nuclear attack, as well as the ability to help coordinating fundamental public functions – health, transportation, food and energy supply, etc. – in a post-attack nuclear fallout scenario.

Both sites are regularly open for a visit, and provide a vivid testimony of civil and military plans and facilities seriously prepared in England for a nuclear apocalypse scenario.

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Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker
York Cold War Bunker

Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker

The Hack Green site is located deep in the Cheshire countryside, about one hour driving south of Manchester. Actually, it is in a really secluded location, far from any sizable urban center, and away from major roads. Even today, when this facility is working as a top-level museum, some attention to the signs is needed to reach the site.

Once by the gate, you are immediately driven back in time by the appearance of the tall military-style external fence with official government signs, and by the blunt and in impenetrable appearance of the big concrete bunker – what you see is only the part above ground level! – with a big antenna protruding from the top. Nearby, you can see an apparently still off-limits area, with a now-dead radar antenna and an old Jet Provost trainer in RAF colors.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

History

The history of the Hack Green site dates to as back as WWII, when it was established as one of the 12 most developed Ground Controlled Intercept (GCI) centers, out of 21 total nodes in Britain. Essentially based on the airspace scanning radar plants available at the time, the so-constituted ‘Chain Home’ surveillance system was operated by the RAF, and intended to track intruding German aircraft, thus directing air force planes against them. Radar aerials appeared on site at the time, suitable against relatively slow moving propeller-driven aircraft of those years.

With the start of the Cold War, and the need to reconfigure the defense against the USSR and Warsaw Pact forces operating with jet-powered aircraft of increasing speed, several modernization plans were started in Britain, aimed at implementing more effective detection and threat-countering radar technology, like ‘Green Garlic’, and later ROTOR. The latter called for the institution of a chain of detection nodes, not much dissimilar in concept from the older ‘Chain Home’ of WWII, but much more articulated, efficient and technologically advanced. At the time one of the most expensive government-funded operations ever, 66 installations were implemented all over Britain within ROTOR before the mid 1950s, with different roles in the network. The bunker you see today on the Hack Green site was one of them.

Keeping up with the fast-developing offensive technology of the 1950s and 1960s required a continuous update of the defensive network, in particular asking for the addition of intercontinental missiles to the enemy arsenal to counter. The US-led ‘Ballistic Missile Early Warning System’ (BMEWS) included 12 early-warning radar stations around the Atlantic, including a single station in the UK (RAF Fylingdales, Yorkshire, still in operation today). Before BMEWS went operational (early 1960s), triggering a re-organization of all other defense radar systems by the time obsolete, Hack Green took an interim role as one of only 4 radar stations operated by the RAF monitoring all military and civilian traffic through the British airspace, coping with new fast jetliners. The name of the Hack Green radar site in that stage was ‘Mersey Radar North’. Finally, in 1966 the RAF released the site to the government, which put it in mothballed status.

It was in 1976 that a new life began for Hack Green. Starting in 1958, the Home Office invested much in the preparation of an emergency structure, capable of keeping of managing a post-nuclear attack scenario, and keeping the basic public functions active. In the event of a total nuclear war, a failure of the national hierarchy and military chain of command was forecast, as a result of an extensive damage to the infrastructures and communication systems. In order to recover as fast as possible in such an emergency, the UK would split in 11 regions, each with a regional seat of government (RSG). In the region, a civil Regional Commissioner would take a leading administrative role, and would be responsible for coordinating disaster recovery operations, like supplying medical resources, food, water, and reconstructing infrastructures, while waiting for the national government to reactivate its functions. The Commissioner would be aided by the UK Warning and Monitoring Organization (UKWMO), which took over the function and organization of the older Royal Observation Corps (ROC) established during WWII. This structure was further potentiated in the 1960s and 1970s, also introducing a similar regional scheme for the military in case of a nuclear attack.

The seat of the RSG was in the Regional Government Head Quarters (RGHQ). Following some years when it was hosted in Preston, then in Southport, north of Liverpool, the RGHQ for the 10th region (then 10:2, following a split in two halves of this large region) found its home in Hack Green. The former radar facility was potentiated enormously, and set up with the ability to host 160 civil and military staff for 3 months without resupply in case of a nuclear attack on the UK.

Within the framework of the emergency plan for a nuclear attack, the RGHQs all over the UK went on operating until the demise of the USSR in December 1991, to be soon deactivated over the following years. Hack Green was scrapped of all content, and put up for sale in 1993. It was privately acquired in the mid-1990s, and carefully restored in some parts, or being stocked with interesting material from the Cold War era in some of the many rooms.

A tour of the bunker

Access to the bunker is via a concrete slide, and through a metal gate. Originally the male civil servants dorm, the first room you meet is now a kind of storage for items recently incorporated in the collection. These include a jeep, a model of an Avro Shackleton, and interestingly a nuclear warhead. The original system to activate the rooftop antenna is in a cabinet along a sidewall.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

The ticket office and canteen are now in the original canteen area of the Hack Green site. Restored to a 1960s appearance, parts of the kitchen furniture are original from the site. Along the sidewalls are several memorabilia items, including some original Soviet emblems, not unusual today in museums on the other side of the Iron Curtain (see for instance here), but hard to find in the UK.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

An adjoining room reproduces the environment where the ROC would have worked in case of a drill or real nuclear attack. Among their function was the pinpointing of nuclear explosions. The forecast and monitoring of the fallout is strongly bound to the local weather and winds. This was kept under surveillance through reporting stations scattered on the UK territory (more than 1 thousand), which transmitted information to Hack Green and other RGHQ and UKWMO bunkers (see the York bunker later in this post). They could then coordinate recovery operations, avoiding extreme exposure to radiation of the emergency staff.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Monitoring was through dedicated sensors, and communication through specific transmission gear. Two display cases in the same room feature interesting instruments, training documents, and memorabilia items from the rich history of the ROC, documenting also their activities in WWII.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Ground floor

The Hack Green bunker largely retains its original arrangement. It is composed of a ground and an underground floor. Along the main corridors are interesting examples of the papers produced by the UKWMO, and by the civil defense service during the Cold War. Among them, are leaflets for the population, with best practices in case of a nuclear attack.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Also interesting are more technical posters from the era, either outlining the role of the public organizations monitoring a potential nuclear apocalypse scenario, or providing technical details on the effects of nuclear weapons – what to expect in terms of damage or health issues, depending on the type and local condition of a nuclear explosion.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

For sure a focal point in the exhibition of Hack Green today is the display of nuclear warheads, and nuclear-related material. Hosted in a room previously employed by emergency staff, the exhibition retraces with original material, mock-ups, rare pictures and videos, the history of the British nuclear arsenal, managed by the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE).

The WE177 was designed to constitute the backbone of the air-dropped nuclear deterrent of the UK. Examples of this bomb are on display together with technical material employed to monitor their status and manage launch or drills. In service between the 1960s and the 1990s in association with larger strategic bombers like the Vulcan, or smaller fighter-bombers like some versions of the Harrier or Jaguar, it could be assembled in some different versions, sharing the same baseline construction, but with nominal yields ranging between 10 to 450 kilotons.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Also on display are pictures and mock-ups of the old Polaris warhead, together with the original casing employed to transport this 200 kilotons item! A US design, the Polaris was acquired by the UK in 1963, to supply the Royal Navy and constitute the UK underwater deterrent. The Polaris missile featured a three-warheads fuse, bearing a total yield of 600 kilotons.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

A very rare artifact is the warhead of project Chevaline, a British design to improve the potential of the Polaris, which saw limited service with the Royal Navy in the 1980s. The Polaris/Chevaline was replaced by the Trident missile system, still employed today in the nuclear deterrent role.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Besides the central exhibition of nuclear warheads, the display cases in the same room offer a wealth of super-interesting technical gear and memorabilia related to nuclear weapons. These include components and cabinets of radio and radar systems, to be transported on board aircraft or to be employed on the ground. These parts come from different ages, and from several Countries, including the Eastern Bloc – for instance, a very rare Soviet suit to work on high-power radar antennas for maintenance. Powerful radars actually emit rays with a high power-over-volume (power density) ratio especially in the vicinity of the emitting apparatus. This may even turn deadly for humans (roughly like being in a microwave oven would be!), and precautions are needed when working in such environment.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

A really unique collection on display is related to Geiger counters and dosimeters. These include environmental and personal use devices, from various ages and nationality.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Two display cases are dedicated to material coming from beyond the Iron Curtain, most notably from the USSR and the GDR! It is really hard to imagine how this material could manage to come to Hack Green.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

Part of the display is dedicated to the civil defense corps of different Countries, with helmets, emblems, papers and uniforms, showing how similar actions in preparations for a nuclear war were carried out in many Nations of continental Europe, also in the Eastern Bloc. Actually, a very close relative of the UKWMO RGHQ control center, with a totally similar function, can be found in a perfectly preserved condition in Poland (see this post).

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

More memorabilia items come from the history of civil defense in the UK. Among the most rare artifacts are the only surviving example of the ‘Queen’s telephone’, which was employed for enforcing the Emergency Power Act, which among other things may have transferred power to the Regional Commissioner. There used to be one such phone in each of the RGHQ, but all were destroyed for security reasons following the shut-off of the bunkers, except this one, and the one at the other end of the line – in the Royal residence.

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

An adjoining room hosts a reconstruction of the radar screen room from the age Hack Green was employed as a radar station managed by the RAF. All panels are lit, providing a vivid, pure Cold War experience!

Hack Green – Secret Nuclear Bunker – Crisis Regional Government – Cold War – UK

To the end of the main corridor, you can reach another entrance to the bunker, which is nowadays normally shut. However, this used to be the main entrance, and close to it are the control room of the bunker and the decontamination area.

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Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker

History

A tour of the bunker

Ground floor