The Vienna Military History Museum has announced this week, that this year’s military vehicle gathering „On Wheels and Tracks“ has been cancelled due to the current COVID-19 restrictions. The gathering had been planned for June 5/6/7.
This spring, we will start a series of publications on Austrian Military Motorization after 1945 with a book about the classic Steyr-Puch „Haflinger“.
For the already 6th time, on September 14 and 15 the Traditionsverband hosted its annual Fall Gathering, opening our depots in Prottes near Gänserndorf for the general public. For the first time, the 3rd Reconnaisance Battalion (AAB3) from Mistelbach participated with one its M109 SPGs fresh out of general overhaul. A modern „Husar“ light reconnaissance vehicle contrasted with historic „Husars“ of our collection from the 1960s. Another premiere was the complete opening of the large depot hall, presenting the full range of Austrian army motorization from 1955 (Jeep Willys MB via Steyr 380/480/580/680 all the way to exotic trial vehicles like the Alvis Stalwart amphibious truck. One end of the Exhibition was dedicated to tracked Vehicles, displaying a Hacker Motormuli as the „missing link“ in Austrian tracked vehicle development between WW2 and 1955 together with the Command-APC of the 3rd Tank-Grenadier Brigade, lovingly restored and maintained for the General public.
We wish all of our members, supporters and friends a very Merry Christmas 2019 and a good start into the New Year 2020!
For the second time, the Vienna Military History Museum (with its dependence Military Aviation Museum in Zeltweg) had invited the Traditionsverband to attend the 2019 „AirPower“ and present the ground-based part of Austrian Military mobility. Starting with the M4 High-Speed Tractor (which dates back to the vehicle park received from the Allied Powers in 1555), our Steyr 480, 580 and 680 trucks presented the „Classics“ of Austrian military vehicle production over five decades. Nevertheless – as already three years ago during the last „AirPower“ – our smaller vehicles (a Jeep Willys MB and a Puch Haflinger AP700) stole the show and (despite the bad weather conditions) were almost continuously roving the grounds shuttling VIPs.
