French WWII Tank Museum Closes And Whole Collection Is Up For Auction!

Source: Normandy Tank Museum
Source: Normandy Tank Museum

Unfortunately, some museums can’t keep their doors open nowadays because they can’t draw in enough revenue to support themselves. This is the exact situation that the Normandy Tank Museum finds itself in. They are auctioning off their entire collection after failing to attract enough visitors.

Thousands of Military items, along with 40 armored vehicles used during World War II, will be up for auction on September

You can see the sale collection at Auction House “ARTCURIAL

Source: Normandy Tank Museum
Source: Normandy Tank Museum

18, by Artcurial, a Paris-based luxury auction house. The auction will be held in Catz, a town only a few kilometers away from Utah Beach in Normandy, where the Allied troops landed in hopes of liberating German-occupied northwestern Europe on June 6, 1944.

“We thought the museum would attract more people; the terrorist attacks had a considerable impact on visitor attendance,” the museum’s co-founder Stephane Nerrant said. The French refinery worker strikes also put a dent in ticket sales.

The museum was opened by Patrick Nerrant and Stephane Nerrant in 2013 using Patrick’s private collection which he started accumulating in the eighties.

World War II Engines

World War II was the first war that used motorized vehicles to such an extent. “The use of tanks increased greatly during World War II after a formidable industrial effort,” says Frederic Sommier, manager of the D-day Museum of Arromanches-les-bains. During World War I horses were widely used as the frontline cavalry; by 1939 though, they had almost all been replaced in this role by tanks. Airplanes also became a much bigger presence during the war; joint ground and aerial operations became the norm, and the battle in the sky was now of vital importance to the one down below.

The venue also offers tank rides and flights over D-day landmarks. There is also a repair shop in the 33,000 square-foot museum – it is estimated a Sherman tank repair is €150,000 ($160,000) plus labor.

Here are some of the items that will be auctioned off:

1944 M4 Sherman tank

Source: Auction House "ARTCURIAL"
Source: Auction House “ARTCURIAL”

Price estimated by Artcurial: 250,000-400,000 euros ($280,000 to $450,000)

The M4 tank was the most produced American tank during World War II, with 50,000 units built. The tanks were distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth, through a U.S. war supply program. The British nicknamed it Sherman after William Tecumseh Sherman, a general in the U.S. Civil war.

1943 M26 Pacific Tank (The ‘Dragon Wagon’)

dragon wagon
Source: Auction House “ARTCURIAL”

Price estimated by Artcurial: 30,000-50,000 euros ($34,000 to $56,000)

The GIs nicknamed it the “Dragon Wagon” because of its 22-ton bulk and its capacity of 7 people. The M26 was used to retrieve damaged tanks and withdraw them from combat zones.

1943 Jeep Willys MB

Source: Auction House "ARTCURIAL"
Source: Auction House “ARTCURIAL”

Price estimated by Artcurial: 15,000-25,000 euros ($17,000 to $28,000)

This 4×4 jeep is equipped with a jerrycan, a water bucket, a machine gun mount, a chemical decontaminator, a rear rack to transport GI’s equipment, and a bar that was used to cut barbed wire laid by the German army in Normandy.

1943 Harley Davidson WLA

Source: Auction House "ARTCURIAL"
Source: Auction House “ARTCURIAL”

Price estimated by Artcurial: 15,000-25,000 euros ($17,000 to $28,000)

The Allied forces – American, British, and Russian – rode Harley Davidson WLAs during World War II. The one up for auction has been restored to exactly like it would have been the first time it was issued.

 

Ian Harvey

Ian Harvey is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE