Joris Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Currently I'm reading the latest After the Battle book, Rückmarsch. In the book they tell of various german vehicles sunk during the ferry operation in their retreat. I keep wondering if these vehicles were ever recovered or if they are still at the bottom. The book gives details including locations of various tanks, including Tigers, where they fell off their ferry or were tipped over if they were holding up the retreat. Would these tanks / vehicles be recoverable and would anything be left of it? The vehicles found in the easter european marches come out remarkably well... Does anybody have any more information on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeEnfield Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 Currently I'm reading the latest After the Battle book, Rückmarsch. In the book they tell of various german vehicles sunk during the ferry operation in their retreat. I keep wondering if these vehicles were ever recovered or if they are still at the bottom. The book gives details including locations of various tanks, including Tigers, where they fell off their ferry or were tipped over if they were holding up the retreat. Would these tanks / vehicles be recoverable and would anything be left of it? The vehicles found in the easter european marches come out remarkably well... Does anybody have any more information on this? Joris, I believe the stuff being recovered from those marshes went down into a peat type material, which dus to its composition, does partially conserve objects imersed into it. (look at the Bog-Bodys, age old humans who are remarkably preserved, due to the peat bog.) Think stuff going into 'normal', water won't fair very well, at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick W Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 I think the person to ask would be Kevin Wheatcroft! If anyone knows about these he does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted November 3, 2007 Share Posted November 3, 2007 I remember seeing a doccumentary on a related subject about 25 years ago, and it showed current film of a French river with lots of remains of softskin vehicles sticking up through the water. Chassis, axles, wheels and tires were all clearly visible but it was all rusted beyond any possible use even back then. All probably gone by now. Tim (too) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Bet the anglers were well chuffed with that lot :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 What we think of as 'Treasure' they think of as a B8888 nuisance. The States of Jersey decided to save a lot of kit for posterity by sealing it an disused tunnel. Then promptly forgot about it. In the early '60s two young lads broke in and were suffocated. The result was the a team led by Blashford Snell came over and cleared it all out. It is covered in one of his books but can't remember the name, something to do with Elephants. He tells a ghost story about having a man with him in the tunnel thinking it was his oppo but then finding his oppo had left. A great deal of kit was loaded onto barges and sailed to Hurds Deep off Alderney and dumped, other kit including the Mirus guns were cut up for scrap. The post war economics were such that it was 'Export or die', one of the reasons Landy's have aluminium body work. When we were in Normandy in 2005 one of the Moggies was playing up, 2 old French guys, in their 80's came up started fiddling and off she went, running like a dream. I was talking to one of their sons. He told me that they ran a transport firm which had been started by his Farther and uncle, the 2 old guys,just after the liberation. The had taken a pair of horse, pulled in a dozen or so shot up Morris C8s, built three out of the bits and started delivering stuff round the local farms and villiages etc. The Allies had recognised that this was an essential service and allowed them fuel, they are still at it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessie The Jeep Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 They could well be in very good condition. So long as the water is fresh water, not salt, the colder the better, and if they have settled into silt on the bottom, chances are they are in excellent condition. Several navy warbirds were recovered from Lake Michigan in the US ( it was a training area ) and many have been restored to static or flying condition. A whole B-17 was pulled out of a river in I think Canada recently and is being restored to fly. As far as I know, it depends on the temperature and oxygen content of the material the item is resting in. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Cold water deep down can lead to anerobic (no oxygen) conditions. In this case stuff does survive. When back in the days of my youth people used to lose outboards over the back, we would recover and immediatley plunge back into water till they were got to a tank where they were soacked in parrrafin disiel mix. I think the oldest one we rescued had spent about 3 months in salt water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 During the 2003 summer some German riverboats were discoverd in the shallow water of the Donau/Danube if I remember correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joris Posted November 4, 2007 Author Share Posted November 4, 2007 Think of the gems that can still be out there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted November 4, 2007 Share Posted November 4, 2007 Hi, there is a site called "detector web" IIRC that due to low river levels in former Russia, several tanks aemoured vehicles are being saved from thier watery tombe`s Also rember that due to enviromental issues some tanks are being rescued by goverment agencies to prevent fuel etc polluting rivers and lakes Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 5, 2007 Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi, there is a site called "detector web" IIRC that due to low river levels in former Russia, several tanks aemoured vehicles are being saved from thier watery tombe`s Also rember that due to enviromental issues some tanks are being rescued by goverment agencies to prevent fuel etc polluting rivers and lakes Ashley Couldn't find it. Got a link maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashley Posted November 5, 2007 Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi Enigma try this detectorweb.cz Ashley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enigma Posted November 5, 2007 Share Posted November 5, 2007 Hi Enigma try this detectorweb.cz Ashley Thanks!! Took me a while to notice the top 10... :oops: The Stug and T34 still had visible markings!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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