69th anniversary of D-Day landings

[vario]

Hi there,

we just returned from Normandy - Great Trip!
I'll write some more lateron, but there are already some pictures here: Click me!

Greetings from Germany

Ulrich

[12th Air Force]

Hello alltogether,

just to make a long story short some figures:

6 Days
2,493 km
11 Museums
2 Militaria Fairs
16 kg spares
1 Busted Bank Account (nearly)
1459 Pictures

-And I will be back in 2014 for sure!

Some pictures from the sunrise at Omaha Beach on D-Day anniversary morning 2013 can be found here:
http://www.steel-toys.com/DD13/

Keep them rolling, Joakim

[Steve K. CALIF]

Thank you for going and for posting the pictures.
How brave they had to be. What sacrifice was made for us.
F.Y.I. my Uncle Elmo was a medic during the landing (second wave, I think) and only would talk about it just in the last couple of years. He is gone now and may he finally rest in peace. Steve K.

[12th Air Force]

Hello Steve,

we had a visit at the Pegasus Bridge Museum and met a very nice British Paratrooper Veteran that was explaining all that happened to a group of students.
It's sad to see that this generation - as your uncle Elmo - is nearly gone and I hope that upcoming generations are keeping their heritage.

In a way it was good to see that still so many people, even from the U.S. and the U.K. are coming to those Museums and that the Museums use Multimedia to show interviews with veterans.
Our world today would not be the same without their duty in WW2.

The fact, that the amount of D-Day Museums is still rising (after 69 years!) is a good sign from my point of view. We have been at two brand new Museums, that opened just a few days ago (Normandy Tank Museum/A-10 Airfield at Catz and the Overlord Normandy 1944 Museum close to Bayeux). Very interesting MV that both had in their collection.
More infos can be found here:
http://www.overlordmuseum.com
http://www.normandy-tank-museum.fr

Keep them rolling, Joakim

[Skyrookie]

6 Days
2,493 km
11 Museums
2 Militaria Fairs
16 kg spares
1 Busted Bank Account (nearly)
1459 Pictures

Yup we did our best didn't we ... it was indeed a nice trip...specially listening to these veterans...these deserve endless respect !

greetz,

[12th Air Force]

Got a nice link to WW2 Normandy-Landings pictures:

http://www.6juin1944.com/album/index.php

Thank's to Ingo for sharing,

Joakim

[12th Air Force]

Museums discount with the Normandy Pass

Fo all of you that are planning a trip to Normandy this year: If you buy the Normandy Pass 2013 at the first Museum that you visit you can save some money. The Pass costs only 1,- Euro and is accepted in most of the Normandy Museums up to 31st of Dec. 2013 and guarantees a small discount on entrance fees.

Details can be found on the HP of the Association Normandie Mémoire:
http://www.normandiememoire.com

Keep them rolling, Joakim

[vario]

As promised here is some more text:

Last year it did'nt work out, so my wife and I made another try to leave the children at my parents and go for a trip to Normandy.
Last year I tried to put the ambulance on a trailer behind my RV,
but it didn't drive stable on a speed over 75kph.
So for this year I borrowed a former german army truck (because it's an IVECO they call it Luigi) from friends of mine and put the Dodge on it.
To have something to eat in we were accompanied by Fritz&Karin and their RV.
Fritz owns a disassembled WC63 and a running Hotchkiss Jeep, but he said: "It is senseless to bring the jeep, we will see hundreds of them there." (He was right)
On Monday the 3rd we drove the 15 hours to the campsite at Omaha Beach.
Tuesday evening I went to the other end of the beach to take some pictures. But after some speed bumps the engine stopped and did not start again.
Soon I was surrounded by american dressed french guys in jeeps, but they didn't want to tow the heavy ambo up to the campsite, only me and my wife.
So the Dodge had to be towed back to the campsite with Luigi. What a shame...
Meanwhile Joakim and Davy had arrived there, too.
We figured out that someone must have used liquid gasket when reassembling the Zenith carburetor some years ago. That stuff was now swimming around in the bowl and blocked the main jet.
We cleaned the whole thing and reassembled it with a new gasket I cut out of a milk carton.
On the return of the successful test drive I saw a moving NSU Kettenkrad for the first time: Click!

The rest of the trip went on without any problems.

Greetings from Germany

Ulrich

[Steve K. CALIF]

Thank you for your nice description of your trip to Normandy and for the interesting pictures of your Ambulance and the RV's, too.
I am curious as to the ratings of the small trailer under the ambulance in the first picture with your RV to tow it. Is it rated for the weight of the truck and trailer? The tires and rims appear really small for such a load that is on it. Even looks like the tires are flat from the load?
Best of luck to you and your group in the refurbishing of these great old trucks and let's remember the brave men and women that sacrificed so much when the call came!
Ulrich, you have a really nice looking vehicle. Steve K.

[vario]

Thank you for your nice description of your trip to Normandy and for the interesting pictures of your Ambulance and the RV's, too.
I am curious as to the ratings of the small trailer under the ambulance in the first picture with your RV to tow it. Is it rated for the weight of the truck and trailer? The tires and rims appear really small for such a load that is on it. Even looks like the tires are flat from the load?
Best of luck to you and your group in the refurbishing of these great old trucks and let's remember the brave men and women that sacrificed so much when the call came!
Ulrich, you have a really nice looking vehicle. Steve K.

Hi Steve,
from the other side it looks a bit better: Front
My 7500kg RV is rated for a 3500kg trailer, the trailer is rated for a load of 2500kg so it was only 200kg to heavy. The tires are high load low profile ones, but look strange because the trailer stood in a puddle.
I think the problem is that the distance between the trailer coupling and its axles is too short.
I am searching for a longer one for the next try...

Ulrich

[Vista52]

I really enjoyed the photos of your trip you guys. Thank you all for sharing.

[Steve K. CALIF]

Ulrich,
I can see in the front picture that your tow hitch angle from the towing vehicle to the trailer is way too high. I am no expert on towing, but have towed may miles quite safely. From my experience, the tow vehicle ball would need to be down low enough that you trailer tongue would be slightly pointed down. My goal here would be to put about 600-800# of tongue weight if the rig can handle it. Maybe more would be better.
I have had a "whippin' willy" trailer one time when towing an old MG between El Centro, California to Madera, Ca.
I got about 50 miles from my start point and found when I accelerated up to 50 mph and more the trailer whipped uncontrollably! Scared the daylights out of my wife and Me! I would have cut the trailer loose if possible to save us. Finally got it stopped and at the first town we had a welding shop change the tow angle as we discussed. Has been great for these last 42 years.
Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks again for the military vehicle updates. Steve K.

[12th Air Force]

From my point of view a great and very "intensive" week.

I'm really glad that I could make that trip after many years of heaving the idea to do so in the back of my mind.
- Thank's to Uli this was the right "kick in the ass" and Davy was a great Co.-Driver!

We had both no chance to get our WC51 trucks to Normandy (I had no trailer and a hole in the radiator, Davy's Dodge is actually a "1001 pieces kit"), but we followed the others in my SUV and had fun to be the "Press vehicle", taking pictures and video clips of the others.

So - lesson learned - we will bring our vehicles next year to Normandy too (= we have now one year to organize the logistics) and to appear in "full battle dress" is up there not a "bizarr thing" - no - it's a "MUST".

As far as I can see it now Sonja and Alexander are joining us with their WC51 and Davy will be my "Gunner", if I can get the Cal. 50 mount for my Dodge.

CU on the beaches in 2014, Joakim

[vario]

I can see in the front picture that your tow hitch angle from the towing vehicle to the trailer is way too high

Don't let the hole in the ground that the trailer axles are standing in fool your eyes.
On a flat even surface it looks like this or that.
Over here the maximum tongue weight (learned a new word ) must not exceed 150kg on a tow ball.

Anyway - I'll find a save way for carrying the ambo as I am not as hard as Sylvia who drives the 2000km herself.

Ulrich

[12th Air Force]

For all Airborne / Aviation enthusiasts:
I should mention that we have been lucky to see on D-Day 2013 the C-47 nearby St. Mere-Eglise dropping two groups parachuters + the last main in the door in the end.
The groups had 8 parachuters each with "old school" WW2 style parachutes.
- A great thing to see that 69 years later in daylight. Hard to believe how the sky would look like with hundereds of them!

Found a nice video on youtube from the drop zone / demonstration at Utah Beach the day before for you.
Would have added my pictures, but my zoom was not good enough for some detailed pictures.
So the video is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52m3vPYGwes

A short newsclip with action-cam shots can be found here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT4YUzQMPwI

Keep them rolling, Joakim

PS: Hard to believe but true - the parachuter group is specialized in such air shows and is from Germany! I've been told that most of them are professionals from the German Forces.