On 9 May 2018 an authentic Sherman tank (Medium Tank, M4) from the World War II times will become part of an exhibition in St. Petersburg. Recently, it’s been delivered to the recovery battalion of the Western Military District of the Russian Army near St. Petersburg for restoration from the Barents Sea.
In May 2017 Russian military divers and engineers recovered another Sherman from cargo ship SS Thomas Donaldson, which was transporting weapons and other military from U. S. to the northern port of Murmansk, USSR, during the war within the land-lease scheme. The American help contributed much to the success of the Soviet troops in the fight against Nazi Germany and beating the fascists on the Eastern Front.
On 20 March 1945, The Thomas Donaldson was sunk by a German submarine’s torpedo 20 nautical miles from the Kola bay. The ship had been carrying tanks, engines for motor boats, wheels for rail cars, stems locomotives, and other staff needed for war. The crew was rescued, the cargoes wend down to the Barents Sea’s bottom with the ship.
Since 2010, the Russian Northern Navy’s seamen lifted four Shermans from the bottom, one of which is exposed in the St. Petersburg’s Artillery and Engineer Museum.
So now there is another Sherman to be repaired soon. As the press service of the Western Military District claimed the American tank is in good condition, so once the recovery process has been finished it will be displayed for public. It was not specified in the message where the exposition will take place, but on 9 May the only big exposition – on the Palace (Dvortsovaya) square – in front of the Hermitage museum is held. In 2017, it was spectacular, look at the photo below.
A restored Soviet WWII tank at the Dvorstovaya square in April 2017
Important note: the tanks and other military staff arrive to the Palace square in the end of April to take part in parade’s rehearsal, so you can see modern Russian army’s vehicles and old tank during almost two weeks prior to the 9 May Victory Day.
Cover photo credit: ria.ru, Sergey Fedjunin