War Museums - Musée Historique de la 2ème Guerre Mondiale

Musée Historique de la 2ème Guerre Mondiale - Ambleteuse - France

Address: Rue des Garennes 2, Ambleteuse (See map)
Telephone: +33 (0)3-21873301
Website: not available

Shop: shop present
Restaurant/refreshments: restaurant
Size of the museum/site: medium
Year of visit: 2003
Overall rating:

Description: As the name suggests this museum is a good all-rounder, offering information and displays dealing with all main topics and battle-theatres of the Second World War. Although the entrance-price is quite high, it is definitely worth it. The models used in the many dioramas are extremely realistic: you could tell Russian from German, from Yank, from Jap just by looking at their faces. Combined with the dioramas, the occasional map, historic document and authentic firearm on display make for a great collection of World War II memorabilia.

The museum is interesting for the novice war museum visitor as well as the die-hard 'know-it-all' historical expert, because it boasts the right mix of basic WW2 displays and unique items like the Rheinmetall Borsig machinegun (see below). On the minor side, a few displays should be accompanied by more elaborate explanation and background info. All in all certainly worth visiting!

The "Gebirgsjäger", recognisable by the Edelweiss insignia at the right sleeve of the uniform, were the crack German mountain troops.

Russian soldiers that saw action against the Germans during the gigantic Kursk battle in 1943. The left man belonged to a tank unit, the right one is a paratrooper. In front of them stands a Maxim machinegun, capable of firing 400 rounds a minute.

Parisian boutique selling uniforms to officers of the German occupation force. No doubt the average Frenchman despised having to see shops like these in his own favourite shopping-street!

Two samples of the Rheinmetall Borsig MG15 machinegun, which proved very succesful in battle. After having lain in the sea for 50 years, the mechanisms of these two guns are still in working order!

An infamous Japanese Kamikaze pilot drinking his final cup of rice wine before take-off...

Japanese military post in the harsh jungle of Birma.

German bunker-phone: present in a lot of museums, but very rare to see an open-worked version of it like this one here.

Diorama of the brave US Army Rangers that assaulted and overthrew the German positions at the Pointe-du-Hoc during D-Day.


The "Gebirgsjäger", recognisable by the Edelweiss insignia at the right sleeve of the uniform, were the crack German mountain troops.	Russian soldiers that saw action against the Germans during the gigantic Kursk battle in 1943. The left man belonged to a tank unit, the right one is a paratrooper. In front of them stands a Maxim machinegun, capable of firing 400 rounds a minute.

Parisian boutique selling uniforms to officers of the German occupation force. No doubt the average Frenchman despised having to see shops like these in his own favourite shopping-street!	Two samples of the Rheinmetall Borsig MG15 machinegun, which proved very succesful in battle. After having lain in the sea for 50 years, the mechanisms of these two guns are still in working order!

An infamous Japanese Kamikaze pilot drinking his final cup of rice wine before take-off...	Japanese military post in the harsh jungle of Birma.

German bunker-phone: present in a lot of museums, but very rare to see an open-worked version of it like this one here.	Diorama of the brave US Army Rangers that assaulted and overthrew the German positions at the Pointe-du-Hoc during D-Day.