Lifting the KV-1 tank on the Nevsky patch

On August 11, 2002, the OPEN SEA scuba diving team together with the MGA search detachment, examining the channel of the Neva, discovered a KV-1 heavy tank 30 meters from the shore, which, during the storming of Nevsky Pyatachka by Soviet troops in the fall of 1941, could not complete the crossing and sank, having gone under water from a shot through pontoon. Film by Andrey Gerasimenko.

Rise of KV-1 tanks from the bottom of the Neva River(same as above) and T-38 discovered in the area of ​​the "Nevsky patch".

Lifting the T-34-76 tank from the Black Lake to Kosino

Lifting the Sherman М4А2 tank (USA) Cherkasy region.

Tractor "Stalinets-65"

During the search expeditions ANO PK "Ariergard" was found and raised in the village of Belodedovo, Zapadnodvinsky district of the Tver region (September 2012), and after that the unique tractor "Stalinets-65" was restored and put on the move in the restoration workshop. The uniqueness of this model lies in the presence of a cab.

Armored hood "crab"

In 2008, in the city of Novodruzhevsk, in the courtyard of a private house, a German-made machine-gun armored canopy "Crab" was found buried in the ground. According to local residents, during the war, there were no residential buildings in this place, but the German defense line passed. A reinforced concrete German bunker measuring 3 x 3 meters and a height of 1.8 meters was also discovered next to the excavated armored hood. In the center of the bunker there is a well with drinking water.

Lifting the remains of a captured KV-2 tank

Lifting the T-34/76 tank Cherkasy region. Sank on 07.01.1944 in the Rotary Tikich river

Lifting of the personalized Soviet tank T-34-76 "Brave"

On May 7, 2009, the Search Club "Rearguard" in the village of Malakhovo, Pskov region, raised a personalized Soviet tank T-34-76 "Brave". According to the archives, this tank went to the front directly from the parade on Red Square in Moscow ...

The rise of the Soviet tank T-34-76 "Sniper"

The rise of a tank from the Second World War in the Novosokolniki district, Pskov region in 2003. The rise was made for the museum in Kubinka Search squad"Height", which is headed by Andrey Zabelin.

The rise of the Soviet tank KV-1 from the bottom of the Neva

On November 16, 2011, a Soviet KV-1 tank was lifted from the Neva River, St. Petersburg with the help of a floating crane. The Search Club "Rearguard" handed over the raised tank to the St. Petersburg Museum "Battle for Leningrad".

The rise of the German self-propelled gun StuG-40

As a result of a successful search expedition of the Search Club "Rearguard" in April 2002 in the Pskov region, the city of Velikiye Luki was found and raised the German self-propelled artillery installation StuG-40.

The rise of the Soviet tank T-34 "Dovator"

In the Pskov region, Velikoluksky district, in the village of Bor-Lazava, the Search Club raised a personalized Soviet tank T-34 - Dovator.

The rise of the Soviet tank T-70

The search club on September 20, 2001 in the Velikoluksky district, Pskov region, raised a Soviet T-70 tank from the swamp.

Lifting the BT-5 tank

CJSC "Iskatel", lifting of the BT-5 tank, the Neva river. 2008 year

Soviet tank found in ice hole, Volgograd region

RVPOO "Heritage" German tank PzKpfw III

In 2001, in the area of ​​Gureev village, Dubovsky district, Rostov region, RVPOO "Heritage", Volgodonsk, raised and donated to the Great Museum Patriotic War 1941-45 in Moscow, on Poklonnaya Hill, a German tank.

Remains of German Stug-III found in Belarus

Description of the search process for WWII tanks, methods of their excavation, a video about lifting the found tanks from the water and the swamp.

Or excavation on the battlefields is one of the areas of search activity. Usually, such excavations are carried out at the sites of the battles of the Great Patriotic War (WWII). Fallen aircraft, wrecked and sunken tanks, other types of weapons, personal belongings of soldiers and officers that have been lying for more than seventy years are found in the ground, at the bottom of rivers, lakes, swamps.

Trophies of war help to restore the picture of battles and soldier's life, to clarify individual combat episodes. Many collectors are willing to pay large sums for weapons of a unique or rare type, awards and other military rarities in good condition. But usually armored vehicles are sent for restoration, after which they end up in museums.

Before picking up a shovel, search engines and diggers collect information. The archives for 1941-1945 have become much more accessible than in Soviet times,. In addition, the Books of Memory, letters from the front, and many entries on military-historical sites and forums are trustworthy. The reward for the patient search are plans and diagrams lost among other documents, which show the place where tanks or aircraft fell into the river.

Unfortunately, there are few people left who have retained in their memory the details of the events of past battles. Most often, different versions and assumptions are expressed locally, but among them there are also valuable information. All information must be checked, as experience shows, even in the names of lists of irrecoverable losses, many mistakes were made in the names of settlements.

Well-preserved tanks are often found in swamps and lakes, where a thick layer of silt with a low oxygen content can protect the metal from corrosion. When the place where the tank or other military equipment sank is precisely established, it will not be possible to immediately start the ascent. Often, you first have to get permission from the local authorities, look for divers and heavy equipment.

Equipment and equipment for searching for tanks

There are many cases when tanks and other large rarities are removed almost in working order. Together with military equipment, they find ammunition, remnants of army trenches, personal weapons, and awards. The task of finding them is facilitated by new models of metal detectors, with the help of which it is possible to find objects of different shapes, sizes and purposes.

The depth at which the search is carried out depends on the size of the objects, the characteristics of the metal detector, the soil, and the peculiarities of the operator's work. The larger the object, the easier it is to detect it, even a few meters inland from the surface of the earth. If the iron is already heavily corroded by corrosion, the presence of oxides makes it difficult to recognize the metal.

When using, you should take into account the type and principle of operation of the device. For example, there are so-called deep metal detectors, they can detect metal objects lying at a distance of more than 2 m from the surface. There are metal detectors that do not recognize a large target at depth, but they will determine the location of small metal objects in a layer of soil several tens of centimeters thick. The operating frequency of the device affects the search - low is suitable for large objects, penetrates deeper into the soil.

If the search for tanks from the period of the Great Patriotic War or other military equipment is carried out in the water, then one cannot do without diving equipment (wetsuit, scuba gear, etc.).

Excavation, extraction of tanks from water, swamps

Officially registered detachments are engaged in the search for combat vehicles, and military specialists are helping to raise them. There is often a cordon of police officers. Often, the fuel tanks of tanks are full and the ammunition is unexploded, which poses a danger to people. It is necessary to be extremely careful to extract military rarities from the ground and water. Even one shell found, a mine or a grenade found is a reason to turn to the authorities and sappers.

For example, search engines found almost full ammunition, which in May 2007 raised the legendary "thirty-four", which had been lying since the Great Patriotic War (WWII) at the bottom of the lake near the village of Zelenkino, Pskov region. And in the summer of 2012, when the T-34/76 tank, which sank on January 7, 1944 in the Cherkasy region, was raised from the river, Ukrainian sappers defused more than 20 shells. Ammunition is usually detonated at landfills, in uninhabited places.

Video about lifting tanks

Finding, reaching from the bottom or digging up a tank is a huge piece of luck and a difficult technical task. On land, the top layer of earth is usually removed with an excavator, then excavated by hand. Human remains and small details that are necessary to identify the find are often found. The most costly and laborious process is retrieving combat vehicles from a swamp, river or lake.

Lifting the KV-1 tank

In the Kirovsky district of the Leningrad region, a Soviet tank KV-1, which sank during the Second World War, was lifted from the Neva with the help of a floating crane. The footage of the video, filmed on November 16, 2011 in the area of ​​"Nevsky Pyatachka", gives an idea of ​​the complexity of the entire rescue operation. The depth of the river in the area of ​​the uplift is about 15 m, the weather on the day of the work was stormy.

Almost from the first moments, when the tank on the boom of the floating crane soared into the air, the specialists of the search battalion of the Western Military District and the museum staff on its outward appearance suggested that the combat vehicle was in good condition. Further examination and final expert assessments confirmed the initial findings.

The remains of ammunition were found and removed in the KV-1 turret, but the bodies of the crew were not found. Apparently, people left the tank, which, most likely, was drowning while crossing on a pontoon. Rooms and others features combat vehicles will serve as a starting point for museum workers. They will be able to track the path of the tank and the crew, find those who know about the fate of the tankers.

The name of the legendary military leader Klim Voroshilov was given to a Soviet tank, first released in March 1940. The KV-1 took its first battle in the war with Finland during the breakthrough of the famous Mannerheim Line in December 1940. The tank also took part in the battles of the Great Patriotic War.

Lifting the tank T-34/76 "Brave"

The search engines from the Argergard club found the unique Soviet tank T-34/76 "Brave" in the village of Malakhovo (Pskov region). They lifted a 27-ton car from the swamp on May 7, 2009. The tank lay in silt at a depth of 5 m for 67 years. As it turned out after extraction, the thirty-four went into battle with a full set (more than 100 ammunition on board).

We managed to find local residents who remembered how the tank sank; they tried to get it more than once immediately after the war.

Raising the Stug-40 artillery mount

In the spring of 2002 near the town of Velikiye Luki, Pskov region, the search engines found and raised a German self-propelled artillery installation Stug-40, which had been lying in a swamp since the Great Patriotic War. With the help of a tractor, the self-propelled gun was removed onto a hard surface. The German combat vehicle was washed from dirt and silt. After that, numbers and symbols became clearly distinguishable on the armor. The process was filmed on a video that we bring to your attention.

It was not so long ago, the witnesses of those events are still alive, but they themselves began to be forgotten. And only excavations show how many were killed at that time.

A bit of history

It all began on June 22, 1941, when German troops entered the USSR. It suffered defeats for a long time, but at the end of 1942 a certain turning point took place. Germany began to lose one battle after another.

Ultimately, despite all the tricks, the Nazis lost the war. From a strong power, Germany turned into a weak one. Of course, other countries also suffered. But the greatest losses were suffered by the Soviet Union.

Excavations during the Great Patriotic War show how large-scale some of the battles were, allow you to see the whole picture. Of course, many are now discovering Interesting Facts about which nothing was known. But nothing diminishes human losses, crippled fortunes, broken families.

Places where big battles took place in Russia

As is known from history, during the Second World War, several large battles took place, in which many people died, a large amount of equipment was destroyed. Consider the most famous of them, which were on the territory of the then Soviet Union.

Moscow battle

It is divided into two stages: the first (30.09.1941-5.12.1941), when Moscow was defended, and the second (5.12.1941-20.04.1942), when the Germans were attacked and further defeated. This fight was very important point in the war. The Russian soldiers realized that the German army was not so invincible, which undoubtedly strengthened their fighting spirit.

Battle of stalingrad

It is also divided into two stages. The defensive lasted from 07/17/1942 to 11/18/1942, and the offensive - from 11/19/1942 to 02/02/1943. This battle was won, which marked the beginning of the victory of the Soviet Union over the German invaders. However, there were still many battles ahead.

Battle of Kursk

The defensive stage was relatively small: from 07/05/1943 to 07/23/1943. The offensive lasted a little longer: from 07/12/1943 to 08/23/1943. Obviously, previous victories affected. The moment of the offensive on the Germans marked the beginning of the liberation of such cities as Oryol, Belgorod and Kharkov. Also as a result of this battle Soviet troops went on the offensive against the enemy. This battle is also significant in that the largest tank battle took place at the same time (near Prokhorovka).

Even now, excavations continue at the sites of those battles. They result in numerous finds not only of the remains of people who died at that time, but also of military equipment. However, the main purpose for which these excavations of the Great Patriotic War are carried out is still the identification of the dead, sending data about them to their relatives, erecting monuments at the battlefield, etc.

Places of great battles in other countries

A big battle also took place on the territory of Belarus, also known as Operation Bagration. His goal was to defeat the German group "Center", as well as the liberation of the Belarusian lands. It was a very large-scale operation, during which the enemy was thrown from many territories. Also, a lot of people and equipment were lost by the Germans.

Another big and final battle took place in Germany - this is the so-called liberation event in 1945. To participate in it, troops from the Belarusian and Ukrainian fronts were attracted. The operation ended on May 8.

In these places, excavations of the Great Patriotic War are also carried out, the remains of soldiers and old equipment are found.

Research features

Excavations of the Second World War, as noted above, continue today. True, finds are no longer occurring on the same scale, often it happens by accident. For a long time, the so-called so-called competed with the official excavations, of course, they were only interested in profit, because the trophies of the Second World War were highly valued (and even now interest in them has not faded away) on the black market.

If we talk about today, then the excavations of the Great Patriotic War are carried out only by enthusiasts. There are whole groups, clubs that are strong in their patriotism. They study history in more detail to conduct accurate searches. In order to implement them, different techniques are needed. For example, non-mined mines of those times can still be found. Then you need knowledgeable person(sapper) to neutralize them.

Lifting heavy equipment from the bottom of water bodies, swamps or lakes also requires tools. First, you need to pinpoint its location with a metal detector. Secondly, sometimes official permission is required. Thirdly, you need to hire divers, lifting equipment and much more.

Excavations in Belarus

Excavations of the Great Patriotic War are being intensively carried out in Belarus. A great battle also swept through this country, which left behind a large number of dead people and broken or abandoned equipment. The state has created many special search groups that are looking for the burials of soldiers so that they can be identified and reported to their relatives. Of course, this is not always possible.

Excavations in Russia

It is difficult to imagine how great were the human losses during the war, as well as how much equipment was destroyed. For example, an officer's grave of the Germans was found in Belgorod. Those killed during the battles of Kursk were brought here. They continued to bury the soldiers here until Belgorod was liberated. All of them have been identified.

Only recently carried out excavations of the Great Patriotic War in the Kaluga region have made it possible to find a burial in which twenty people were identified. By the way, this happens very rarely, since a sufficient amount of time has passed.

The land in the vicinity of the Prokhorovsky district (one of the places still every year gives out some artifacts of the Great Patriotic War. Among them there are also dangerous items (mines, grenades). Every time you have to call sappers to neutralize them.

And so it happens throughout the territory modern Russia... They try to restore each find as much as possible (if it is a thing). When the remains are found, they do everything necessary to establish the identity of the deceased.

Famous tanks that were used during World War II

From the documents and photos of the excavations of the war, one can judge what kind of weapons were used. In particular, tanks. Indicative is the battle near Prokhorovka, where about 400 enemy vehicles were destroyed. But in addition to this battle, such military equipment was used throughout the war. Some tanks were modernized, others were produced in small numbers, and some models are still in use.

From the side of the Germans, the following machines were delivered:

• “Panther” - this medium tank was considered one of the best, even having some shortcomings, it was first used in the Battle of Kursk.
• “Tiger I” - this tank was heavy and very expensive.
• Series of tanks Panzerkampfwagen.

On the part of the Soviet Union and the countries that were on its side, the following technique was used:

• T-34 - tank moderate, has many modifications. The T-34-85 is still available among the existing equipment in some countries, it was considered the best during the Second World War.
• "Matilda" is an English tank.
• A series of KV tanks.
• Series of tanks IS.
• Valentine is a Canadian tank.

Excavation of tanks: interesting facts

The ongoing excavations of tanks of the Great Patriotic War are very significant for history. Some pieces of equipment exist in several copies, for example, the T-60 tank is now available in the amount of six pieces in more or less good condition. These tanks were very light, due to this they had great speed and maneuverability. The Germans called them "indestructible locusts".

Also in Ukraine was found a T-34 tank, which is about seventy years old. Such samples were produced during the Second World War for only a couple of years. After they were replaced by more advanced tanks. Such specimens have been found in two places.

Some time ago, a scandal erupted over the raised T-70 tank, which was found in the Rostov region. They tried to take him out illegally, without any documents. It is believed to be for a private collection.

Thus, we can say that this technique is highly valued in the world. Of course, this is also a great treasure from the point of view of history. Today there are many more similar burials, even known ones. But it is not always possible to get the tanks, as well as obtain an official permit for excavation.

Great Patriotic War museums

Now the museums contain numerous finds that have been found in places where excavations of the Great Patriotic War were carried out (photo below). Of course, not all of them get there, but still. Every country has museums of the Great Patriotic War, and sometimes there are even several of them. For example, in Russia they are available in Moscow) and St. Petersburg.

Also, a large memorial complex is located in Kiev, it is represented by a huge variety of exhibits (more than fifteen thousand).

The museum in Minsk is no less grandiose. It contains at least 143 thousand items. They are all displayed in chronological order.

Recent finds

Excavations of the Great Patriotic War in 2014 also yielded many finds. These are various burials and different equipment. For example, in January a bomber was found near the village of Sirgal. Even the pilot who was sitting at the helm was identified. And in Volgograd, numerous shells of the Second World War were discovered. And there are many such cases. That which ended a long time ago fills the present day with its echoes.