Amazing Russian engineering

[my2002lightning]

Long story short, this was a captured Russian tank by the Germans in a WWII battle in Estonia. They repainted it with German markings and used it as a "trophy tank" to fight the Russians with maybe some thoughts of Sun Tzu in mind.:cool:

Basically, the Germans were leaving town and in a scorched earth move, decided to drive the T-34 tank off into a lake. A young Estonian boy noticed tank tracks going into the lake and none emerging - and bubbles emerging for ~2 mos.

The local war history buffs started diving the area and found it under a ton of water and silt - submerged for 56 years! They grab a huge Komatsu D375A-2 bulldozer and wrench it up top and actually get it started with evidently minimal mechanicing on the spot. :eek:

Story here:

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/

Vids here:

http://www.diving.ee/articles/art035.html

I've hit google and snopes to see if the report is bogus (this is '00 news, but still), nothing thus far to say it's other than legitimate.

I'd be interested to see how the main-gun shoots, too.:)

Ronald

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/P9140007.jpg

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/P9140010.jpg

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/P9140011.jpg

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/P9140020.jpg

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/P9140022.jpg

http://www.mil.hiiumaa.ee/2000_09_14_kurtna_T-34-36/P9140024.jpg

[Wht95Lightning]

That's pretty amazing. Now shove a mop down the barrel of that big gun to make sure it's clear and see if that ordinance is any good. :evil

[Silver_2000]

just handling the shells that are that old is dangerous as hell

[Moonshine]

and actually get it started with evidently minimal mechanicing on the spot.

What lead you to believe they got it running? All I read was "Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with no rust, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition."

I'm guessing the 3 meter layer of peat somehow kept it from rusting. Either way, pretty interesting story.

[SILVER2000SVT]

That's really cool.

If you read linked page within the story, it has a more recent update (a small paragraph in english) that says where they got the diesel running and has several more pics.

http://www.diving.ee/articles/art035.html

"Have successfully started the diesel engine not replacing any spare part.
Have replaced only bearings on skating rolls.
Assembly of the tank will soon come to the end and it will be ready to trial runs."

[my2002lightning]

Hmm, I saw that part, but on the second page it says that:

"Have successfully started the diesel engine not replacing any spare part.
Have replaced only bearings on skating rolls."

Too, the last video, it claims that it's the same tank once they pulled it out.

But, like you said Brian, interesting story either way.



What lead you to believe they got it running? All I read was "Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with no rust, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition."

I'm guessing the 3 meter layer of peat somehow kept it from rusting. Either way, pretty interesting story.

[PUMP]

What lead you to believe they got it running? All I read was "Remarkably, the tank was in good condition, with no rust, and all systems (except the engine) in working condition."

I'm guessing the 3 meter layer of peat somehow kept it from rusting. Either way, pretty interesting story.
Peat is formed from decayed vegetable matter in an Oxygene defficient environment. Since it is a Hydrocarbon fuel (and a dirty burning one at that) I would assume it has crude oil content. Also back in the early stages of the iron age, bog iron, from peat mires, provided the iron ore for the Viking swords and armor. With a 3-meter layer of peat, there would not have been much oxygene available to cause rust.

[Tex Arcana]

Peat is formed from decayed vegetable matter in an Oxygene defficient environment. Since it is a Hydrocarbon fuel (and a dirty burning one at that) I would assume it has crude oil content. Also back in the early stages of the iron age, bog iron, from peat mires, provided the iron ore for the Viking swords and armor. With a 3-meter layer of peat, there would not have been much oxygene available to cause rust.

Up in Canada, they're harvesting old-growth wood that sank into lakes during transport over 100-120 years ago, in perfect shape: the cold water and oxygen-deficient conditions helped preserve them.

I've read stories about old Russian WWII and pre-WWII tanks, where on initial startup and run, they have to start them and run them for about an hour, shut them down, drain the oil, and pull the oil pan, and clean out the 20-odd kilograms of iron shavings that broke loose from the original internal machining of the motors. :eek2: BUt once they were broken in, they would run forever on the worst fuels in the worst conditions. :bows

[Moonshine]

Hmm, I saw that part, but on the second page it says that:

"Have successfully started the diesel engine not replacing any spare part.
Have replaced only bearings on skating rolls."



Missed that. My bad.