WOW !

[ONETINSOLDIER]

WW II Russian tank with German markings uncovered after 62 years.�WW II Buffs will�

�find this interesting.�Even after 62 years (and a little tinkering), they were able to�

�fire up the diesel engine!�

�A Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer pulled the abandoned tank from its tomb under the�

�boggy bank 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-ton�

�machine with a top speed of 53 km/hr.

�

�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 19th September, 1944, German troops began an organized retreat along the Narva�

�front. It is suspected that the tank was then purposefully driven into the lake to conceal

�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 armored�

�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 of 2000 they turned to Mr. Aleksander Borovkovthe, manager of the Narva�

�open pit 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

�recorded 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 for 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 active force required to retrieve it was similar. A main requirement for the 68-ton�

�dozer was to have enough weight to prevent slippage 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 alll 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 underway to fully restore the�

�tank. It will be displayed at a war history museum in the Gorodenko village on the�

�left bank of the River Narv.

 

sorry for the other goofy stuph in the text,

Edited February 9, 2009 by gwar

[+Dave]

Wow is right, its in remarkable shape.

[Slartibartfast]

Talk about the one that got away it was this big......