Dale help with books SdKfz 7
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Re: Dale help with books SdKfz 7
I bought this off eBay, 112 pages all in color with great detailing photos geared towards modeling.
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Re: Dale help with books SdKfz 7
Hello all.
The subject matter of this book is an 8 ton recovered from a deep ravine in the former Czech Republic in 1994, restored and now owned by an eminent Czech Wehrmacht vehicle restorer.
The recovery was something of a contentious matter as an English friend of mine had agreed to buy the wreck, unseen, and thus travelled to Czechoslovakia with a wedge load of cash to buy it. Sadly for him, a local guy who had agreed to help and recover the wreck was somewhat unscrupulous. A large tractor had been summoned to winch the abandoned wreck out of the gully but it was too heavy. Therefore, it was decided to cut the chassis in half, winch each part out separately and weld back together at a later date. This worked but, when the 2 parts were safely on level ground and ready for loading onto a truck, local allegiances came into play and a third party overruled my friend and decided to have the vehicle for himself.
My friend was furious and massively disappointed but could do nothing faced with local opposition and threatening behaviour. He came home empty handed but eventually bought another wreck salvaged from an Austrian river near Brno. This halftrack had been on its way with a column to surrender to American forces in 1945 when it hit a landmine just before a bridge and thus blocked the road. It was unceremoniously pushed off the bridge and into a deep, fast flowing river where it lay hidden till the mid 90's. A local diving team had heard rumours from oldtimer locals about this "Nazi" machine apparently still being in the water. Cleared of rock debris and raised with lifting bags, it eventually broke surface and began its long journey to the UK.
One grisly discovery was that of a boot trapped between the clutch and brake pedals - it contained the bony remains of the poor driver's foot.
All interesting stuff and one of several stories I can narrate concerning the finding and recovery of these vehicles up until the early 2000's.
All the best from Normandy.
The subject matter of this book is an 8 ton recovered from a deep ravine in the former Czech Republic in 1994, restored and now owned by an eminent Czech Wehrmacht vehicle restorer.
The recovery was something of a contentious matter as an English friend of mine had agreed to buy the wreck, unseen, and thus travelled to Czechoslovakia with a wedge load of cash to buy it. Sadly for him, a local guy who had agreed to help and recover the wreck was somewhat unscrupulous. A large tractor had been summoned to winch the abandoned wreck out of the gully but it was too heavy. Therefore, it was decided to cut the chassis in half, winch each part out separately and weld back together at a later date. This worked but, when the 2 parts were safely on level ground and ready for loading onto a truck, local allegiances came into play and a third party overruled my friend and decided to have the vehicle for himself.
My friend was furious and massively disappointed but could do nothing faced with local opposition and threatening behaviour. He came home empty handed but eventually bought another wreck salvaged from an Austrian river near Brno. This halftrack had been on its way with a column to surrender to American forces in 1945 when it hit a landmine just before a bridge and thus blocked the road. It was unceremoniously pushed off the bridge and into a deep, fast flowing river where it lay hidden till the mid 90's. A local diving team had heard rumours from oldtimer locals about this "Nazi" machine apparently still being in the water. Cleared of rock debris and raised with lifting bags, it eventually broke surface and began its long journey to the UK.
One grisly discovery was that of a boot trapped between the clutch and brake pedals - it contained the bony remains of the poor driver's foot.
All interesting stuff and one of several stories I can narrate concerning the finding and recovery of these vehicles up until the early 2000's.
All the best from Normandy.
Last edited by graham pipe on Tue Jul 16, 2024 3:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Dale help with books SdKfz 7
Also take a look on this magazine Vol.34 , Dale :
Vol.34 is for 8-Tonne , Vol.16 for 12-Tonne and Vol.12 & Vol.43 for 18-Tonne half tracks.
https://www.nuts-bolts.de/en/Magazines/
Regards,
Lerh Chang
Vol.34 is for 8-Tonne , Vol.16 for 12-Tonne and Vol.12 & Vol.43 for 18-Tonne half tracks.
https://www.nuts-bolts.de/en/Magazines/
Regards,
Lerh Chang
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Es braust unser Panzer im Sturmwind dahin.....
Es braust unser Panzer im Sturmwind dahin.....
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Re: Dale help with books SdKfz 7
Wow, great back story Graham on your friends missed SdKfz purchase!