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Tank found in working order after 57 years underwater

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    Tank found in working order after 57 years underwater

    Just came across this after a bit of idle surfing. Quite amazing really, that Soviet build quality...


    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.

    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.

    #2
    Originally posted by Lucifer Box
    Just came across this after a bit of idle surfing. Quite amazing really, that Soviet build quality...
    Had a Soviet camera, wasn't perfect but it was built like a tank. Had a Soviet radio, bit old-fashioned but it was built like a tank.

    I'm not surprised their tanks were good ....

    Comment


      #3
      This sort of stuff happens quite regularly. It's not unusual for a 1950-1960's land rover to suddenly get regurgitated by the Sahara desert in perfect condition!
      Serving religion with the contempt it deserves...

      Comment


        #4
        Except engine? What's left except it: armour plates sure were in working condition, and gun was probably too (if cleaned) and all the rest was purely mechanical stuff. It was lake, so water was not salty, no suprise really.

        It should not be that rare machine either - tens of thousands were made, some of them apparently still work somewhere in Africa.

        Originally posted by expat
        Had a Soviet camera, wasn't perfect but it was built like a tank. Had a Soviet radio, bit old-fashioned but it was built like a tank.
        During soviet time almost all optics and radios were made in the interest of the military - civil production was often made on the same plants as leftovers, that's why a lot of equipment was very rough as they just reused military designs.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by AtW
          During soviet time almost all optics and radios were made in the interest of the military - civil production was often made on the same plants as leftovers, that's why a lot of equipment was very rough as they just reused military designs.
          It was pretty cool stuff though (and still is very collectable).

          I loved the old Zorki Cameras, which were rather basic Leica copies. Pretty good optics though, and cheap as chips in the 1970s. Had a couple of different model bodies and lenses but flogged them all to buy an Olympus OM1 when I went to uni. A pity really.

          You've come right out the other side of the forest of irony and ended up in the desert of wrong.

          Comment


            #6
            What makes it rare was that it was painted up with German unit insignia. Not too many T34s had that treatment.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Lucifer Box
              What makes it rare was that it was painted up with German unit insignia. Not too many T34s had that treatment.
              just what did you search for when you came up with that one???
              SA says;
              Well you looked so stylish I thought you batted for the other camp - thats like the ultimate compliment!

              I couldn't imagine you ever having a hair out of place!

              n5gooner is awarded +5 Xeno Geek Points.
              (whatever these are)

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Lucifer Box
                What makes it rare was that it was painted up with German unit insignia. Not too many T34s had that treatment.
                Yes, this one: http://www.achtungpanzer.com/t34.htm

                T-34s still used around the world:

                "As of 1996, T-34, mainly in it its 85mm variant was still in service with many nations including: Afghanistan, Albania (approx. 70), Angola (approx. 58), Guinea Bissau (approx. 10), Cuba (approx. 400), Mali (approx. 18), Romania (approx. 1000), Slovenia, Hungary (approx. 5), Vietnam, Bosnia and other nations."

                Panthers (late models) were a lot better however - even considering that the engine was not diesel.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by AtW
                  Yes, this one: http://www.achtungpanzer.com/t34.htm

                  T-34s still used around the world:

                  "As of 1996, T-34, mainly in it its 85mm variant was still in service with many nations including: Afghanistan, Albania (approx. 70), Angola (approx. 58), Guinea Bissau (approx. 10), Cuba (approx. 400), Mali (approx. 18), Romania (approx. 1000), Slovenia, Hungary (approx. 5), Vietnam, Bosnia and other nations."

                  Panthers (late models) were a lot better however - even considering that the engine was not diesel.
                  The Panther had one major problem, unreliability. Although it was a superb piece of tank design with many features years ahead of its time, it was technically complex and not suited to the war of attrition the Wehrmacht found itself in on the Eastern Front. What was needed was a tried and trusted piece of machinery, that could be produced quickly from modular components.

                  Good job the German tank designers didn't think of sloping the armour while they were designing the Tiger.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Lucifer Box
                    The Panther had one major problem, unreliability.
                    Late models were fine - it is the first ones that were rushed in time for Kurst battle that were really bad, but this is to be expected. Panther G was a fine tank, certainly better than any T-34: best Russian crewed were issued with captured Panthers and they were in heavy demand - very good suspension that allowed to move fast on rough terrain.

                    Panther was what they needed, but they lacked manpower anyway - fundamentally there were less people in Germany than in Russia, so even though Germans were very good and could inflict very heavy losses ultimately 3 to 1 overall advantage, and on key attack routes it was way bigger than that meant that they would have to lose at some point: nuclear weapons were the only hope really.

                    Comment

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