Hi everyone,
Just want to share an amazing story of a lucky find. Enjoy reading...
Last week we were in the Belgian Ardennes for a weekend in the vicinity of Houffalize. Across the street an old house was being demolished. Works has stopped though for the wknd. When we set off for a walk, I noticed a shell-case-like tube vertically sticking out of the broken stones and other rubbish with it's neck. From a distance, it looked like the top of a US 90mm shell case. I examined it closely and saw that it was a steel tube with another copper part firmly stuck into it. It had a small dent at the rim. The rest was vrigin steel surface with some sort of black paint and red stripes running down the length of the tube. I couldn't pull it from the rubbish and felt it was more than just a tube. Something was attached to it about 50cm or more down under. I reasoned: no shell case. Too nice to be true.
After the walk, I couldn't bear the thought that -if it was a shell case, I hadn't checked it out 100% and just let it go... so I started digging and removing rubbish. The tube could sway back and forth more and more, but it felt like a tube with a 90 bent continuation running further under the rubbish. I stopped digging, reasoning: this can't be true.
After dinner however , I returned becaused I wanted to be 100% sure it really was no German steel shell case welded onto something and painted in some fancy colour scheme for domestic ornamental purposes. After digging further down, I reached the bottom of the vertical part of the tube... Haleluja: a rim appeared, welded to a flat plate! I indeed had found a disguised German steel shell case! I removed the shell case and the heavy steel plate to which it was welded. A quick measurement of diameter at the mouth and case length identified it as a massive 8,8cm KwK43 shell case from the Tiger II tank, which were indeed present in the battle of the Bulge. Only at the bottom of the case was some surface rust. The rest was intact.
Once at home, I immediately put on my favorite clothes (overall) and cut the shell case carefully loose from the plate, anxious to see if the markings at the bottom were still nicely present. They were, and were even better visible after cleaning with a brush and a mild acid. See pictures in attach.
Now I only need to find a nice projectile to have another legendary round in my collection.
Any idea what such a shell case is worth? Anyone a spare 8,8cm Pzgr 43?
Thanks for reading.
timefuze
PS Other finds that wknd, just laying on the surface waiting for us: 2x .50 cal rounds without powder inside, 1x .30-06 round, 3x bottom of exploded German steel 5cm shell cases,...
Just want to share an amazing story of a lucky find. Enjoy reading...
Last week we were in the Belgian Ardennes for a weekend in the vicinity of Houffalize. Across the street an old house was being demolished. Works has stopped though for the wknd. When we set off for a walk, I noticed a shell-case-like tube vertically sticking out of the broken stones and other rubbish with it's neck. From a distance, it looked like the top of a US 90mm shell case. I examined it closely and saw that it was a steel tube with another copper part firmly stuck into it. It had a small dent at the rim. The rest was vrigin steel surface with some sort of black paint and red stripes running down the length of the tube. I couldn't pull it from the rubbish and felt it was more than just a tube. Something was attached to it about 50cm or more down under. I reasoned: no shell case. Too nice to be true.
After the walk, I couldn't bear the thought that -if it was a shell case, I hadn't checked it out 100% and just let it go... so I started digging and removing rubbish. The tube could sway back and forth more and more, but it felt like a tube with a 90 bent continuation running further under the rubbish. I stopped digging, reasoning: this can't be true.
After dinner however , I returned becaused I wanted to be 100% sure it really was no German steel shell case welded onto something and painted in some fancy colour scheme for domestic ornamental purposes. After digging further down, I reached the bottom of the vertical part of the tube... Haleluja: a rim appeared, welded to a flat plate! I indeed had found a disguised German steel shell case! I removed the shell case and the heavy steel plate to which it was welded. A quick measurement of diameter at the mouth and case length identified it as a massive 8,8cm KwK43 shell case from the Tiger II tank, which were indeed present in the battle of the Bulge. Only at the bottom of the case was some surface rust. The rest was intact.
Once at home, I immediately put on my favorite clothes (overall) and cut the shell case carefully loose from the plate, anxious to see if the markings at the bottom were still nicely present. They were, and were even better visible after cleaning with a brush and a mild acid. See pictures in attach.
Now I only need to find a nice projectile to have another legendary round in my collection.
Any idea what such a shell case is worth? Anyone a spare 8,8cm Pzgr 43?
Thanks for reading.
timefuze
PS Other finds that wknd, just laying on the surface waiting for us: 2x .50 cal rounds without powder inside, 1x .30-06 round, 3x bottom of exploded German steel 5cm shell cases,...
