Touring Exhibition: "All Quiet on the Western Front"
The Museum as partnered with Smith Kramer to create a traveling exhibition "All Quiet on the Western Front: An Illustrated Exhibit from the National World War I Museum." Click here to learn more about the exhibition.
Battle-scarred World War I Tank Now On Exhibit
With a gaping hole in its side, original camouflage paint and a 37 mm gun protruding from its turret, a rare Renault FT17 tank is destined to become one of the most popular objects on exhibit at the Museum.
The acquisition of the tank was made possible through the generosity of Kansas City Impact Fund & BENS; Louetta M. Cowden Foundation, Bank of America & Arthur H. Bowen, Trustees; William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, Trustee; and the support of the many friends of the National World War I Museum.
The Renault FT17, a French light tank, carried a crew of two (driver and commander/gunner). It was the first tank with a fully-rotating turret and held a 37 mm Puteaux gun (as exhibited at the Museum) or a 7.92 mm Hotchkiss machine gun. The “FT” designation simply came from Renault’s prototype combination code and the “17” for the first production year (1917). By war’s end 3,177 were delivered to the French army, 514 to the American Expeditionary Forces, and three to the Italian army.
U.S. Navy Loans Imperial German U-boat Model to National World War I Museum in Kansas City
The National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial is delighted to announce an Imperial German U-boat model of the U-104, built in 1916, as the latest addition to its permanent exhibit “The World War, 1914 – 1919.” This original war-time production model was made at A. G. Weser ship works in Bremen, Germany.
"Submarines made a significant impact during World War I," said Museum Director Eli Paul. "We needed a noteworthy object for the public to see in the Museum to highlight this important history. The model complements nicely the WWI tank we added earlier in the year. We are constantly upgrading the objects on exhibit, often by personal donation, sometimes by purchase, and rarely by loan."
“German unrestricted submarine warfare was one of the causes leading the United States into World War I,” explains Museum Curator Doran Cart. “The museum has always wanted actual objects from or about submarines, especially uniforms worn by crew members, for the exhibits. What is really fascinating about this model of the German U-boat U-104 is that the shipyard in Bremen which built the submarine in 1917, created this model in 1916 as a source of pride.”
Paul credits Richard Rubenstein, former member of the Museum’s Board of Governors and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, with putting him on the trail of the U-boat model. "Richard knew about our need for a model," said Paul, "and he knew where the Navy had a treasure trove of them."
The model’s real counterpart, U-104, was launched on July 3, 1917. It had four patrols under Kapitanleutnant Kurt Bernis and was sunk by the British ship Jessamine on April 25, 1918. Only one man of a crew of 42 survived. It carried 16 torpedoes, a 10.5 cm gun, and a 8.8 cm gun with machine guns added for surface attacks. The boat could travel up to 10,500 nautical miles while surfaced and 55 nautical miles while submerged.
When the Museum contacted the United States Navy in hopes of finding someone to produce a model U-boat, the Navy graciously offered to loan its Imperial German U-boat model of the U-104 to the Museum indefinitely. “The Museum offers the Command a most welcome opportunity to share our treasured ship models with the general public and with veterans young and old,” explains Dana Wegner, Curator of Ship Models with the Department of the Navy. “Such a qualified institution as the National World War I Museum gives us the rare opportunity to display a significant ship model in complete historical context.”
Called unterseeboot, or U-boat for short, German U-boats played a major role in World War I using unrestricted submarine warfare. With Britain’s blockade of the North Sea and English Channel, Germany’s supplies were cut off. In retaliation they implemented a system of firing on any ship merchant or otherwise resulting in many senseless deaths of innocent people. The most recognized sinking was that of the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915. Of the nearly 2,200 men, women and children that died 128 were Americans. A threat of entering the war from the United States stopped the unrestricted submarine warfare until February 1917. By reinstating submarine attacks on passenger ships, Germany gave the United States another reason to declare war. On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and officially joined the allied forces.