PA State Military Museum

Went here last week. Took me a bit of time to organize photos. Not a lot there but some things really interested me. They have the only two surviving barrels from the USS Pennsylvania Battleship on display. The third was converted into a test barrel for firing nuclear warheads of all things. I thought these were lost when they sank the battleship after the Bikini atoll test bombings, but those barrels were off the Oklahoma. These barrels were on the ship until her last refitting near the end of the war when they were replaced with those of the Oklahoma as they were shot out. They also have one of the ships two bells which surprised me because the other is at Penn State University outside the ROTC building. I had to go there to make sure it was still there. I passed it every day going to class.

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An M1917 "Six-ton Special Tractor" in the last photo.

Bob

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

An M1917 "Six-ton Special Tractor" in the last photo.

Bob

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It is indeed a M1917. I read the sign beside it and still called it a Renault. Which it is copied after but is actually US made.

Somewhere I heard it said that the large calibre gun barrels of battleships were the most difficult part of the ship to make. Presumably that is why the barrels were sometimes recycled onto other ships if they could be reused.

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Originally Posted by Aragorn243

It is indeed a M1917. I read the sign beside it and still called it a Renault. Which it is copied after but is actually US made.

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The turret looks wrong for it to be a Renault. Here's a Renault:
https://www.milsurps.com/attachment....42&cid=1&stc=1
There's always a little confusion about these because the design WAS originally from Renault.

Bob

In 1940 Canada bought 250 of the surplus Tank M1917 for scrap metal price: $240 each! The tanks arrived by rail from Ft. Meade at CFB Borden in October 1940 and remained in service as training vehicles for the next three years. Although slow and unreliable, they were a useful stopgap until newer tanks became available. In 1943, many were scrapped for the much-needed steel they contained, while a few were sold as surplus for use as tractors. The comment written on the one tank presaged the problems the Canadian Armoured Corps was to experience with the balky, out-dated tanks.

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Originally Posted by Sapper740

The tanks arrived by rail from Ft. Meade at CFB Borden in October 1940 and remained in service as training vehicles for the next three years

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I don't think we even kept one in the collection there after. There's a Fiat and a Panther...

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Originally Posted by browningautorifle

I don't think we even kept one in the collection there after. There's a Fiat and a Panther...

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Borden had an excellent armour collection last I was there parked outside in the Worthington Memorial Park. A Crab flail, a 2cm Flak Vierling Wirbelwind, a Hetzer, Whippet, Valentine and on and on. There was a small indoor museum with a half-track, CMP lorry, jeep and other vehicles. I've heard they have amalgamated all the various pieces and put them under one roof now. I have family in Toronto and I think next visit back to "Tranna" I'll take a trip to the base and Wasaga Beach, might even pop into the "Hug and Slug" in Barrie.

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Originally Posted by Sapper740

Borden had an excellent armor collection last I was there

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Yes but I'm not so sure there's an M1917 tank. Hard to say where it is or what's happened there, I was there for three months during Gulf War one and in '88 for a month on Snr Leaders. They were busy tearing down the last WW1 buildings in '90/'91 and many others will be so far gone now... The way the military has gone, they could have sent everything to Ottawa war museum.

By the way, the Virginia War Museum in Newport News has an M1917 on display in their entrance way.

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Bob

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Originally Posted by Bob Womack

By the way, the Virginia War Museum in Newport News has an M1917 on display in their entrance way.
Bob

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Looks like a Mauser 98 with the rare 20 round mag in the display case on the right. I've only ever seen one in the flesh.

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Originally Posted by Sapper740

Looks like a Mauser 98 with the rare 20 round mag in the display case on the right. I've only ever seen one in the flesh.

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They have a healthy selection of arms used by all sides in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. I want to say they have a presentation Garand there are well. Outside is a healthy display of stuffed and mounted tracked vehicles as well.

Bob