Echoofwars

At the end of October, 2006 our Research Group checked some marshes in Vitebsk and Liozno Districts. There was a Front Line there since autumn 1943 until summer 1944. The Soviet Army made a number of attempts to brake through German positions around Vitebsk called "The Bear Wall" during those nine months.

The Germans created their fortifications on few islands in marshes near the local villages Khotemlia, Ivankovo, Kovalevo. Soviets tried to penetrate between islands, directly through deep marshes using corduroy or brushwood roads. Germans, in turn, counterattacked to close gaps. Finally, a lot of military equipment from both sides was lost or abandoned in and around local marshes. We found big number of magnetic anomalies and recovered Pz.Kpfw.III wheel as confirmation of their military nature.

Then our Club waited about one month while getting all necessary official permissions from local authorities, and on December, 2006 we came back to the same marshes for detailed search. Unfortunately, the weather corrected our plans: there was a temperature of 8?C below zero in October, but this time the temperature was constantly much above zero. You must be very patient and physically strong to be able to move through the marshy land in such conditions.

Our guys spent two weeks making corduroy-road to the center of the marsh. In fact, the Club members repeated the same job, as was done by the WW II soldiers. Due to the warm weather we had to load our wash-out pump and other equipment onto the pontoon and move it directly through the marsh. Next stage of reconnaissance proved our efforts: fragments of German tank were found.

The tank was disabled probably during the counterattack, and then blown up. Its pieces covered an area of about 50 m in diameter. The tank was identified when first fragments recovered. It was Pz.Kpfw.III Ausf.N painted in yellow African colour. Tanks of this type equipped with 75-mm gun were used in Africa as part of "Tiger I" Heavy Tank Battalions. Obviously, German High Command urgently transferred some of them to the Eastern Front without even changing the desert camouflage painting.

Technically this recovery operation was very difficult. As a result, we have recovered 75-mm gun barrel with recoil mechanisms, additional armoured front screen and commander's hatch.