We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2007 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:08:24 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2008 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Anybody guess what I find so interesting in this photo? To take away those first thoughts amongst the grognards - no, not the markings.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:04:36 -0600 If I tripped over it... you must be referring to the buried turret. Why, I don't know.. other than the fact that it's a cool picture to try to figure out. There's a lot of fiddly bits layin' around. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54100 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54100 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 18:56:32 -0600 Shutter http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54098 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54098 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:03:32 -0600 if this photo is evidence of what one Crapsprayer or Zing-Pow round can do... now that would be one mighty fine whattzis... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54097 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54097 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:58:47 -0600 Even those numbers sound alotta like foreign equipment issue. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54096 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54096 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:34:41 -0600 You know, the marking on the buried/blown up turret side is weird...it's pretty much a photo negative of the normal cross the Germans used. See the track on the right for what a normal one should look like. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54095 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54095 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:20:05 -0600 if ya can get me a cleaner pic, i could make out the cyrillic lettering for ya. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54094 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54094 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 15:47:42 -0600 Ah well, it was the best story I could come up with in such short notice anyway. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54092 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54092 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:57:24 -0600 The letters on the SU are actually numbers or mostly numbers. 506-58 or 506-5B. The pics in the pile this came with are all putatively Russian pictures of the aftermath of Operation Bagration. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54091 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54091 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:55:27 -0600 Being cut apart for salvage postwar mabbe. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54090 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54090 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:27:30 -0600 Bear with me for a moment, my eyes are aged. On the side of the su, there appears to be the letters "SFE". Soviet Foreign Equipment? It might appear that these are german captured and operated tracks that were then recaptured on the western front by the brits, us, mabbe even french forces after Normandy. The real interesting one here is the T-34. Could this be the elusive Italian T-34 used at Normandy? Only one known photo, showing the crew resting near a farmhouse and it's blurry. That T-34's the bigfoot of armour. Of course this could all be a WAG too! http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54089 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54089 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:21:09 -0600 piece of the turret - that was one helluva k-kill on that tank if that's the case.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54088 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54088 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:20:05 -0600 The center one is Czech (38t), the one on the left could be the rear end of a T-34. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54087 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54087 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:00:31 -0600 John, thanks! Yep, definitely an SU-76. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54083 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54083 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:22:36 -0600 SU-76M. In fact, I think all the junk in there is German-captured Soviet gear. More conclusive pic on the SU-76 here, though it *is* a model.]]> http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54082 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54082 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:14:35 -0600 looks more like my maintenance yard when i was down at Fort Polk. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54081 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54081 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 10:03:20 -0600 If I'm not mistaken, the vehicle on the right is not a tank, but it's a self-propelled artillery piece. Possibly a Grille. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54079 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54079 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:40:38 -0600 AFSis just tripped over it. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54072 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54072 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:22:37 -0600 They all look different... 3 different tanks, disabled, side-by-side, and one that looks buried in sand in the forefront. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54070 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54070 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 09:10:57 -0600 could you be drooling over all the open hatches? http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54065 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2006/12/i_find_this_pho.html#comment-54065 Thu, 14 Dec 2006 08:49:45 -0600