Can A Mech Do this?

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2002-12-07 09:41am

An OT-34 being pulled from a lake after 55 years on the bottom.

After a short cleaning out of the engine, they fired 'er up and drove
her away!

Post by **Vympel** » 2002-12-07 09:49am

You are KIDDING ME.

I've heard that they've pulled more than several T-34s and such out of swamps in Russia- some bogged and sank during offensives apparently-

What model is it ... 1942 build methinks *shrug*

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2002-12-07 10:00am

Vympel wrote:You are KIDDING ME.

Nope.

http://pkka.narod.ru/frames1.htm

PIX archived on my site for FASTER ACCESS!

The Great Patriotic War ended 54 years ago but its traces are still very much present almost everywhere in Russia. Moscow is no exclusion. Aside from bombs and shells, found from time to time, and memorials, the whole tank was located in one of the lakes around the city. Moscow was much smaller 50 years ago. The lake, which is now almost within city limits, was just another lake among villages around Moscow.

Among the residents of this part of Moscow a man was found, who was on active duty with the unit,which lost this tank during the war. The tank belonged to the 31st Guard Independend Brigade of flame throwing tanks (ex-265th Brigade). After Stalingrad battle the brigade was moved in Moscow area for rest and replenishment. The tank was just received brand new from Nizhniy Tagil Works. It was lost during tactical training when the tank got into the swamp during the simulation of the frontal attack. The crew escaped. The tank commander was later killed during fight for Pavlovgrad.

Numerous attempts at the time to retrieve the tank failed. The traces of these attempts were very much evident during preparation works.Almost 50 m of towing cabel were found around the tank.

But for some time the evidences that there was a lost tank in a lake practically within Moscow remained unchecked among other projects. The retrieval of T-34 in the end of the last year, covered at this site, raised the spirit of Ekipazh guys. Experience gained during the last operation was to help when it was decided that the winther was exactly the time for a new one. Analysis of the terrain specifics, such as unstable shore and probable location of the tank in a few meters from it, proved that the operation was better carried out in winther time.

The tank was yet to be located when the first preliminary discussions with authorities started. Simultaneously the salvage technics was searched for. The process was slow enough but there was progress here and there.

What was known about the tank? Not much. Just that during the war a T-34 was lost in the lake Black. The lake itself is almost within limits of morern Moscow. The location of the tank was yet to be pinpointed. The search was carried with the help of mass detectors. The group succeeded in getting detectors of different types and brands. Finally, the Russian (!) made experimental detector FT-100 showed the presence of big mass deep in the water under 60-cm ice.

The tank turned out to be modification OT-34/76, that is, T-34 with the flame thrower. You can find article about flame throwers on this site. Also it is of the same type as tank in Episodes. According to the preliminary investigation, currently it is the sole tank of this type .

The turret is so called type 1943, enhanced 2-men turret. Notable are all metal wheels except one on each side, and presence of additional external fuel tanks fastened in the rear part.

The tank was taken to Kubinka for expertise. Further fate of this tank is yet to be decided by the authorities of Moscow district, on territory of which the lake is situated.

guyver · Post by **guyver** » 2002-12-07 10:39am

Thats cool.

I heard in Germany back in the 80's a farmer was clearing a hill in his field and hit an undergrond hanger holding a near perfect ME-262.

Yogi · Post by **Yogi** » 2002-12-07 10:55am

That's nothing! Turn A Gundam was lying unused for hundreds of tousands of years, and it wtill worked fine.

*Joke*

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2002-12-07 01:26pm

DAYUMN!

Post by **NecronLord** » 2002-12-07 01:39pm

[devil's advocate]I can find you examples of 40K titans that have lain dormant for mellenia. [/devil's advocate]

But as previously stated they would seriously resent the term 'mech'

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2002-12-07 01:46pm

BattleTech Banshees are all at least 270 years old at the time of the invasion of the Clans. Most of them have been in service during that entire time (longer than the USS Constitution has existed today), but every so often old Star Leagure-era Mechs are recovered from old colony worlds.

Zaku-chan · Post by **Zaku-chan** » 2002-12-07 01:58pm

Turn-A Gundam was buried for at least 50 years, and was able to start up with no problems.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2002-12-07 01:59pm

ICK

The mecha fans have arrived

Zaku-chan · Post by **Zaku-chan** » 2002-12-07 02:02pm

What?

He asked, I answered. What's the deal?

Post by **NecronLord** » 2002-12-07 02:04pm

Never mind

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2002-12-07 02:11pm

Zaku-chan wrote:Turn-A Gundam was buried for at least 50 years, and was able to start up with no problems.

Submergence is far more destructive.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2002-12-07 02:51pm

I could have sworn that House Steiner was producing Banshees all the way through the Succession Wars.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2002-12-07 03:38pm

Sea Skimmer wrote:
Zaku-chan wrote:Turn-A Gundam was buried for at least 50 years, and was able to start up with no problems.
Submergence is far more destructive.

Yeah, corrosion and pressure effects are much stronger with submersion.

Post by **NecronLord** » 2002-12-07 03:41pm

NecronLord wrote:[devil's advocate]I can find you examples of 40K titans that have lain dormant for mellenia. [/devil's advocate]

But as previously stated they would seriously resent the term 'mech'

Now that I think about it I remeber that they are stored in Stasis.

Jason von Evil · Post by **Jason von Evil** » 2002-12-07 03:42pm

Damn, the Russians must be really desperate for cash, if they're pulling crap out swamps.

Exonerate · Post by **Exonerate** » 2002-12-07 03:55pm

In Anime, Mechs can do anything

data_link · Post by **data_link** » 2002-12-07 04:19pm

Exonerate wrote:In Anime, Mechs can do anything

Only if they aren't leos.

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2002-12-07 05:37pm

consequences wrote:I could have sworn that House Steiner was producing Banshees all the way through the Succession Wars.

Merde. That's what I get for not reading my sources properly. The Banshees are Star League-Era mechs, but even though Star League technology was lost, it doesn't say they stopped producing Banshees, only that they were relegated to fire-support lances. My mistake.

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2002-12-07 05:46pm

I think I'll take a little stroll down to my nearest war zone and see if I can find me one of them babies...

But yeah, mechs could do that, to much intergrated and complex systems in comparrison to a mechanical, skid turning tank

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2002-12-07 06:18pm

A REALLY advanced Mech might be able to last that long, but I want to see a primitive second generation Mech (as in 20 years newer then the first Mech ever built) survive that.

Icehawk · Post by **Icehawk** » 2002-12-08 02:44am

I heard in Germany back in the 80's a farmer was clearing a hill in his field and hit an undergrond hanger holding a near perfect ME-262.

Lucky bastard!

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2002-12-08 07:35am

Did the guy keep the ME-262?