A door is closing...

[Capitaine Vengeur 263]

I've learnt in the local news that the small French museum dedicated to the remembrance of the Régiment Normandie-Niémen's struggle in USSR is about to close this year. No more subsidies, due to the lack of visitors. The museum has been opened in 1992 (50^th birthday of the "Neu-Neu") in the small Norman town of Les Andelys, hometown of late ace Marcel Lefèvre (Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously, DOW on June 5, 1944, the day before the liberation of his beloved province). The collections, including a heavily-decorated Mirage F-1 in front of the entrance, will probably be scattered, mainly in profit of the Musée de l'Air, in the outskirts of Paris.

 

Sad conclusion for a great epic. I had seen some other remnants of the Normandie-Niémen in the War Museum of Orël, Russia, the first place where the Régiment has been involved. Sad to think that there won't stay a dedicated place to this legendary unit here in France.

Edited April 23, 2010 by Capitaine Vengeur

[Derk 265]

Cést triste..........

 

Derk

[Nesher 628]

when one door is closing, another one is opened

lets hope they will keep all items just in another museum

<S>

[Stingray72 6]

It is sad to think that no one cares enough of their country's or families past to just go and look for a few moments at what was accomplished, but it is also in part because of how popular the knowledge is. I recently read about a French ace who flew Yak-3's with that squadron, and he was a bad MF!! I had never heard of him, nor this squadron until then, and I like to think of myself as fairly well rounded in WWII aviation. Are there any nooks about this squadron that one could recommend?

 

This kind of reminds me of something in the USA, Wisconsis actually, the birthplace of one Richard Bong. There is a sign in his hometown, they call it the most stolen sign in America lol. I forget axactly what is says, but the word "Bong" is on it and pretty attractive to discrespectful college asses.

 

~Stingray

[+Gepard 11,356]

Its a pity to hear that. To close such a museum is a sad thing.

 

I remember that there was, ages ago, a french movie about Normandie-Njemen. Was a great movie.

[Capitaine Vengeur 263]

I had read much about the unit, but never heard about that movie, and had to search for infos. The movie is a 1959 French-Soviet production, using Yak-11 rather than the Yak-9 and Yak-3 the French flew. Just like any other Soviet pilot, the French were simply extatic about the Yak-3: their scores exploded when they began to use it. This year, a comics series is being published, and Volume 1 ends just at the time the unit becomes operational, in spite of countless NKVD harassments.

 

There are many tragic or amusing anecdotes about this unit's epic. Could it be different, as before 1941, Soviet Union was to almost any Westerner the far side of the Moon? For example, the first foreigner to ever become a Hero of the Soviet Union may have been a pilot of this unit (a total of four earned the Gold Star), and this first one was from an old aristocratic family!

 

Speaking of Western pilots in the close citadel USSR was, I know that many Poles in devoted units, and some Slovaks, have also fought displaying the red star. I've also read about the short stay of the RAF 81sqn in Murmansk, 1941 (actually, Marcel Lefèvre flew with the 81sqn in 1942 before his departure). But I don't know much about the German pilots who trained in USSR in the late 1920s, allowing the Luftwaffe to be born (I just know that some late WWI aces died there from accidents, which seem to have been numerous). There must be also many surprising anecdotes, as USSR was still a young laboratory of Socialism. Can someone propose links about this?

[Gr.Viper 131]

German pilots who trained in USSR in the late 1920s, allowing the Luftwaffe to be born

We had Junkers assembly line set up near Moscow in the 20s. Didn't work out. However a few Russian desgners visited that place and I suspect the Junkers J.I design could've been an inspiration for IL-2 armour.

[+Gepard 11,356]

There is a german language book about this subject.

 

Olaf Groehler "Selbstmörderische Allianz"

 

I dont know wheter it is translated into other languages. The subject are the secret german training facilities in the USSR. Pilot training at Lipetsk, Tank crew traing at Kasan, Chemical warfare training at .... i have forgotten it.

It is also a fact, that Reichswehr and Red Army had close relationships. German officers were very wellcome visitors at the soviet autumn maneuver excercises. There they learned a new way of warefare, the fast and deep attack operation with motorized units. This was the startpoint of the development of the Blitzkrieg strategy.

[Capitaine Vengeur 263]

Yes, under command of Marshal Toukhatchevsky, everything was sacrified to mobility. See the BT tanks. In the early 1930s, the Soviets were also pioneers in airborne and paratroops attacks. It may have inspired the Germans too.