Museum 119 virtual tour - Room I. / Introduction

Access room to the museum. Its function is to explain the situation in the 1944 air war over Europe, the air war strategy, aspect of civilians, and the history of the units involved in the battle over Ore Mountains on September 11th, 1944. The room is also the exit from the exhibition and contains information about crashes at the end of WWII in the Spring 1945. It also covers our current activities.

*Global view - "look around"*

This is the first look into the room from entrance doors. The print with Me-163 and P-51 was donated by Kurt Schiebeler, Comet pilot from JG 400, it was framed under sponsorship by Eric Brown. The "FAFL" RAF Squadron Spitfire signature poster below was donated by Pat Baumann, France	Left side of the room. There is area dedicated to 22nd February 1944, 12th May 1944, history of USAAF and Luftwaffe units participated on the Ruhland Raid 11th September 1944. Note doors to the second room	(left) Look into the front wall of the room with the "End of the WWII" 1945 section (right) Look into first room from the third room through a window. Note the 100th BG flag above, donated by Grant A. Fuller, B-17 copilot, battle participant and executive president of the 100th BG Foundation. The flag can be displayed here as we are members of te 100th BG today. The P-51 Model was donated by Sam Swauger, pilot of this particular plane.


Corner with pictures painted by Col. A. Vendl, RAF Spitfire pilot (details see bellow)	Part of the right side of the room	The current activities section	Another look into first room from the third room through a window.


One of the first showcases on this room is dedicated to crew of German Ju 88, which crashed near of Bilina, CZ in November 1944, killing entire crew...		Various engine cylinders from radial engines (L-R): Lavochkin La-5FN Russian fighter; B-17 Flying Fortress; and Ju-52-3m "Tante Ju" German transport plane.

*Air war over the Czech land - 22. February 1944 - B-24 crashes in South-West Bohemia - first losses of 15th USAAF over Czechoslovakia*

Showcase dedicated to the first American losses over the Czechoslovakia - on 22nd February 1944 - B-24s from 98th BG, 15th USAAF	Detail of this area are dedicated to the crew of B-24 "Black Magic" (98^th BG) which crashed on 22nd Feb. 1944 near Lhenice, CZ. Merl Q. Vanderhoof, a member of this crew, visited the museum twice.	Detail of the CO2 bottle for dinghy that was saved by a local civilian shortly after the crash (Lhenice)	Raymond A. Noury, the sole survivor of another crash from the same combat on 22nd Feb. 1944. His B-24 crashed near the Czech town of Dubec (Pilsen area). Ray visited this museum exactly 60 years after his crash, 22nd February 2004...!

Air war over the Czech land - 12. May 1944 - Crew of Lt. Jack C. Moore (100th BG) - B-17G - 9 POW, 1 KIA - crashed at Cesky Jiretin, CZ - first loss of 8th USAAF over Czechoslovakia

Wall panel dedicated to crew of Lt. Jack C. Moore, the first loss of the 8th USAAF over Czech territory	Col. Jack C. Moore was one of our guests at the museum opening ceremony on September 1997. In the photo he receives a medal from Col. Broucek from CzAF HQ	At the Museum's opening ceremony, Jack donated his USAF Colonel cap to the museum and is displayed in the "current time" showcase (bottom of the picture).	USAF Col. Jack C. Moore and our great friend on photo from 90´s. Unfortunately, Jack died on 7th September 2002
More about Jack Moore´s B-17 crash while the Brux mission, his crew, also as his return to the area you may see on the following page

*B-17 42-107202 388th BG Alexander / Duchcov, CZ - 24. August 1944*
		This a/c crashed into the area of the cooling mine "Alexander", close to Duchcov in North Bohemia. Five crewmembers were killed. Our colleagues invited the survivor, Sgt. James Watson, to the crash site in 1994 and put him in contact with families of the deceased crewmembers.
	Panel dedicated to the crew of B-17G 42-107202 of 388th BG shot down on 24th August 1944

*History of units involved in the battle over the Ore Mountains on 11th September 1944 - 100th BG, JG 4, 55th FG, 339th FG, 95th BG*

General look to the "Unit histories" section	Detail of the "Unit histories" wall panel	Detail of the "Unit histories" showcase (right photo) - two 11th September 1944 battle participants look together at the unit history section. On the left is Charlie Stein (8th USAAF) and on the right Kurt Schiebeler (Luftwaffe) - September 2002
"More information is available from the "Units" section of the Museum website

*FW 190A-8/R2 Sturmböck (II. Sturm / Jagdgeschwader 4) details demonstration*

Area of the "A-8/R2" exhibition - Note the MK 108 30 mm canon with ammo, barrel of the MG 151 20 mm canon, front shield frame, armored plate from the fuselage, and armored oil cooling unit	Chart with marked details for the R2 Sturmböck variant. Numbered are parts shown on left picture	Drawings and photos explaining function of the 30 mm explosive munition	Engine upper cowling of FW 190. Note the two flutes for the 13 mm machineguns
The exhibits in this area were build to explain the tactics and ideas of the Sturm attacks on the bomber formation. Examples of specifications of the FW 190A-8/R2 "Sturmböck" can be seen on pieces recovered from planes that crashed. There are also salvaged parts from II. (Sturm) / Jagdgeschwader 4 planes shot down that day: namely, Siegfried Zuber, Günther Jung, "the Grassbaum Fockewulf", "the Scheibenberg Fockewulf", Günther Strauss, and Otto Kiefer. The engine cowling (far right) is from an unknown FW 190F which crash landed in West Bohemia on 8th May 1945.

If you find a family member or someone you know on this site,
we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at 517@centrum.cz

Photos on this site may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Museum

ROOM I./begin	ROOM II.	ROOM III. (main)	ROOM I./final
ADDITIONAL area	MUSEUM PX SHOP	MAIN TOUR PAGE	TOUR - the site tree

*B-24 Bilina, CZ*
		A rear fuselage part of B-24 which crashed at Bilina, CZ in June 1944

Air war over the Czech land - Protective equipment and supplies used by civilians during allied bombing
		Some of the equipment, such as first aid kit, gas mask etc., used by civilians.