Russian tank recovery
 

Anyone seen this? I thought it was very interesting. Russian tank recovered with German markings. Brian http://englishrussia.com/?p=299

Saw this some time ago through Tanknet, pretty amazing isn't it?

I was expecting a rusty hulk to surface but it looked like you could wash the mud off and fire it up. I guess its been around but that was the first I had seen of it. Brian

The bog it was in seems to have preserved it, and didn't that site say something about them drying off the engine and starting it again? I'll bet they were a little careful about the live cannon rounds found onboard, though... :)

I had missed that,earlier had said everything worked but the engine but then stated it had been started. Wonder if those rounds would still go bang. :) Brian

Just goes to show the ruggedness of the original design. Amazing.

When we dug those Bren gun carriers out of a marsh/beach 8 years back, it was clear to see the difference where clay preserved and sand allowed rust. Between the clay, and the fact that omst things are frozen half the year here in Manitoba, a lot of the small rubber pieces and wood were well preserved, whereas on a carrier that had not been buried, these would have disentegrated long ago.

I think one of the guys salvaged one of the transmissions, but certainly the engines were all boat anchors.

Diesel
 

The site says after some small engine repairs it fired up. With the T34 being a diesel (very oily, I expect much heavier than today's variety too) I could see it running, but I would not expect the bearings to last very long before they turned on the crank. Also I would expect the fuel pump and injection system, being tight tolerances, needed to be replaced.
All that speculation aside, the swamp looks like it was anerobic, so very little oxygen to promote iron oxides. Very nice score. I would leave the German marking too, much more of a story.
Sean

... you can watch a small recovery video on you tube:

youtube

G'day All, Yes this has been around now for a while, also the engine is running as I saw a clip of it being fired up and running with a lot of foreign language most likely cheers and a few oath's said but yes it certainly would have to rank up there with some of the best WW2 archaeological finds of this century anyway all the best for the coming festive season cheers Dennis :sheep:
PS I do have the clip of it running but I dont know how to post

@dinty

Just post your video at www.youtube.com (free) and place the link here.

Merry Christmas to Down Under
Chris

Brian
 

Hi Brian,
Just watched that recovery for the tenth time really great I would have given my eye teeth to have been there when they pulled it out of that lake.
Regards,
Ron,

Hi Ron
You and me both!! Just amazing the shape its in, wonder if there is any more treasures in those lakes. Brian

treasures
 

Hi Brian.
You can bet your life there will be more in those lakes than has ever been found, you know how the miltary thinks? out of sight out of mind. Mmmmmmm they dont know how we think.
Ron.

The bit they never show.
 

I have watched this video quite a few times. The part left out is the section about the poor bugger they dangled in that nice warm bog to hook up the cables. I guess he has probably almost thawed out by now.