Thousands of enthusiasts in period uniforms will head to Pilsen.

Thousands of enthusiasts in period uniforms will occupy Pilsen during  the Liberation Festival Pilsen.

About a thousand of enthusiasts in period military uniforms is expected to fill the center of Pilsen from May 2 to 4 as the city marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation by Patton's army during the Liberation Festival Pilsen. Period military camps will offer the atmosphere of May 1945 with an emphasis on authenticity and historical fidelity. For the first time, a complete American evacuation hospital and military equipment not seen in Pilsen since 1945 will be on display. The traditional Freedom Convoy, with over 350 pieces of historic military vehicles, including three tanks, will be complemented by modern U.S. Army and Czech equipment. The club in Dobřany is preparing a combat demonstration of a clash between the U.S. Army and the German Army.

"We appreciate everyone who joined us for this year's extraordinary festival. I am pleased with the interest of military clubs, and I know that thanks to them, we will offer the public in Pilsen exceptional experiences and an unforgettable atmosphere. I believe that we will all enjoy the Liberation Festival Pilsen together," said Roman Zarzycký, Mayor of Pilsen.

The largest recreation of a period military hospital.

This year, the Tommy & Yankee Military History Club's period camps, located in Křižík and Šafařík Gardens, will bring the life of the members of the units belonging to the legendary American 2nd Infantry Division closer to the public. "Specifically, it will be about the 38th Infantry Regiment and the 612th Anti-Tank Battalion, as well as the American 109th Evacuation Hospital," said Daniel Malý from KVH Tommy & Yankee. These American troops were in Pilsen from the spring to the summer of 1945. The camps will be staffed by nearly 300 men and women from the Czech Republic, Europe, and the United States. "Most of them will move to Pilsen authentically, on historical equipment, as part of the rides in the footsteps of the aforementioned 2nd Infantry Division and the 109th Evacuation Hospital. The recreation of the military hospital will be the largest ever in Central Europe. Visitors will witness the camp life of soldiers, nurses, doctors, and other staff of the evacuation hospital, Pilsen insurgents, civilians, and original historical equipment. Guided tours in several languages will give visitors a chance to see the camps from the inside. "We have also prepared a reconstruction of a wedding ceremony as part of the accompanying cultural program," said Daniel Malý, adding, "The Americans spent half a year in Pilsen. They experienced many ordinary and extraordinary days here, and several of them got married." For those interested in the history of the Pilsen Uprising and the liberation by the U.S. Army, there will be lectures and screenings of period photographs and films involving historians, researchers, and collectors.

The American Wheel Beast

About 300 participants in period uniforms will participate in the operation of an authentic 16th Armored Division camp featuring World War II-era American military equipment, a military kitchen and a field workshop with equipment. Dozens of heavy and light armored vehicles, workshop and transport equipment will be on display, including three Sherman medium tanks, two M36 Jackson tank destroyers, and M8 light armored reconnaissance vehicles. The M26 Dragon Wagon, the "American wheeled beast," will be a major draw. This vehicle provided transport for medium tanks. Weighing 25 tons, it could reach speeds of 45 kilometers per hour on the road," Pavel Rogl from the 16th Armored Division's military history club explained. The military encampment will include a functioning field kitchen with period equipment, workshops for vehicle maintenance and repair, military quarters for men and officers, a military police station, and other facilities.

Civilian life in the Protectorate, the modern U.S. Army, RAF camp, and more will be on display.

The park area behind OC Plzeň Plaza will be dedicated to the Czechoslovak Independent Armoured Brigade and civilian life in the Protectorate. Visitors will see military motorbikes, militarized cars, and trucks. "This year, the event's highlight will be rare historical armored fighting vehicles, along with tracked transporters and a tank. These vehicles, which are rarely seen in Pilsen or the Czech Republic, will be a highlight of the event," said Michal Chalupný of the Military History Club. He credits his colleagues from abroad, namely from Slovakia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and for the first time, Italy, for making this spectacle possible. The "Nazdar Company" will present a collection of weapons and equipment and is preparing a demonstration of artillery training with historical cannons. The artillerymen will demonstrate their operation as well as acoustic firing.

The area in front of the Patton Memorial Pilsen Museum will be filled with military equipment from the JTF Raiders Club, which represents the modern U.S. Army. The museum itself will also offer its services, as the only one in the Czech Republic dedicated to the journey of the Allied troops from the Normandy landings to western Bohemia. It features many original artifacts and personal items of veterans.

The traditional military sites in the center will be joined by a new area between the Mží River and Na Poříčí Street, where the RAF and WAAF camps will have a place for presentation. Visitors will enjoy an RAF "settled" camp, displays of RAF and WAAF equipment, Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service, military equipment, a static display of an RC model of a Vickers Wellington bomber, wooden model aircraft, an anti-aircraft machine gun, a telephone exchange, and various activities such as an airsoft shooting range or the Battle of Britain "303" strategy game, board games, and aerial crafts for children. A 1:1 replica of a Spitfire fighter aircraft in the markings of the 312th Czechoslovak Fighter Squadron of the RAF and legend Otto Smik will be brought to the Liberation Festival Pilsen by the Czech Spitfire Club, an aviation history society. It will be displayed in the RAF camp. This British single-seat Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft served in the RAF and the air forces of other Allied armies during the Second World War.

Convoy of Liberty and jeeps in the center

The Convoy of Liberty, a convoy of historic military equipment with an expected 350 pieces, will drive through Klatovská Street to the center on Sunday, May 4. This year, it will be accompanied by an infantry section with battalions, weapons, and contemporary military equipment of the Czech Army and the US Army. The convoy will also include a flyover of historic military aircraft, such as the P-51 Mustang and two Harvard training aircraft, which will partner with the Classic Trainers Lines celebration. Unique flyovers will also enliven the other program. On Friday, May 2, in the early evening, there will be extra commentary on the flyovers. Around fifty jeeps and Dodge WC series cars associated with the Military Car Club Plzeň and the 3rd Army Club will drive through the center of Plzeň from the courtyard of Plzeňský Prazdroj along the route via Americká. This will be a tribute to the founders of the Convoy of Freedom military historical equipment parade, which has been part of the celebrations of liberation by the U.S. Army since the beginning, i.e. since 1990.

The millitary battle in Dobřany

On Saturday, May 3, a fictitious battle between the Americans and Germans will take place at T.G.M. Square in Dobřany. Dobřany has joined the regional celebrations of the end of World War II. The historical demonstration, directed by the Military History Club of the Garrison Headquarters in Dobřany, will include the M4 Sherman tank, which will once again enter this town after eighty years. "The Dobřany Military History Club has already presented several successful combat demonstrations on important anniversaries and has experience in their preparation and execution. This year will feature the most armored vehicles to date, with two tanks entering the square in succession, culminating in the legendary battle between the Sherman and Tiger tanks," stated Martin Sobotka, the mayor of Dobřany.