Newbie/Stalingrad Battlefield Relics

[Comrade Grisha]

I am new to the forum and wanted to introduce myself.

I am a military history nut which led me to the MD hobby. I currently live in California but will be relocating to Atlanta Georgia in January and I'm eager to check out some CW sites.

I have family in Volgograd (AKA Stalingrad) Russia and thought I would share some of the more interesting relics found by my friends and I.

Also, any information you might have about these items would be appreciated, I'm no expert on these things but always like to learn more.

Hope you enjoy!

This is the canteen of a German soldier who was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Insignia from a German staff car? Any help with this one would be appreciated.

Close-up of a German field radio.

Battery from American Lend-Lease Vehicle (Jeep or Truck?)

Rear fender of German military bicycle

Mortar round (German or Soviet?) - These were laying all over the place just as pictured here, no metal detector necessary. (Obviously we don't collect these)

German magnetic anti-tank mine, soldiers would dart out from cover and stick this to the side of a tank.

Detail from "Flak-88" AAA shell, one of the few "dug" relics from the trip. These were mostly used in an anti-tank role at Stalingrad.

Soviet gas mask and helmet.

While setting up the relics for the previous picture, I spotted a white "pebble" that looked out of place - turned out not to be a pebble. I carefully put it back where I found it after taking this photo.

Human bone fragments were everywhere, the Russian MIA recovery teams are very diligent, but it's impossible to recover every last piece due to the scale of the battle.

Last June, 975 Russian MIAs from the Stalingrad battle were buried with full Military honors - all were recovered by volunteer relic hunters from Volgograd and places as far away as Irkutsk in Siberia. Relic hunting is much more than just a hobby to these guys.

 

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[Crazy Greek]

GREAT post Grisha! You definitely have a "target rich environment" over there....

Thanks for posting and keep em coming PLEASE! I would love to get into an area like that for just a little while.

 

[blackrat]

thanks for sharing. i really like looking at military finds.

 

[Comrade Grisha]

GREAT post Grisha! You definitely have a "target rich environment" over there....

Thanks for posting and keep em coming PLEASE! I would love to get into an area like that for just a little while.

Thanks, not in the same league as what Korso digs up, but I still think their cool - glad you liked them.

It's almost more difficult to figure out what NOT to collect because there is so much stuff just lying around. I leave 90% of the relics I find just where I found them and choose a couple of the best as representative samples. I would like to collect an entire German "landser's" field kit just like my friend has, he has every standard-issue item down to the "Sanex" brand condom issued to every soldier in the theater.

My summer digging trips are definitely one of the highlights of my year.

Anyway, here's a few more:

No explanation necessary.

ID plate from Mercedes vehicle.

Non-dug Red Army cavalry sword with attached bayonet (The Russians often attacked with horses, works better than tanks in deep snow)

Classic "pinapple" fragmentation grenade, I was told not to touch these if found - highly unstable. This one was left in hole it was dug in for this reason.

Pile of dug mortar rounds and grenades, with a "highly unstable" grenade on top: I didn't spend a lot of time in this area!

Soviet hand grenade, grenade was armed by dropping a pin in the hole in the top, fuse was lit by the inertia of the throw.

Magazine from Soviet "PPSh" submachine gun.

German hand grenades (wooden handles have rotted away) and spent KAR-98 cartridges.

The 2-box detector gave up a strong signal which turned out to be a stash of AAMG (anti-aircraft) rounds

Ended up digging about 20 of these + the flak-88 shell from the previous post.

German compressed air cylinder, complete with air from the Third Reich, it smelled like...uhh...air.

 

[RevJoel]

The round in the next to last pic is the 20mm Orleikon round used in the FLAK38 AAA gun. The FLAK88 used the 88mm round which is almost 3 1/4" in diameter. That is some great stuff you are digging up there. Just use caution when goofing around with UXO. That is real bad JuJu.

Pax Christi
Rev. Joel+

 

[Trond]

Great finds. And interesting photos..

 

[Comrade Grisha]

The round in the next to last pic is the 20mm Orleikon round used in the FLAK38 AAA gun. The FLAK88 used the 88mm round which is almost 3 1/4" in diameter. That is some great stuff you are digging up there. Just use caution when goofing around with UXO. That is real bad JuJu.

Pax Christi
Rev. Joel+

Thanks Rev.

Actually we dug the Flak-88 at another hot spot about 10M away (bluish shell at lower left), any idea what the rusty shells might be?:

Regarding the UXO, we aren't aware of anyone getting hurt by simply handling these things, but we don't want to be the first - so we leave them right where we found them.

However, every now and again someone in the area is killed trying open one up.

Trivia: Boris Yeltsin lost a thumb while disassembling a WWII-era grenade.

Thanks for looking!

CG

 

[Collymore]

The word tross indicates that its a part of "transport" The tross means the transport of a division aka the dudes who bring the supplies forward to the soldiers.

The marker was typically put on a post like a roadsign in order for newcomers to find the different units. Oh I forgot! GREAT POST keep them coming

 

[Comrade Grisha]

The word tross indicates that its a part of "transport" The tross means the transport of a division aka the dudes who bring the supplies forward to the soldiers.

The marker was typically put on a post like a roadsign in order for newcomers to find the different units. Oh I forgot! GREAT POST keep them coming

Thanks!

That was the clue I needed.

I assumed that "St Tross" meant "Saint Tross" so I was looking for a unit (regiment, division) with that name in the order of battle.

Now I know that St Tross actually means "transportation headquarters" which makes sense because this sign was found near a major German logistics center - Gumrak airfield.

Have a great New Year!

CG

 

[KORSU]

congratulate all since new year

 

[RevJoel]

Without seeing the headstamps I would guess the rusty casings could be 75mm or 57mm AA or AT rounds. Happy NEW Year!

 

[Collymore]

No PRoblem my friend

Happy to help

Happy new year