WW2 tanks found in mud

[Jack King]

[Jack King]

14. 09. 2000 Tanki T34-76 väljatõmbamine Kurtna järvest Foto: Meelis Mitt WW-II Trophy tank 14 September 2000, a Komatsu D375A-2 pulled an abandoned tank from its archival tomb under the bottom of a lake near Johvi, Estonia. The Soviet-built T34/76A tank had been resting at the bottom of the lake for 56 years. According to its specifications, it's a 27-tonne machine with a top speed of 53km/h. From February to September 1944, heavy battles were fought in the narrow, 50 km-wide, Narva front in the northeastern part of Estonia. Over 100,000 men were killed and 300,000 men were wounded there. During battles in the summer of 1944, the tank was captured from the Soviet army and used by the German army. (This is the reason that there are German markings painted on the tank's exterior.) On 19 September 1944, German troops began an organised retreat along the Narva front. It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake, abandoning it when its captors left the area. At that time, a local boy walking by the lake Kurtna Matasjarv noticed tank tracks leading into the lake, but not coming out anywhere. For two months he saw air bubbles emerging from the lake. This gave him reason to believe that there must be an armoured vehicle at the lake's bottom. A few years ago, he told the story to the leader of the local war history club "Otsing". Together with other club members, Mr Igor Shedunov initiated diving expeditions to the bottom of the lake about a year ago. At the depth of 7 metres they discovered the tank resting under a 3-metre layer of peat. Enthusiasts from the club, under Mr Shedunov's leadership, decided to pull the tank out. In September 2000 they turned to Mr Aleksander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva open pit of the stock company AS Eesti Polevkivi, to rent the company's Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer. Currently used at the pit, the Komatsu dozer was manufactured in 1995, and has 19,000 operating hours without major repairs. The pulling operation began at 09:00 and was concluded at 15:00, with several technical breaks. The weight of the tank, combined with the travel incline, made a pulling operation that required significant muscle. The D375A-2 handled the operation with power and style. The weight of the fully armed tank was around 30 tons, so the tractive force required to retrieve it was similar. A main requirement for the 68-tonne dozer was to have enough weight to prevent shoe-slip while moving up the hill. After the tank surfaced, it turned out to be a 'trophy' tank, that had been captured by the German army in the course of the battle at Sinimaed (Blue Hills) about six weeks before it was sunk in the lake. Altogether, 116 shells were found on board. Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with no rust, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition. This is a very rare machine, especially considering that it fought both on the Russian and the German sides. Plans are under way to fully restore the tank. It will be displayed at a war history museum, that will be founded at the Gorodenko village on the left bank of the River Narva. Looking at the two tracked machines, the modern yellow Komatsu dozer is a reminder of how machine technologies have advanced, and the region's prospects of peace and prosperity have brightened. Komatsu Times (Quarterly News Magazine for Construction Equipment Users - Volume 3 No 1) Подъем танка (pulling tank) T-34 http://www.diving.ee/articles/art035.html T-34 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34 Põhjarannik 21.03.2005 Võidupüha ajal võib Jõhvi kesklinna saabuda tank Põhjarannik 3.08.2002 Igor Sedunov rajab sõjatehnikamuuseumi SL Õhtuleht 16.09.2000 Traktor tõmbas järvest tanki välja SL Õhtuleht 13.11.2002 Piirivalvur taastab tanki Gorodenko sõjamuuseum Gorodenko relvatuba

[the_historian]

Am I right in saying that the first tank was a Sturmgeschutz Assault Gun with a 75mm gun? Any info on where it was found?

[von Poop]

We touched on that very vehicle in this thread Gordon. It was found in Demjanska near Leningrad almost complete, even the stowage was intact (and look at the tracks for a real rarity ). It was then parked up in the town while the inevitable red tape was dealt with. During this time it was picked clean of anything that'd come off easily. best photo coverage of her came from the czech 'Detektorweb'

The famous swamp t34 is now a runner, some recent film of her chugging about is just starting to emerge.

[BulgarianSoldier]

Originally Posted by the_historian

Am I right in saying that the first tank was a Sturmgeschutz Assault Gun with a 75mm gun? Any info on where it was found?

Im not sure there is another one

[kfz]

always amazes me the statye of preservation. I dont wash by bike for a week and it looks a right mess, but bury a tank (which lets face it where not that well painted in the first place) and they look like the day they rolled out the factory.

No oxygen in the mud = no rust

Kev

[von Poop]

But leave it out in the open with zero preservation since 2002 (when it was dug up) and the rot starts to set in:



Aberdeen style standards of neglect... though thankfully APG seem to be getting their act together.
I've got an account of it's history and loss somewhere, lost it for now, I'll keep looking. Some internet reference to it being sold for $8000!! Surely they missed out at least one zero... I'd have thought the pristine winterketten alone would sell for more.

[kfz]

:angry:

If the inside was preserved as well as the outside got to be a peice of archetural heritage, leave outside to rust. If their going to do that they should have left it in the mud where it was preserved.

Idiots.

Kev

[sniper101st]

Thats a real shame they let it get like that I had the pleasure of seeking (so they claim) the last surviving DD tank I must say it was a sight.

[von Poop]

Truly upsets me Kev, I presume red tape is as much to blame as anything. I read an account of it's convoluted post rescue story a while back but just can't find the magazine now. If it were here then Bovington, collectors, or even the dreaded English Heritage would surely step in and at least get it under cover.
Check out the APG site for some truly terrible neglect of unique or near unique vehicles:
http://www.ordmusfound.org/
I sent 'em a few quid a while back just 'cos it breaks my heart to see 1st war tanks and ferdinands etc. sat on the same plinth they were dumped on 50-80 years ago (many with cutaway sides only covered by mesh). Greatly pleased to see them spreading the collection about for preservation and building new sheds. (their tiger, Marder, and pz.2(??) are currently 20 miles down the road from me getting some care and attention.)

Edit: Where is that DD? Bovington has one too, and there's the Valentine DD recently restored of course, lovely old thing.