Prague In June

[Harold Jones]

My wife and I are heading to Prague in June. She was pretty understanding when the dates I suggested somehow overlapped with Bahna 2016. I've contacted a few folks that I had emails for that I thought would like to link up for an excursion to the show. I will be in Prague from the 19th-27th, and plan on doing the usual tourist things up through the 23rd. The 24th will be devoted to hunting down every bushel of swords and any other militaria currently on display in Prague. The Czech army exhibition is on the 25th which is what I assume will be the main attraction for people who don't want to spend the week hanging out with the Joneses.

 

This isn't well enough orginized to deserve the title of I&I but if you think you can make it for some or all of the festivities post or drop me a line.

 

Dates: 19-27 June

Group Hotel: None My wife and I have an apartment lined up in Prague District 2. I suspect the first person to pick and post a hotel will determine where people are staying.

Activities: mostly wandering around taking in the sites with some (possibly) moderate beer and wine drinking. The week will culminate in a day spent outside watching whatever armored vehicle and aircraft presentations the Czech Army will be putting on. The Berlin Cell has talked about touring some of the surviving border fortifications that are conveniently close to their return route on the 26th.

 

Attendees so far:

The Joneses

BansheeOne

BansheeFour(?)

Dave Clark

Sunday

Leo Niehorster

Marek Tucan

Markus (Whose TN name escapes me)

 

Apologies for the rather short notice, but I am a shameless procrastinator when it comes to this kind of thing.

Edited May 9, 2016 by Harold Jones

[Fritz]

Maybe if I knew several months in advance...

[Marek Tucan]

And since I am a procrastinator as well, wanted to get to the mail thread any time now Esp. since I got fair confirmation that I will be able to take vacations

 

 

Anyway, how specific is the "Along" of Berlin cell? As far as fortifications go, I would have one in mind (artillery fort, part of the heavy fortification system), but it would add quite some distance and Poland to cross Will elaborate in the evening.

[RETAC21]

And I read "Plague in June"...

[BansheeOne]

Attendees so far:

The Joneses

BansheeOne

BansheeFour(?)

Dave Clark

Sunday

Leo Niehorster

Marek Tucan

Markus (Whose TN name escapes me)

 

The Banshee numerals are correct. And Markus is Markus is Markus (Becker).

 

Attendance of the Berlin Cell is definite, arriving late on the 24th and in fact planning to add one or two days to the weekend. Currently deciding on accommodation.

[Harold Jones]

And I read "Plague in June"...

Hopefully that will be avoided.

[Marek Tucan]

Hm, if Berlin cell planned to stay a bit longer, then the fort trip gets easier (and can cover more places, for example the major battle site of the 1866 war).

[Markus Becker]

It doesn't look good on my end. My hope now rests on RNGesus or presonell performing a last minute miracle.

 

And Marek, you got an email.

[BansheeOne]

Banshee Four has essentially made the Eurostars David* at Naplavni 6 near the Vlatava River the I&I hotel. Going to check when the Berlin cell actually leaves now, and then book.

 

* Damn Joos.

Edited May 22, 2016 by BansheeOne

[sunday]

Banshee Four has essentially made the (very nice hotel)* at Naplavni 6 near the Vlatava River the I&I hotel. Going to check when the Berlin cell actually leaves now, and then book.

 

* Damn Joos.

 

Better be quick. There were few rooms available when I booked.

Edited May 22, 2016 by sunday

[Markus Becker]

I can cancel free of charge as late as June 22nd, so I booked 23rd to 27th and cross my fingers that I can make it.

[BansheeOne]

I pretty much went from Prague to Friesland for the wedding of my brother #5 with a less than 48-hour stayover in Berlin, but finally found some time to post pictures from Bahna. Of note is that the Czech Army is currently looking for a new IFV; the Austrian Bundesheer used the occasion to show off the Ulan as a possible choice, and a CV 90 was also on display. Not sure if the present Polish Rosomak also fits in this category since it's rather similar to the 8x8 Pandur with Rafael 30 mm turret that's already in Czech use.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BansheeOne]

The historic display was pretty much as it had been four years ago. A simulated bomb attack from the WW I air-ground show created a huge and perfectly stable smoke ring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Marek Tucan]

Also seemed CZ Army running out of funds... This year, there was no artillery to be seen apart from private collectors and producer's exhibits. So the opening salvo was 3x T-72M4.

 

EDIT: Will go through pics when I get home (flying back today), saw some video recaps of the event, will try if some is good enough to share

Edited July 2, 2016 by Marek Tucan

[BansheeOne]

The Czech Army naturally drove about every vehicle in their inventory past the audience, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BansheeOne]

National police also demonstrated a massive approach to a bank robbery including an armored vehicle and helicopter-deployed and -extracted officers. Finally, there was what Marek termed the "pity display" about events of 1938, with Nazi Freikorps getting supported by SS troops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Markus Becker]

Aside from the cute little armoured car they also had a "Tiger I"

 

 

 

And a truck you better don't drive into Germany:

 

[BansheeOne]

On Sunday, the German-British-Spanish contingent went to take a look at the 1930s fortifications on the German (now Polish) border. Unaccidentally very similar to the Maginot works since they were build with French help, but never quite finished due to the 1938 turn of events; the Germans were quite happy to get a look at what they might face on the French border. Exhibits included fragments of a Röchling projectile tested against one of the bunkers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BansheeOne]

And some shots from the city of Prague on Monday, when Dave and I found the Military History Museum was closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sunday]

Very nice pics, Axel.

[Leo Niehorster]

Indeed.

[Leo Niehorster]

Could someone please post the group photos or a link thereto, please.

For example, the one taken in the Czech restaurant?

[Markus Becker]

 

Lunch on the day of the museum visits.

 

http://i.imgur.com/SV25TVI.jpg

 

 

A Czech size Schnitzel. No, that is not a small plate.

 

http://i.imgur.com/RqyQSxk.jpg

[bd1]

knödels in prague. my wife still speaks reverently of these, 2006 february

[Harold Jones]

Here's the group photo from the last morning.

 

https://flic.kr/p/JSfQ5y