A recently recovered Russian T34/76 in German markings (1 Viewer)

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Sierra

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Please find attacted pictures of a a recently recovered Russian T34/76 in German markings.

The pictures were supplied by Michael Green, the author.

The location has not yet been revealed. But I am hoping that is may end up at Jaques Littlefield Tank collection.

Mike
Sierra Toy Soldier Company

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Mike,

Has anyone proposed any explanations for the German marking on this Russian Tank?

Warm regards,

Pat
 
Don't know for sure but in North Africa for instance the Germans used captured Honeys and I wouldn't be surprised if they did the same where they captured tanks and other machinery.
 
My understanding is that as Germans advanced across Russia, they captured huge amounts of Russian Armor, weapons and other pieces of equipment. They repainted and re-used this equipment. Think of it as recycling. The Germans had great tanks, but they were over enginnered and hence prone to mechnical breakdown. The Russian design was simplier and easier to maintain from a mechanics viewpoint.


Mike
Sierra Toy Soldier
 
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Additionally, the Germans were always short of equipment. So, a simple but superior tank like the T34 was more than welcome...
 
There was a famous incident at Kursk where the Germans utilized some captured T-34's to lead a German force through the Soviet lines. Apparently it was a very successful tactic.
 
Mike

Fantastic thanks. The Germans did use lots of captured armour. I would rather borrow a T34 than ride a 37mm pz3 etc....
 
That is amazing! Finding a T34 in that kind of condition after all these years. How often to pieces of WWII vintage armor appear like that? I imagine those forum members from France, Belgium, Germany and Italy would hear about things like this more often than we do here in the States.
 
Louis,

here in Belgium, we mostly find bombs, 1st and 2nd world war ones. These are mainly found in fields, when a farmer is trying to spit his ground with the plough, and suddenly hits a bomb (luckily they don't explode...)! DOVO, the demining service of the Belgian army, has to clear a lot of this junk everyday.

I think finding armour like this, intact, is very hard. But if it happens, I'll keep you guys up to date...:p ;)

Anyways, there is still a lot to be discovered. Amateur archeologists still dig up trenches in the Ypres area. But to keep them intact, they're covered up again, put on the map, etc. so they can dig them up again, to say if they hadn't forgotten anything.
 
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Any ideas on what will happen to this tank? Will there be any kind of story to go with it? This would be a very interesting piece to follow.

Thanks,
Bill Sager
 
In the splendid book about El Alamein, War Without Hate, the authors mentioned that a few years back a Bedford truck was found intact, needing just a slight overhaul and that it actually ran. They also note that the battlefield is still full of mines that have, on occasion, still been lethal.
 
Brad,

That Long Range Desert Group Truck is on display in the Imperial War Museum. It may still run, but the truck reflects like a mirror: the desert sandstorms sandblasted all the paint off it!
 
Ahh, what a shame I didn't see it when I was there in 2004. Unfortunately, I wasn't the military fan I was then and certainly knew next to nothing about the Desert War.
 
Wow thats a really great find. It looks like a E model to me very interesting to see I wonder if its in Hungary or Poland? Hard to tell from pictures. You know that I have heard of other tanks being found in places around Europe and this one being in mud for the last 60 years hasnt hurt. Of course if there is any ordinance abord it will be fun for the recovery team to get rid of.

Very cool to see.

Dave
 
Wow,
Now thats a fishing trip....**** my lines snagged on something!........
Ray
 
Now that is a really cool story. Glad to see that they are restoring it and putting it in a museum.

l wish I could get up to see Jaques Littlefield's collection sometime. I saw parts of it on a television program about millionare hobbies. Must be nice to collect tanks for a hobby. Too bad the ATF won't allow him to fire them. War games with real ammo. Now that's an incentive to win.:p Michael
 
That was an interesting story and a rare find. Thanks for posting story. I like when they find pieces of history and artifacts from ancient times. John
 
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