From: Nickolay Panov (patio@mail.ru)
Date: Sun May 30 2004 - 04:47:21 PDT
Hallo all.
I hurry to inform joyful news from Belarus. I inform this news with small delay - I drank plenty of vodka, marking this event. But, my health in the order and I am again capable to omit the fingers on the keyboard of the computer, and to find the necessary letters.
The German Tiger tank found our club Poisk . Has afflicted our pleasure only one fact - this Tiger is damaged by explosion. But, we hope there will be a complete set of parts and the tank will be not strongly damaged. This Tiger have not plundered marauders (looters) during war and after war. The machinegun MG34 was kept completely and is established on the place. When marauders (looters) plunder the tank, machineguns remove first of all. Therefore we are sure, that all parts of the tank will be on a place.
It became clear from preliminary survey (we immersed a metal rod in ground), the chassis a Tiger is kept completely. A contour of the tank knocks completely. Now we have dug out a hole in ground only sheet armor of front a Tiger. I personally touched by hands: bow machinegun mount, MG34, driver s vision port. All these parts are on their place and in good condition. But, the top sheet, which fastened to a sheet of front, it is not on a place. Probably it has broken by explosion. I could put other leg on a part MG34, which is inside the tank.
As the Tiger is in ground (the river on this place earlier) in low place, the dug out hole at once is filled by water. Therefore there is no opportunity to make photos it a Tiger up to the moment, when it will be lifted on a surface of ground. Though it is possible, when the dredge will work, water will not have time to cover the tank. At this moment it will be possible to make some photos. The guys will do it whenever possible.
The works on a raising found out by our club a Tiger will be postponed, it is probable. As I wrote earlier, our club has a lot of work, connected to a holiday of Freedom Belarus from fascism of the 3-rd of July. The Soviet tank BT-7, 1935, which our club has lifted from a bog and has restored up to a running condition, will open Parade of a Victory in Minsk. It is necessary to us well prepare the tank, that the tank were no breakages during parade. Also we want to find and to lift any Soviet tank to this holiday. Probably Tiger will be lifted only in July, after a holiday of Freedom.
The Tiger is found in a very beautiful place. Anyone, who will move on the automobile on a road of Brest - Moscow, can visit this place, meet of our guys and examine a Tiger by hands. The Tiger is found out on edge of a small settlement Kiseli (Кисели), near to city Orsha (Орша). On a road there is an index of turn on this settlement.
Our club has no website till now. I shall be glad, if anyone will render hospitality for my information. While I have only a few photos of a place, where the Tiger (hole dug out is found out and filled by water there is visible). Also photo shown, when I stand in water by legs on a machinegun MG34. I can give a map, on which the cross will designate, a place of detection of the Tiger tank. It will be probable by all interestingly to look on a map, where the Tiger is found. Probably someone can establish to what schwere Panzer Abteilung this Tiger belonged.
Best regards,
Nickolay Panov.
V.Gastinec, 75-86
222310, Molodechno
Republica Belarus
E-mail: patio@mail.ru; patio@omen.ru
Tel mobile: +375 29 666-94-04
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