Unique Gun Salvaged from Barents Sea

 

Divers Northern Fleet raised from the bottom of the Kola Bay, an American anti-aircraft gun, which lay there for 70 years.

Earlier it was reported that the specialists of the search and rescue (UPASR) Northern Fleet (NF) completed the preparatory work in the area of the death of an American military transport ship "Thomas Donaldson" (type "Liberty"). During the Great Patriotic War, the ship participated in the composition of the Arctic convoy JW-65, who drove the Soviet Murmansk under the Lend-Lease ammunition, military equipment and other goods. In March 1945, "Thomas Donaldson" was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank near the entrance to Kola Bay (Barents Sea) at a depth of 60 meters.

Diving operations on the vessel began in 2014. Then we managed to raise to the surface of a well-preserved American tank "Sherman". This time, experts have learned anti-aircraft gun M-2 and Stacker military to build roads.

"Judging by tag guns that we have raised, the gun is unique in its kind. Total production of 550 samples of guns, and this - the tenth "- said the head of the Federation Council UPASR Captain First Rank Vladimir Gorban.

According to the military, gun found is of great interest. She could send a projectile of 17.7 km. Not every modern anti-aircraft gun has a similar firing range. For fire control on the gun was installed electronic equipment. Mounted in a special box radio tubes are still well preserved. Gun itself, made of stainless steel, too, is in good condition. For example, a nut, via which the wheel fastened to the gun is still not "baked onto" to the thread and can be unscrewed with bare hands, without the aid of a wrench.

Among other military goods, "Thomas Donaldson" to Murmansk carrying artillery shells exploded view of: the warhead were separated from the shells with gunpowder. To the surprise of Russian sailors after spending 70 years on the seabed gunpowder burns well.

Raised anti-aircraft gun on the surface to be restored, after which it is expected to be sent to the St. Petersburg museum.

During the Great Patriotic War near the entrance to Kola Bay has sunk a lot of surface ships and submarines, including German. They often lie at great depths on the order of 200-300 meters, which creates difficulties in their assessment. Working at that depth could only deepsea divers with the help of unmanned underwater vehicles, it is very difficult and expensive. However, the Northern Fleet Command is going to continue the study of the seabed.