WW II TANK FOUND AFTER 62 YEARS...sent to me by Alex

Subject: WW II TANK FOUND AFTER 62 YEARS...

An amazing story...

WWII Tank Found after 62 Years.

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 53km/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 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 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.

Preparing to pull it out.

People from the nearby village come to watch.

Komatsu D375A-2 is ready to go.

Here it comes...

Through the muddy bank of the lake

In mint condition.

Hosing off 62 years worth of 'muck.'

Incredibly, after a few minor repairs, they were able to start its
diesel engine.

Pretty amazing...

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