Classic shrine: Musée National d’Histoire Militaire

By Mario Laguna

| 1 Apr 2026

Classic & Sports Car – Classic shrine: Musée National d’Histoire Militaire

Taking place from December 1944 through to January 1945, the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes forest, which spans parts of Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Germany, could have changed the destiny of Europe at the point when the Second World War was coming close to its end.

This was to be Adolf Hitler’s final serious throw of the dice on the western European front, and on its site now sits a museum that preserves both memories and vehicles from one of the most devastating battles of the war.

Through life-size dioramas, army uniforms, weapons, personal belongings, photographs, documents and an impressive collection of wartime military vehicles, the Musée National d’Histoire Militaire in Diekirch, Luxembourg, is dedicated to preserving the memory of this battle and sharing it with new generations.

A 1944 Willys MB Jeep in the fascinating Musée National d’Histoire Militaire

Military vehicles were deployed en masse from both sides in the extreme winter conditions, tackling snow, rain and endless mud.

Interesting representatives of what were then new – and often cutting-edge – machines can be admired across 3500m² of exhibition space, along with sections charting the history of the Luxembourg army since 1945, split over the three levels of the museum.

All of the vehicles on display are genuine Ardennes items.

The museum was born in 1982 via the initiative of “a handful of enthusiasts and volunteers”, says Thessy Schmit, booking and reception manager, and is now undergoing its first major renovation in four decades.

The 1944 Hanomag/Büssing-NAG Schützenpanzerwagen is a half-track vehicle with a Maybach HL42 straight-six engine

After WW2, deployed US military forces entrusted a quantity of the surviving Battle of the Bulge vehicles to the Luxembourg army, and a selection of those machines were then donated to the museum.

With a lack of effective supply routes to this region by either air or sea, extensive use of military overland vehicles was key for Allied forces from the beginning of the battle, so the area has been rich in barn-finds ever since; as a result, many private collectors have also contributed with long-term loans of historic military machines.

Thessy proudly claims that the museum welcomes 300-600 daily visitors during the summer, less than half that figure in winter, and gets great feedback from scholars and war veterans alike.

A 1944 Sherman M4A1(76)W HVSS in the museum’s grounds

American- and German-produced heavy-duty warhorses are the core of the collection as you might expect, but dual-purpose machines that would still make an excellent means of peacetime transport, such as the ubiquitous Willys MB Jeep and its Volkswagen Kübelwagen counterpart, are on show, too.

Most of the vehicles on display are dynamically represented in different combat or transportation situations, manned by dummy drivers, radio operators, artillery observers or cannon-crew members, all dressed in meticulous period uniform.

While some vehicles are on the button and could go back into the field with just a bit of routine servicing, others would require some recommissioning, but all members of the collection, apart from a few of the tanks and armoured trucks, retain working engines.

The amphibious 1943 VW Type 166 Schwimmwagen is popular with visitors

Considering the brief life expectancy for machinery in the Ardennes’ infamously harsh winters, it is not a surprise that the majority of the tanks, trucks and Jeeps housed here were produced in 1944, with just a few exceptions dating from the previous year.

Many brands are familiar even for those not versed in military history – such as Willys, Volkswagen, GMC or Dodge – but there are also some real rarities to be found, such as the tracked Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz Magirus RS0-03 or the Maybach HL42-powered Hanomag/Büssing-NAG.

Like many visitors, Thessy’s favourite exhibit is the near-mint 1943 VW Type 166 Schwimmwagen, the amphibious vehicle that confirmed the adaptability of the humble Beetle.

The three-rotor 1941 Enigma machine is on loan from the USA

However, the most important item in Diekirch – arguably in the whole country – is not a car, but an unusual-looking typewriter: not many museums in the world have a genuine Enigma machine on show.

The Enigma was the Nazi forces’ secret weapon, and a very efficient one until the team at Bletchley Park led by Alan Turing learnt to crack its code.

It is impressive to get close to one of these clever machines, knowing that the Allies always grabbed any rare opportunity to get hold of one of the crucial cipher devices.

A pair of tanks and a ‘bunker buster’ gun guard the imposing Musée National d’Histoire Militaire

The example shown here carries a metal label in front of the keyboard bearing its serial number, A11719.

It features three rotors, preceding the more complex four-rotor version, and according to historian the late David Hamer it is one of 186 standard three-rotor Enigmas to survive from total production of a few thousand.

Built in 1941, and credited to have been used during the Battle of the Bulge, the machine has been on display in Diekirch since 2004, courtesy of the National Cryptologic Museum, part of the US National Security Agency.

At only 40km and half an hour’s drive from the Luxembourg city capital, the museum will delight not just military history buffs, but also classic car enthusiasts through its strong emphasis on the vehicles of battle.

Images: Mario Laguna