Bastogne, Pyrotechnic Show - Hardigny 44 (German vehicles)

[Steven000]

Hi guys!
This Sunday I visited the pyrotechnic Show in Hardigny (Bastogne), I took some photos I'd like to share with you all so enjoy!
There were a lot of people there so I took a position on the German side (sorry no Allied pics).

The German troops are gathering for the reenactment show, the main vehicle is this restored Panther tank :thumb2:




Some epic explosions!


Kettenkrad






Panther in action!






StuG in action!








The whole terrain was covered in thick mud...


I couldn't get to the other side so I haven't got pictures of the Allied tanks...


Battlefield!


It was very cold but I had a great day!
Thanks for watching and kind regards,
Steven

[Jason Crausby]

Wow... that’s on a epic scale... looks like a great day out!
Jason

[Allen Dewire]

Thanks Steven,

Looks like you had a truly great time and is was an epic re-enactment. Sorry to say, but the restored Panther is actually a modified T-55 chassis with part of the upper hull and turret from a Panther. It looks really good though and probably sounded good too. Thanks so much for the pics…..

Prost
Allen

[BattleshipBob]

Got to luv the Stug, oh not forgetting the Panther

[Wouter]

wow, there was much more folk at Hardigny than yesterday. But we didn't have the pyrotechnic show. Thanks for posting the photos. And indeed as Allen said, it isn't a restored Panther but they did a good job in mimicking one. It's the running gear which gives it away really. And boy, you guys had great weather too :anguished:. Saturday was very windy and rainy so I couldn't pull out my camera as often as I wanted.

Hopefully there's a Nuts! weekend next year again ^^

Cheers

[Steven000]

Thanks guys,
@Allen & Wouter : Yes I thought there was something strange going on about the underside, but I also was really surprised to see one as I only knew about the Houffalize-Panther in Belgium which was an empty box of rust, they took it away a few years ago to restore it as a 'monument'.

Further there is some Panther-metal in Celles and Grandmenil, but nothing to get running in the near future...

We arrived 1 and a half hour before the start of the show, in the beginning it was very cloudy but then the sun came through so we were very lucky. It was extremely cold however with a strong wind blowing in our backs. We were all shivering the whole show because of the cold. :smiling5:

Cheers, Steven

[Wouter]

how were the parking spots? Yesterday they were horrible Next year I think I'll buy me some German winter boots and the reversible parka I think, it was very chilly outside indeed!

The T-55 Panther belongs to a Polish reenactment group if I'm not mistaken, these guys turn up quite often in December in that region.

Sadly no running Panthers in Belgium indeed. Pitty we didn't get to see the Panther of Houffalize while being repaired at the Bastogne Barracks.
Did you manage to see the Saumur Panther up and running?

Cheers

[Steve Jones]

Glad to see you had a great time Steven. Thanks for sharing the photos

[Steven000]

Thanks Steve,

Wouter : We came from the N847, where the police stopped us and we had to park left and right on the road ([COLOR=rgb(44, 130, 201)]blue[/COLOR]). A shuttle bus picked us up and drove to the center of Rachamps ([COLOR=rgb(243, 121, 52)]orange[/COLOR]). From there we had to walk on foot through some fields ([COLOR=rgb(250, 197, 28)]yellow[/COLOR]) and take a position on the road, behind the fence that surrounded the (battle)fields.

On our way back the shuttle-buses were overwhelmed so we went back on foot to the car :tongue-out:

[Steven000]

Pitty we didn't get to see the Panther of Houffalize while being repaired at the Bastogne Barracks.
Did you manage to see the Saumur Panther up and running?

In 2017 I went to the Bastogne Barracks, at that time the Houffalize-Panther was there but not visible to the public, I was the only one asking about it :smiling5:.
I never saw the Saumur Panther unfortunately.

[stillp]

Well done photographing the pyrotechnics. There was a similar display at the Tanks Trucks and Firepower show, but at every explosion I jumped and got a blurred image!
Pete

[Wouter]

mmm, you had a better parking spot, we had to park on a very narrow road close to Rachamps, half in the mud and close to barbed wire :astonished:...Pitty you didn't see the Saumur Panther, it was impressive. I was going to ask for the Houffalize Panther but I forgot because of the cold :smiling: . Seems I have an excuse to go back to Bastogne Barracks ^^

Cheers