My visit to Latvia

[Lacplesis]

I just returned from Latvia and have posted this return on my website
http://www.lacplesis.com/Latvian_Military_Visit.htm

[Annelie]

Thanks for sharing.

4400 km in two weeks? That is a lot of driving but it seems it still allowed you time to accomplish what you strived for.

[sniper1shot]

A very VERY interesting site you have posted.

Some questions for you though. In no order.
1) What books did you buy....and were they in English too?

2)What is the cockpit of....what type of fighter?

3)Who is Capt Zolts, and what is he remembered for?

4)You mentioned that the Latvians were double-crossed by the Germans for not helping but then mention in one of your descriptions the Latvians were double-crossed by the Russians? I am sorry, but missed what you meant.

5)Was there any Geman Armour in the museums? Any to be found anywhere? NICE photos of the Soviet Armour too.

6)The last few pictures did not post........might be my computer though.

Thanks again for the information and pics of your tour.

[Lacplesis]

In response to Snipershot.:
All the books except one are in Latvian. The one in Latvian/English is 430 pages of the 60th year remembrance of the Latvian Legion in photographs from the start to the finish. The photographs are described in English and Latvian.
It is available at http://www.balticshop.com/category.msql ... nd_Culture for $65. It comes with CD of Latvian Legionnaire songs.
I do not know the type of plane the cockpit came from and the wife of the owner of the museum said they found it in the woods.
Captain Zolts was a hero in the Latvian Revolution and was killed in 1919 defending Riga from the Germans.
Question 4 was a misinterpretation of the timelines. At Mores most Latvians thought that the Germans retreating from Estonia would defend Riga but they scurried through to Kurzeme. The Russian betrayal was WWI when the Latvian Strelnieki (Riflemen) threw back Hindenburg before Riga and occupied their trenches only to be replaced by Russians. When Hindenburg attacked, they ran all the way back to Riga and beyond and the next thing was the Russian Revolution.
There were no large German armaments for it was anti-Soviet to have anything „Nazi” during the occupation of Latvia by Russia so it was destroyed.

[sniper1shot]

Thanks for the answers.

[phylo_roadking]

buggr buggr buggr i KNOW that cockpit, its a 2seat tandem trainer, I'll try to remember!

Is THIS the tank "recently rescued" and made to run you were talking about???




If it is, thae same group have also recovered a StuG now from a cargoship sunk just offshore in the Baltic, and was carrying several and Jadgtigers as deck cargo.

phylo

[Lacplesis]

No. the one you pictured has German markings and was the one I was looking for but noone knows where it went. Two of the ones in the picture are described in http://www.welcometowallyworld.com/plan ... utomobile/

While looking up something or other on the net I came across this fascinating story on two World War II era Soviet tanks that were recovered from a Latvian bog seven years ago -

In August 1999 at the Kurland battlefield, Latvia, two Soviet tanks: a T-34/85 and a IS-2 of the 19th Tank Corps were extracted from the bog by a group of enthusiasts after being entombed for fifty five years. Incredible.

They'd sunk in the marsh without crews and any damage while attempting to break through the German defense lines.

The tanks were in good condition, particularly the T-34/85. After changing the engine-oil and some starter parts and refueling, the enthusiasts were able to start the engines and drive the tanks.

Presumably the 1944 Russian tankmen didn't notice the danger as the bog surface was covered with a thick layer of snow at the time. The tanks entered the bog at high speed, lost the ability to maneuver and quickly sank. Presumably after the crews had bailed out.

The 19th corps lost 46 tanks in that fight - some of them sinking in the bog.

The tanks were very well preserved, especially the T-34. Their battalion numbers, painted in white, were clearly visible: A-412 (T-34) and 304 (IS-2). The tanks were almost fully armed and equipped with spare parts and instruments sets. Both tanks were lying upside down in the bog.

The amazing thing is that the mixture of motor oil and leaked diesel fuel had perfectly preserved the tanks and their working parts. And the ammunition, after cleaning, was able to be fired - several bursts of machine-gun fire were made using ammunition taken from the same tanks. etc.

[phylo_roadking]

Also the coldness of the bog water for most of the year. It stops chemical reactions like rust! Hence remarkably complete aircraft being recovered from lakes recently

phylo

[AAA]

@Lacplesis

Great trip report

I was under the impression that the IS-2 at the Kurzemes Katls Museum in Zante was the one they pulled from the swamp?

@phylo

The tank in your photo was in Estonia, was supposed to end up in some local museum ... no idea where it has ended up ....