DTGamer Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 A colleague just clued me in to this website. It appears to be a KV-1 tank (and a lot of other ordnance) being recovered from a lake. Lots of interesting stuff including what looks to be a skull and a radial airplane engine. Trouble is, the captions are in Russian (I think). Enjoy and, if you can translate some or all, please share. Site address: http://www.around.spb.ru/variety/kv/neva19042002/rcs_index.php dt 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hensworth Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 OK. This is what Babel Fish makes of it, roughly : Pic 1 More than 60 years ago this crossing was made... Pic 2 Almost 60 years ago this tank entered a pontoon bridge made up of metal boats from the far bank of the Neva Pic 3 Crew of 5, weight more than 48 tons, 3 DT machine guns, 76.2 mm gun, complete ammunition - 130 shells for the gun and bullets for the machine guns and side arms, repair equipment... Pic 4 Under cover of darkness they pulled the pontoon to the left shore. Almost on the shore, the pontoon evidently came under fire. The bulky object, weighing several tons, slid down into the water. Pic 5 Only now after 60 years has the tank completed its crossing. Pic 6 Can't make sense of it, something about rollers having been pulled to try and get the machine moving ? Pic 7 The system of pulleys with which the tank was drawn out of the water. Pic 8 General view of the salvage operation. Luckily, the water in the Neva was low, almost as in 1941 (according to eyewitness recollection). Pic 9 The tank was surprisingly well preserved. Under the growth (sic) is bright metal. Pic 10 Judging by its overall look, the tank had undergone a major overhaul. In the picture - scalded hole near the gun shield. Pic 11 "Unloading fire unit - disks" ??? Pic 12 Hatches above the engine. The metal shines as new. Pic 13 Hatch in the turret. Pic 14 In the turret it is incredibly tight. It's hard to understand how 5 people fit in here in warm winter clothing. Pic 15 Inside the turret. On the left the gun, on the right the sight (probably). Pic 16 Inside the tank, looking down. Seats are visible for the crew, to the left the gun. Everything is covered with a thick layer of mud or "solyarkoy" (?) (and therefore the entire tank was preserved so well). Pic 17 An additional find from the bottom of the Neva - an aircraft engine with fragments of a wooden propeller. Pic 18 Number of the engine. In principle it should be possible to determine the aircraft and when it was made. Pic 19 On the Neva five kopeck coin (?). Photograph from the entrenchment besides the former German positions. Pic 20 Souvenir of the times of war in the Neva. Pic 21 Neva "pyatachek" (?). On the shore : old gasmasks, boots. Size 43/1, something to the effect of it being a firm "runner". Pic 22 Remains of a light tank on the shore. Pic 23 Grenades, mines, antitank projectiles. Still life of the Neva five kopeck coin (maybe it refers to the area ?). Pic 24 Human remains are found next to the pontoon. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RSColonel_131st Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 That "five coin" could it be a "5 inch mortar"? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Great shots. Makes all the difference not having 25 coats of Aberdeen Proving Grounds paint applied to the vehicle! This deserves a bump. [ May 02, 2003, 11:40 AM: Message edited by: MikeyD ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbb Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Man, that thing would look GREAT in my backyard --and even better in my FRONTyard. CBB 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnersman Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Great pics! Whats with the red flowers in the bow gunner spot and there looks like one in one of th sprockets as well as well as a few others? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeyD Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 I'd imagine the flowers may have to do with commemorating the associated human remains found as well. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DTGamer Posted May 3, 2003 Author Share Posted May 3, 2003 Thanks for the help Sarge! Yeah, if you look closely at the vertical shot with the flowers, you can see the top of a skull. Some poor tanker just didn't get out in time. Good reference for anyone making a submersible KV-1! As a plastic modeler, I've squirrelled these shots away for future reference. There's just not that many good shots of a KV-1 out there. dt 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnergoz Posted May 3, 2003 Share Posted May 3, 2003 Originally posted by RSColonel_131st: That "five coin" could it be a "5 inch mortar"? I rather suspect that they're referring to the round machinegun magazines found in the vehicle...I forget which model it was, but at least one Russian tank MG was loaded via circular drum magazines mounted flat on top of the receiver...much like the WW1 Lewis gun did. I'm REALLY impressed with the amount of unexploded ordnance they brought up from the river bottom...soup to nuts variety. Russia is still littered with untold quantities of this stuff. And it's still deadly, too. There used to be a Russian military archaeology fan club web site but I've lost the URL for it...can anyone help? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saukopf Posted May 3, 2003 Share Posted May 3, 2003 Gunnergoz......this may be the russian war archaeology site you asked about. Clicking on the links on left hand page will give some neat pics showing old wartime afvs both german and russian that had been salvaged from rivers/ lakes in recent times. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saukopf Posted May 3, 2003 Share Posted May 3, 2003 sorry forgot to include the link ;o))) http://pkka.narod.ru/frames1.htm 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tankgunner Posted May 4, 2003 Share Posted May 4, 2003 ================ Pic 6 Can't make sense of it, something about rollers having been pulled to try and get the machine moving ? ================ AK: Tank wheels are rolling easily, the machine could be repaired to running condition. (NOTE: now I can say that it will not be running - local authorities decided to place the tank as a monument) =============== Pic 11 "Unloading fire unit - disks" ??? ================ AK: Unloading ammo. DT machine gun disks ================ Pic 16 Inside the tank, looking down. Seats are visible for the crew, to the left the gun. Everything is covered with a thick layer of mud or "solyarkoy" (?) (and therefore the entire tank was preserved so well). =============== AK: 'solyarka' is a diesel engine fuel ============= An additional find from the bottom of the Neva - an aircraft engine with fragments of a wooden propeller. =========== AK: That's from PO-2 night bomber ============ On the Neva five kopeck coin (?). Photograph from the entrenchment besides the former German positions. ========= AK "Pyatachek" should not be translated as "five copeck coin" . That is actually an area. Nevsky Pyatachek is a very small bridgehead which was held by Leningrad defenders against superior German forces. ============= Pic 21 Neva "pyatachek" (?). On the shore : old gasmasks, boots. Size 43/1, something to the effect of it being a firm "runner". ============= AK: The same, Nevsky Pyatachek is name of the area. ============ Pic 22 Remains of a light tank on the shore. ============= AK: That is T-26 wreckage Regards, Alexey Kalinin Moscow, Russia 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kettler Posted May 6, 2003 Share Posted May 6, 2003 Wonderful discovery! Years ago, an SU-76i was discovered in much the same way. Was in great shape, too. Thanks for the pics! Regards, John Kettler 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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