U památníku 2, Prague 3
Mladoboleslavská, 
near Týnec nad Sázavou, Krhanice village
HALL No.1: 1918-1938
The hall was originally designed to house the 122mm rocket launchers GRAD No.70, which were part of the armament of the artillery regiment. The existing exhibition was created in 1999-2000, and it opened up on May 27, 2000. Once inside, the visitors enter the courtyard of the former barracks of the Austro-Hungarian army with several interesting exhibits, e.g. the 50cm STOREK mortar, the largest construction of the Storek Engineering Plant in Brno. The only finished piece was tested by both Austrian and German armies in 1917-1918, but it wasn’t included in the armament.
Other interesting items in this part of the collection are naval mines and a 450mm submarine torpedo from 1916. The armament of the Czechoslovak Legions fighting during the World War 1 in Russia is represented by the 7,62cm Russian mountain gun No.09 from the Putilov Armory. In the following part of the exposition, the visitors pass along the period car repair shop, the switching center and numerous prewar command cars, trucks and motorcycles with uniformed dummies – all this creates the lifelike environment of the First Republic. One of the most valuable exhibits is the fire truck PRAGA L, the chassis of which was manufactured in 1926.
This truck was used as the fire emergency vehicle at the military airport Prague-Kbely. Then there’s PRAGA AV, a special six-wheel military off-road vehicle. Manufactured as the penultimate car in the whole series, it’s probably the only specimen of this type that has been preserved so far. Prewar military trucks are represented especially by PRAGA RV, ordered by the Czechoslovak Army in 1935. This vehicle offered unique riding characteristic, and as one of the most modern types of army cars, it became a landmark of the critical period of Czechoslovakia before the Munich Agreement. Also motorcycle fans will enjoy numerous prewar types used by the Czechoslovak Army.
Very interesting is the sturdy motorcycle PRAGA BD 500, designed by J.F.Koch. The Czechoslovak Army used 79 of these motorcycles in the armament. The development of the Czechoslovak tank technology in the early 1930s is represented by the whippet tank MU-4 produced by Škoda Plzeň, designed for the “offensive fleet” in 1933. However, it eventually wasn’t included in the armament due to the competing whippet tank No. 33, produced by ČKD Praha.
HALL No. 2: 1939-1943
This hall, just like the following ones, was designed to house the 152mm self-propelled howitzers DANA No.77, which were part of the armament of the 9th artillery regiment from the early 1980s till 1994. In 2001, the hall was reconstructed to its current design with dioramas.
The exhibition in this hall is divided to three sections with different topics. In the first section, the visitors pass through a bunker that represents the defensive measures of Czechoslovakia against the German attack in the late 1930s. The most important part of these measures was the fortification system, built since 1935 as recommended by Czechoslovakia’s main ally, France.
The building of the fortification system in Czechoslovakia ended prematurely in the early October 1938, after the Czechoslovak government accepted, under pressure of its political allies, the Munich Agreement. The “Lešany Bunker” is fitted with gas and smoke filters produced by the CHEMA Company in 1938. The armament includes the heavy machine gun ZB No. 37. During the World War 2, these machine guns were frequently used by the German army. The British company BSA manufactured it under a license, as part of the armament of the armed vehicles such as BESA Mk.1. The second section is dedicated to the period of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
The exhibits are displayed in dioramas. In addition to the German products, the exhibition is particularly focused on the protectorate production of the largest Czech armories and motor works for the German army. Very interesting is the emergency car PRAGA AN-4, used by the State Defense Guard in 1938. After the occupation, the vehicle was confiscated and used by Gestapo in Prague. Also displayed is the tank technology produced by ČKD (BMM-Böhmisch-Mährisch Maschinenfabrik). The light tank No.38 was included in the Czechoslovak Army armament. After the occupation, it was re-branded to PzKpfw 38(t) and manufactured for the German Wehrmacht.
Since 1944, BMM produced the tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38 “Hetzer”. The exhibited destroyer returned to the exhibition in 2006, after the restoration that took almost a year. The following part of the exhibition is dedicated to the vehicles manufactured during the protectorate by Škoda Mladá Boleslav and Tatra Kopřivnice. In the garage, the visitors can see the wooden cab of the heavy truck TATRA-111, manufactured for the German army since 1942. Another valuable exhibit is ŠKODA 956. However, despite its undisputable qualities, this 4-wheel drive vehicle was never released to the serial production.
The last section of the exhibition focuses on the involvement of the Czech and Slovak volunteers in the battles in North Africa. The Czechoslovak units (Czechoslovak 11th East Infantry Battalion, later restructured to the Czechoslovak 200th East Light Anti-aircraft Regiment) proved its bravery especially during the fights in the besieged Tobruk in Libya in 1941 and 1942. The exhibited vehicle BEDFORD MWC 15-cwt is one of the few preserved water tanks that were used at the battlefields of North Africa. The German Afrika-Korps units are represented by the heavy motorcycle Zündapp KS 750 with the back wheel and sidecar wheel drive. The motorcycle carried 3 soldiers and was armed with a light machine gun MG-34. The German ally, Italian army, is represented by the gun tractor SPA TL 37 produced by FIAT. The vehicle, designed for the use in the desert, was rather complicated and suffered from frequent breakdowns.
HALL No. 3: 1944-1945
The first visitors could see this hall, as it currently looks, in the late May 2002. It’s divided into two sections with different topics. The first, with the white background, displays dioramas that represent the winter battles on the Eastern front. The visitors can look at numerous exhibits from the armament of the German army, such as the unique 10.5 change management recoilless gun L.G.42, manufactured in limited series particularly for German parachute units and Luftwaffe troops. Next to it, there’s the wheel-track motorcycle NSU-HK 101, able to ride through very difficult terrain. The Soviet self-propelled artillery is represented by the self-propelled gun SU-76 and the 152mm howitzer ISU-152 that appeared in the armament in the very end of the World War 2.
Also presented is one of the most fearful weapons for the German army – the “Kaťuša” BM-13, placed on the chassis of the American vehicle STUDEBACKER US-6. Also the armament of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, the basic part of which was formed in Buzuluk, USSR in 1942, belongs to the most valuable exhibits in this hall. The armored vehicle BA-64B comes from the armament of the Tank Batallion of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade. From the total amount of 10 vehicles, 6 returned to Czechoslovakia after the end of the war. The American car DODGE T 214-WC 54 was used by the medical units of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps as an ambulance.
The second part of the exposition takes the visitors to a square in Pilsen on May 6, 1945. The square is crowded with American war technology. A large diorama displays the march of the 3rd American Army, led by General Patton, to Bohemia, and the liberation of the territory west of the demarcation line Carslbad – Pilsen – České Budějovice. Among other things, the visitors can see the American mid-size tank SHERMAN M 4A1 armed with the 76mm gun, or the three-axle truck with all-wheel drive GMC 353. The military version of the American motorcycle HARLEY-DAVIDSON WLA is also very interesting.
HALL No.4: 1945-1950
The devices and dioramas in this hall present the difficult period in the history of Czechoslovakia from the end of the war until the late 1940s. The exposition is based upon two convoys of vehicles. The first convoy consists of British vehicles, representing the arrival of the Czechoslovak independent armored brigade from France to our country and its further incorporation into the armament of the postwar Czechoslovak army. Unfortunately, in the late 1950s, these “Western” devices were destroyed for ideological reasons. Only two parts of the original armament of the brigade survived – the armored vehicle HUMBER, presented in the original state in this exposition, and the wreck of the CROMWELL tank that’s currently in the depository. The rest of the British war devices have been imported from the UK during the last five years, to complete the exposition.
The symbolic features of the dioramas in the other part of the hall (red sky, arresting of people) refer to the end of the democratic system in Czechoslovakia, and the establishment of the new communist regime. This period is represented especially by TATRA 600 (Tatraplán). The first off-the-shelf car was manufactured in June 1948, and due to its qualities it was exported to 17 countries all over the world. The visitors can also see the motorcycle JAWA 250 “Pérák” (“Springer” – this colloquial name refers to the suspension of both wheels, rather progressive at the tome). The production of this type started in 1946, and due to the modern design, the “Springer” outmatched all its rivals with two-stroke engines. The first postwar vehicle produced by Škoda Mladá Boleslav was ŠKODA 1101 Tudor. The version with the special emergency body was designed to be used by the armed forces.
HALL No.5: 1950-1962
The reinstallation of this hall finished in 2004. The exposition presents the period of 1950s, affected mainly by the cold war between the East and the West. The first part is dedicated to the building of socialism in Czechoslovakia and presents our army as a member of the Warsaw Pact since 1955. A replica of the bunker stands in the beginning of the hall. After the communist coup, the army began to use the fortresses on the western and southern borders of the country again. The 85mm fortress gun No. 44/59, exhibited in the firing position, was originally mounted in the fortress near the Moravian village Šatov.
The forced changeover of the Czechoslovak army to Soviet armament and technology was disastrous, among other projects, also for the prototypes of the off-road vehicles produced by Škoda Mladá Boleslav. Here we can see the amphibian vehicle No. 972, radio van and the command version of 973 “Babeta”. This command car is one of the best off-road vehicles of its time; unfortunately, the Russians banned its production. Another interesting exhibit is TATRA 805 Komando, the special modification of the classic Tatra 805 designed for parachute units of the Czechoslovak army. It was transported by freight gliders.
Next to the “iron curtain”, the visitors can see the well-known armored carrier OT-810, produced in the mid 1950s by the reconstruction of the German military carrier Hkl in Tatra Kopřivnice works. Then the visitors get over the border zone to “the West”, with the examples of the armament of some of the NATO-member armies. The German Bundeswehr is represented by the light truck UNIMOG S 404 with the extension, while two wheeled armored cars (Ferret and Saracen) represent the British industry. So does the AUSTER aircraft in the camouflage of the Belgian Air Force.
The Czech visitors may be surprised that this “Western part” of the exposition includes two Czechoslovak motorcycles. One of them is JAWA 250 type 579/03, provided for the Finnish and Swedish armies since 1957. It was equipped with skis for snow rides.
HALL No.6: The Ostrava Operation - “Tank Battle” (March-April 1945)
This hall was originally used by the 9th Artillery Regiment as a garage for communication, command and scout vehicles of the command battery. The hall was reconstructed between September 2002 and February 2003, and then the dioramas were installed. As the first interactive exposition in the Lešany Museum, it was open in August 2003. The exposition is dedicated to the Ostrava Operation, one of the most difficult military operations of that time.
The Soviet and Czechoslovak troops had to work their way through the difficult landscape in the mountains and forests, and also overcome the complex defensive system built on the access routes to Ostrava during the pre-Munich period. The visitors pass through a trench in the same direction the Soviet and Czechoslovak units did, passing along a number of military devices on both sides of the battlefield. In the middle of the exposition the visitors pass under the Soviet mid-size tank T-34/85; its emergency exit is open and well lit, so the visitors can see the whole driving and fighting area inside the tank, including the crew.
In the end of the exposition the visitors enter the defensive positions of the German army. There’s a German mid-size tank PANZER-IV in the firing position on the right side, and a German 75mm anti-tank gun PAK 40 on the left, also ready to fire. Finally the visitors enter the fortress and see how the German army used the Czechoslovak fortification system in the end of the World War 2. The lifelike arrangement of the exposition is topped by the sound generated by several sound systems – from the artillery and rocket launcher fire in front of the entrance over the roaring of the tank engines up to the fire of infantry weapons from the bunker loopholes.
HALL No. 7: Anti-aircraft artillery
Originally, this hall and the adjacent hall No. 8 were used as the store of military equipment, designed for the mobilized units of the 217th Anti-tank Regiment. Inside the hall, the anti-aircraft guns are installed, together with various fire-controlling devices, used to detect basic information necessary for the anti-aircraft fire. In addition to the anti-aircraft guns manufactured by Škoda Plzeň between the world wars, the visitors can also see numerous cannons produced in Germany and France. The Škoda products belong to the most valuable ones. One of the exhibits is a 7.65cm anti-aircraft gun 8/700, designed for a foreign customer in the late 1920s to be used against air and land targets.
Most of this hall is dedicated to the anti-aircraft guns used during the World War 2. The visitors can take a look at the well-known German 88mm anti-aircraft guns No.37, as well as the revamped version No.41., designed to fire at heavy high-flying bombers of the allied forces. A truck deck is used as the carriage for another German anti-aircraft gun, used in the anti-aircraft defense of the command stand of the army group “CENTER” near Lázně Velichovka in the spring of 1945. Its denomination is 20mm PLK No.38. The French military industry is represented by the 25mm PLK HOTCHKISS that was also used by the Czechoslovak military units in France in the early stage of the war. Other interesting items include the German central gun sight No.40 – it was used to calculate the fire characteristics, which were then transmitted to the gun by an electronic device. After 1945, the gun sights were also used by the Czechoslovak army in the anti-aircraft batteries, armed with the 88mm PLK No.37 and the 105mm PLK No.38.
The 100mm PLK čs-R-11, a fully automated anti-aircraft gun, is a real collector’s item. It’s the top of the development line of the anti-aircraft weapons constructed in Škoda Works in the early 1950s. The technical parameters of this gun were next to nothing all over the world. However, this period brings the end to the era of the heavy anti-aircraft artillery, and the air defense in middle and high altitudes are thereinafter provided by the anti-aircraft rockets. The serial production of these guns wasn’t allowed.
HALL No. 8: The Guns of the ŠKODA System (1890-1935)
This hall was open in the current layout for the museum purposes in 1999. The whole area is dedicated to the artillery devices produced in Škoda Plzeň to suit the needs of the Austro-Hungarian army and then the Czechoslovak army, and also for the export purposes between 1890 and 1935. Currently, it’s the most complete collection of one of the largest prewar armories in Europe.
In 1890, the armament department was established in Škoda, originally focused on the production of ship guns. Its objective was to clear the newly built naval forces of the dependence on foreign supplies. In addition, the company launched the development of field guns, and due to its experiences with the ship guns, the company soon became one of the world’s top armament producers. Škoda pioneered the construction of field and ship guns with the recuperator mechanism, and competed with the Vienna-based Arsenal in the production of the gun barrel steel. Also the heavy land cannons produced by the company were state of the art; unfortunately, none of them was preserved in the country.
Inside the hall, over 40 exhibits are installed, from the field guns, howitzers, and mortars to mountain guns. The exhibits are laid out chronologically, so the visitors can see the development in the construction of ŠKODA guns. Outside the main section of the hall, the artillery ammunition is exhibited. One of the most valuable exhibits is the 7.5cm field cannon from 1890 with gun recoil, designed for the factory tests. This cannon then became the template for all further guns produced by the Škoda Works. In addition to the field guns, the visitors can also see the 10.5cm field howitzers No.13 and 14, which succeeded at the foreign markets.
The company also achieved very good results with its mountain guns – special cannons that enable the fight operations in the difficult mountain landscape. The exposition contains several various types of these guns. A nice example is the 10cm mountain howitzer No. 16/19 with the gun recoil, a gun with excellent features that was part of the armament of the Czechoslovak army, and also a good export item. Another type, the 15cm mountain howitzer No.18, was rather uncommon – its sturdy structure and big caliber made it unique among the mountain guns all over the world. Škoda Works developed this howitzer during the World War 1; however, only a single piece was manufactured eventually.
Next to the Škoda design studio, the visitors can see the 10cm light howitzer No. 14/19, based on the original No.14 and revamped in the early 1920s. It was incorporated in the armament of the Czech army as the most frequently used gun until 1939. In 1937, the exhibited howitzer was used during the funeral of President T.G. Masaryk.
Shelters and open air areas
The shelters and open air areas offer over 100 devices, mostly heavy war equipment used in the armament of the Czechoslovak army since 1960s. Among others, the exhibits include numerous combat, recovery and specials tanks produced in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Since 2006, also the British gun tank Centurion Mk. 9, manufactured in the late 1950, is exhibited. A large part of the exposition consists of the self-propelled and reactive artillery, e.g. SU-100, 122mm GVOZDIKA, 203,2mm self-propelled gun 2S7 PION, 240mm self-propelled mortar 2S4 Tulpan, or 152mm ShKH DANA and 122mm RM GRAD, which belonged to the armament of the former artillery regiment in Lešany.
Many visitors are also interested in the equipment of the former Czechoslovak missile forces from the Warsaw Pact time. The exposition offers tactical and operational missile complexes produced in the Soviet Union.
The anti-aircraft equipment fans can also see almost all anti-aircraft missile complexes that were used in the armament of the ground forces and anti-aircraft defense units. Since 2006, the launchers are equipped with training anti-aircraft missiles. The last shelter, next to the Hall No.5, is fully dedicated to various vehicles based on the BVP 1 and 2 chassis. The fans of this kind of military equipment can enjoy 9 exhibits from the classic BVP-1 up to the broadcast vehicle BOUŘE III.
Small offensive vehicle Škoda MU-4
Armored car BA - 64b
Scout armored car White Scourt Car M3A1
Light off-road medical car DODGE T214 - WC54 (3/4T, 4x4 Ambulance)
Passenger car MERCEDES 170V
Light truck PRAGA AN-4
Military parade car ZIS - 110B
Open emergency car Škoda 1101 Tudor, combat version
Fire truck PRAGA L
50cm mortar of the storek system
152mm self-propelled howitzer ISU-152
Launcher for the operational-tactical missiles 9 P19 with a 8 K14 (SCUD A) missile
Light wheeled amphibian carrier OT - 65CH
Mid-size tank T - 34 / 76 E
Light tank PRAGA LT No.38 Pz.Kpfw. 38(t)
Mid-size tank Sherman M4A1
Mid-size tank T - 55 AM1
The hall was originally designed to house the 122mm rocket launchers GRAD No.70, which were part of the armament of the artillery regiment. The existing exhibition was created in 1999-2000, and it opened up on May 27, 2000. Once inside, the visitors enter the courtyard of the former barracks of the Austro-Hungarian army with several interesting exhibits, e.g. the 50cm STOREK mortar, the largest construction of the Storek Engineering Plant in Brno. The only finished piece was tested by both Austrian and German armies in 1917-1918, but it wasn’t included in the armament.
Other interesting items in this part of the collection are naval mines and a 450mm submarine torpedo from 1916. The armament of the Czechoslovak Legions fighting during the World War 1 in Russia is represented by the 7,62cm Russian mountain gun No.09 from the Putilov Armory. In the following part of the exposition, the visitors pass along the period car repair shop, the switching center and numerous prewar command cars, trucks and motorcycles with uniformed dummies – all this creates the lifelike environment of the First Republic. One of the most valuable exhibits is the fire truck PRAGA L, the chassis of which was manufactured in 1926.
This truck was used as the fire emergency vehicle at the military airport Prague-Kbely. Then there’s PRAGA AV, a special six-wheel military off-road vehicle. Manufactured as the penultimate car in the whole series, it’s probably the only specimen of this type that has been preserved so far. Prewar military trucks are represented especially by PRAGA RV, ordered by the Czechoslovak Army in 1935. This vehicle offered unique riding characteristic, and as one of the most modern types of army cars, it became a landmark of the critical period of Czechoslovakia before the Munich Agreement. Also motorcycle fans will enjoy numerous prewar types used by the Czechoslovak Army.
Very interesting is the sturdy motorcycle PRAGA BD 500, designed by J.F.Koch. The Czechoslovak Army used 79 of these motorcycles in the armament. The development of the Czechoslovak tank technology in the early 1930s is represented by the whippet tank MU-4 produced by Škoda Plzeň, designed for the “offensive fleet” in 1933. However, it eventually wasn’t included in the armament due to the competing whippet tank No. 33, produced by ČKD Praha.
HALL No. 2: 1939-1943
This hall, just like the following ones, was designed to house the 152mm self-propelled howitzers DANA No.77, which were part of the armament of the 9th artillery regiment from the early 1980s till 1994. In 2001, the hall was reconstructed to its current design with dioramas.
The exhibition in this hall is divided to three sections with different topics. In the first section, the visitors pass through a bunker that represents the defensive measures of Czechoslovakia against the German attack in the late 1930s. The most important part of these measures was the fortification system, built since 1935 as recommended by Czechoslovakia’s main ally, France.
The building of the fortification system in Czechoslovakia ended prematurely in the early October 1938, after the Czechoslovak government accepted, under pressure of its political allies, the Munich Agreement. The “Lešany Bunker” is fitted with gas and smoke filters produced by the CHEMA Company in 1938. The armament includes the heavy machine gun ZB No. 37. During the World War 2, these machine guns were frequently used by the German army. The British company BSA manufactured it under a license, as part of the armament of the armed vehicles such as BESA Mk.1. The second section is dedicated to the period of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
The exhibits are displayed in dioramas. In addition to the German products, the exhibition is particularly focused on the protectorate production of the largest Czech armories and motor works for the German army. Very interesting is the emergency car PRAGA AN-4, used by the State Defense Guard in 1938. After the occupation, the vehicle was confiscated and used by Gestapo in Prague. Also displayed is the tank technology produced by ČKD (BMM-Böhmisch-Mährisch Maschinenfabrik). The light tank No.38 was included in the Czechoslovak Army armament. After the occupation, it was re-branded to PzKpfw 38(t) and manufactured for the German Wehrmacht.
Since 1944, BMM produced the tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38 “Hetzer”. The exhibited destroyer returned to the exhibition in 2006, after the restoration that took almost a year. The following part of the exhibition is dedicated to the vehicles manufactured during the protectorate by Škoda Mladá Boleslav and Tatra Kopřivnice. In the garage, the visitors can see the wooden cab of the heavy truck TATRA-111, manufactured for the German army since 1942. Another valuable exhibit is ŠKODA 956. However, despite its undisputable qualities, this 4-wheel drive vehicle was never released to the serial production.
The last section of the exhibition focuses on the involvement of the Czech and Slovak volunteers in the battles in North Africa. The Czechoslovak units (Czechoslovak 11th East Infantry Battalion, later restructured to the Czechoslovak 200th East Light Anti-aircraft Regiment) proved its bravery especially during the fights in the besieged Tobruk in Libya in 1941 and 1942. The exhibited vehicle BEDFORD MWC 15-cwt is one of the few preserved water tanks that were used at the battlefields of North Africa. The German Afrika-Korps units are represented by the heavy motorcycle Zündapp KS 750 with the back wheel and sidecar wheel drive. The motorcycle carried 3 soldiers and was armed with a light machine gun MG-34. The German ally, Italian army, is represented by the gun tractor SPA TL 37 produced by FIAT. The vehicle, designed for the use in the desert, was rather complicated and suffered from frequent breakdowns.
HALL No. 3: 1944-1945
The first visitors could see this hall, as it currently looks, in the late May 2002. It’s divided into two sections with different topics. The first, with the white background, displays dioramas that represent the winter battles on the Eastern front. The visitors can look at numerous exhibits from the armament of the German army, such as the unique 10.5 change management recoilless gun L.G.42, manufactured in limited series particularly for German parachute units and Luftwaffe troops. Next to it, there’s the wheel-track motorcycle NSU-HK 101, able to ride through very difficult terrain. The Soviet self-propelled artillery is represented by the self-propelled gun SU-76 and the 152mm howitzer ISU-152 that appeared in the armament in the very end of the World War 2.
Also presented is one of the most fearful weapons for the German army – the “Kaťuša” BM-13, placed on the chassis of the American vehicle STUDEBACKER US-6. Also the armament of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, the basic part of which was formed in Buzuluk, USSR in 1942, belongs to the most valuable exhibits in this hall. The armored vehicle BA-64B comes from the armament of the Tank Batallion of the 1st Czechoslovak Independent Brigade. From the total amount of 10 vehicles, 6 returned to Czechoslovakia after the end of the war. The American car DODGE T 214-WC 54 was used by the medical units of the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps as an ambulance.
The second part of the exposition takes the visitors to a square in Pilsen on May 6, 1945. The square is crowded with American war technology. A large diorama displays the march of the 3rd American Army, led by General Patton, to Bohemia, and the liberation of the territory west of the demarcation line Carslbad – Pilsen – České Budějovice. Among other things, the visitors can see the American mid-size tank SHERMAN M 4A1 armed with the 76mm gun, or the three-axle truck with all-wheel drive GMC 353. The military version of the American motorcycle HARLEY-DAVIDSON WLA is also very interesting.
HALL No.4: 1945-1950
The devices and dioramas in this hall present the difficult period in the history of Czechoslovakia from the end of the war until the late 1940s. The exposition is based upon two convoys of vehicles. The first convoy consists of British vehicles, representing the arrival of the Czechoslovak independent armored brigade from France to our country and its further incorporation into the armament of the postwar Czechoslovak army. Unfortunately, in the late 1950s, these “Western” devices were destroyed for ideological reasons. Only two parts of the original armament of the brigade survived – the armored vehicle HUMBER, presented in the original state in this exposition, and the wreck of the CROMWELL tank that’s currently in the depository. The rest of the British war devices have been imported from the UK during the last five years, to complete the exposition.
The symbolic features of the dioramas in the other part of the hall (red sky, arresting of people) refer to the end of the democratic system in Czechoslovakia, and the establishment of the new communist regime. This period is represented especially by TATRA 600 (Tatraplán). The first off-the-shelf car was manufactured in June 1948, and due to its qualities it was exported to 17 countries all over the world. The visitors can also see the motorcycle JAWA 250 “Pérák” (“Springer” – this colloquial name refers to the suspension of both wheels, rather progressive at the tome). The production of this type started in 1946, and due to the modern design, the “Springer” outmatched all its rivals with two-stroke engines. The first postwar vehicle produced by Škoda Mladá Boleslav was ŠKODA 1101 Tudor. The version with the special emergency body was designed to be used by the armed forces.
HALL No.5: 1950-1962
The reinstallation of this hall finished in 2004. The exposition presents the period of 1950s, affected mainly by the cold war between the East and the West. The first part is dedicated to the building of socialism in Czechoslovakia and presents our army as a member of the Warsaw Pact since 1955. A replica of the bunker stands in the beginning of the hall. After the communist coup, the army began to use the fortresses on the western and southern borders of the country again. The 85mm fortress gun No. 44/59, exhibited in the firing position, was originally mounted in the fortress near the Moravian village Šatov.
The forced changeover of the Czechoslovak army to Soviet armament and technology was disastrous, among other projects, also for the prototypes of the off-road vehicles produced by Škoda Mladá Boleslav. Here we can see the amphibian vehicle No. 972, radio van and the command version of 973 “Babeta”. This command car is one of the best off-road vehicles of its time; unfortunately, the Russians banned its production. Another interesting exhibit is TATRA 805 Komando, the special modification of the classic Tatra 805 designed for parachute units of the Czechoslovak army. It was transported by freight gliders.
Next to the “iron curtain”, the visitors can see the well-known armored carrier OT-810, produced in the mid 1950s by the reconstruction of the German military carrier Hkl in Tatra Kopřivnice works. Then the visitors get over the border zone to “the West”, with the examples of the armament of some of the NATO-member armies. The German Bundeswehr is represented by the light truck UNIMOG S 404 with the extension, while two wheeled armored cars (Ferret and Saracen) represent the British industry. So does the AUSTER aircraft in the camouflage of the Belgian Air Force.
The Czech visitors may be surprised that this “Western part” of the exposition includes two Czechoslovak motorcycles. One of them is JAWA 250 type 579/03, provided for the Finnish and Swedish armies since 1957. It was equipped with skis for snow rides.
HALL No.6: The Ostrava Operation - “Tank Battle” (March-April 1945)
This hall was originally used by the 9th Artillery Regiment as a garage for communication, command and scout vehicles of the command battery. The hall was reconstructed between September 2002 and February 2003, and then the dioramas were installed. As the first interactive exposition in the Lešany Museum, it was open in August 2003. The exposition is dedicated to the Ostrava Operation, one of the most difficult military operations of that time.
The Soviet and Czechoslovak troops had to work their way through the difficult landscape in the mountains and forests, and also overcome the complex defensive system built on the access routes to Ostrava during the pre-Munich period. The visitors pass through a trench in the same direction the Soviet and Czechoslovak units did, passing along a number of military devices on both sides of the battlefield. In the middle of the exposition the visitors pass under the Soviet mid-size tank T-34/85; its emergency exit is open and well lit, so the visitors can see the whole driving and fighting area inside the tank, including the crew.
In the end of the exposition the visitors enter the defensive positions of the German army. There’s a German mid-size tank PANZER-IV in the firing position on the right side, and a German 75mm anti-tank gun PAK 40 on the left, also ready to fire. Finally the visitors enter the fortress and see how the German army used the Czechoslovak fortification system in the end of the World War 2. The lifelike arrangement of the exposition is topped by the sound generated by several sound systems – from the artillery and rocket launcher fire in front of the entrance over the roaring of the tank engines up to the fire of infantry weapons from the bunker loopholes.
HALL No. 7: Anti-aircraft artillery
Originally, this hall and the adjacent hall No. 8 were used as the store of military equipment, designed for the mobilized units of the 217th Anti-tank Regiment. Inside the hall, the anti-aircraft guns are installed, together with various fire-controlling devices, used to detect basic information necessary for the anti-aircraft fire. In addition to the anti-aircraft guns manufactured by Škoda Plzeň between the world wars, the visitors can also see numerous cannons produced in Germany and France. The Škoda products belong to the most valuable ones. One of the exhibits is a 7.65cm anti-aircraft gun 8/700, designed for a foreign customer in the late 1920s to be used against air and land targets.
Most of this hall is dedicated to the anti-aircraft guns used during the World War 2. The visitors can take a look at the well-known German 88mm anti-aircraft guns No.37, as well as the revamped version No.41., designed to fire at heavy high-flying bombers of the allied forces. A truck deck is used as the carriage for another German anti-aircraft gun, used in the anti-aircraft defense of the command stand of the army group “CENTER” near Lázně Velichovka in the spring of 1945. Its denomination is 20mm PLK No.38. The French military industry is represented by the 25mm PLK HOTCHKISS that was also used by the Czechoslovak military units in France in the early stage of the war. Other interesting items include the German central gun sight No.40 – it was used to calculate the fire characteristics, which were then transmitted to the gun by an electronic device. After 1945, the gun sights were also used by the Czechoslovak army in the anti-aircraft batteries, armed with the 88mm PLK No.37 and the 105mm PLK No.38.
The 100mm PLK čs-R-11, a fully automated anti-aircraft gun, is a real collector’s item. It’s the top of the development line of the anti-aircraft weapons constructed in Škoda Works in the early 1950s. The technical parameters of this gun were next to nothing all over the world. However, this period brings the end to the era of the heavy anti-aircraft artillery, and the air defense in middle and high altitudes are thereinafter provided by the anti-aircraft rockets. The serial production of these guns wasn’t allowed.
HALL No. 8: The Guns of the ŠKODA System (1890-1935)
This hall was open in the current layout for the museum purposes in 1999. The whole area is dedicated to the artillery devices produced in Škoda Plzeň to suit the needs of the Austro-Hungarian army and then the Czechoslovak army, and also for the export purposes between 1890 and 1935. Currently, it’s the most complete collection of one of the largest prewar armories in Europe.
In 1890, the armament department was established in Škoda, originally focused on the production of ship guns. Its objective was to clear the newly built naval forces of the dependence on foreign supplies. In addition, the company launched the development of field guns, and due to its experiences with the ship guns, the company soon became one of the world’s top armament producers. Škoda pioneered the construction of field and ship guns with the recuperator mechanism, and competed with the Vienna-based Arsenal in the production of the gun barrel steel. Also the heavy land cannons produced by the company were state of the art; unfortunately, none of them was preserved in the country.
Inside the hall, over 40 exhibits are installed, from the field guns, howitzers, and mortars to mountain guns. The exhibits are laid out chronologically, so the visitors can see the development in the construction of ŠKODA guns. Outside the main section of the hall, the artillery ammunition is exhibited. One of the most valuable exhibits is the 7.5cm field cannon from 1890 with gun recoil, designed for the factory tests. This cannon then became the template for all further guns produced by the Škoda Works. In addition to the field guns, the visitors can also see the 10.5cm field howitzers No.13 and 14, which succeeded at the foreign markets.
The company also achieved very good results with its mountain guns – special cannons that enable the fight operations in the difficult mountain landscape. The exposition contains several various types of these guns. A nice example is the 10cm mountain howitzer No. 16/19 with the gun recoil, a gun with excellent features that was part of the armament of the Czechoslovak army, and also a good export item. Another type, the 15cm mountain howitzer No.18, was rather uncommon – its sturdy structure and big caliber made it unique among the mountain guns all over the world. Škoda Works developed this howitzer during the World War 1; however, only a single piece was manufactured eventually.
Next to the Škoda design studio, the visitors can see the 10cm light howitzer No. 14/19, based on the original No.14 and revamped in the early 1920s. It was incorporated in the armament of the Czech army as the most frequently used gun until 1939. In 1937, the exhibited howitzer was used during the funeral of President T.G. Masaryk.
Shelters and open air areas
The shelters and open air areas offer over 100 devices, mostly heavy war equipment used in the armament of the Czechoslovak army since 1960s. Among others, the exhibits include numerous combat, recovery and specials tanks produced in the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia. Since 2006, also the British gun tank Centurion Mk. 9, manufactured in the late 1950, is exhibited. A large part of the exposition consists of the self-propelled and reactive artillery, e.g. SU-100, 122mm GVOZDIKA, 203,2mm self-propelled gun 2S7 PION, 240mm self-propelled mortar 2S4 Tulpan, or 152mm ShKH DANA and 122mm RM GRAD, which belonged to the armament of the former artillery regiment in Lešany.
Many visitors are also interested in the equipment of the former Czechoslovak missile forces from the Warsaw Pact time. The exposition offers tactical and operational missile complexes produced in the Soviet Union.
The anti-aircraft equipment fans can also see almost all anti-aircraft missile complexes that were used in the armament of the ground forces and anti-aircraft defense units. Since 2006, the launchers are equipped with training anti-aircraft missiles. The last shelter, next to the Hall No.5, is fully dedicated to various vehicles based on the BVP 1 and 2 chassis. The fans of this kind of military equipment can enjoy 9 exhibits from the classic BVP-1 up to the broadcast vehicle BOUŘE III.
Small offensive vehicle Škoda MU-4
Armored car BA - 64b
Scout armored car White Scourt Car M3A1
Light off-road medical car DODGE T214 - WC54 (3/4T, 4x4 Ambulance)
Passenger car MERCEDES 170V
Light truck PRAGA AN-4
Military parade car ZIS - 110B
Open emergency car Škoda 1101 Tudor, combat version
Fire truck PRAGA L
50cm mortar of the storek system
152mm self-propelled howitzer ISU-152
Launcher for the operational-tactical missiles 9 P19 with a 8 K14 (SCUD A) missile
Light wheeled amphibian carrier OT - 65CH
Mid-size tank T - 34 / 76 E
Light tank PRAGA LT No.38 Pz.Kpfw. 38(t)
Mid-size tank Sherman M4A1
Mid-size tank T - 55 AM1