http://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-art ... urope.htmlA7V tank from World War I on the bottom Wieprz river? It may be the first original in Europe!
The wreck lies in Wieprz near Lubartow at a depth of about four meters. It lies on the bottom of the river, tower down. You can see the bottom of the tank and a portion of rear track – a member of the group “Reconstructive 8 Legions Infantry Regiment” said.
The dimensions of the wreck and its shape suggests that it may be German tank A7V of the First World War. We checked and it does not fit into any other equipment. We want to extract and reconstruct – added Zydlewski. The wreck was found during searches in Wieprz river for remnants of the battle of Kock. This was the last great battle fought in the area in September 1939 by soldiers of the Independent Operational Group General Franciszek Kleeberg against German troops.
This fall, the wreck has been carefully examined by divers. To reconstruct the tank plans of a tank A7V have been obtained from the archives in Dresden. Now they are raising funds for the extraction of the wreck. They have already promised help by the local authorities of Lubartow Kock.
The A7V could have been used as an artillery tractor in the Polish Army, which in 1920 Wieprz was moving on the offensive against the Bolsheviks – says Zydlewski. In his opinion before the tank, but rather its chassis, in Poland could be in private hands.
After World War I the German tanks, without arms, were sold to private buyers. They serverd as tractors to transport tree trunks. When the war broke out with Russia, this type of equipment was requisitioned for the army – says Zydlewski. Germans produced only several dozen A7V tanks in 1918. These machines were approximately 9 m long with a width of 4 meters and a height of 3 meters.
They were equipped with a cannon and six machine guns, the crew consisted of a dozen people. There is no original of the tank in Europe A copy is in the museum in Munster. Even if only a part of the tank remains it will be a very valuable exhibit – says Zydlewski.
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