Dug up at St Lo two weeks ago

[Rich Moran]

Limestone, thank you for your reply. I would imagine that the fields themselves thathave been plowed over the years still have things below the reach of a plow.

it would be interesting to discover if there were records of coordinates of artillery missions from either side, as the concentrations obvioulsy would have been directed at bands of reistance or observed concentrations of troops. The imapct area would probablly have debris that was pushed into them from long ago to make the fields into what they need to be for the farmers.

[Dubar1]

Fantastic finds and I like the paint job!!! It's yours and you can do what you want with it. I suppose all the naysayers about the paint job would turn it down if you offered it to them free so I'd just hang on to it.

Question, Is most of the stuff that is found, stuff that has been covered by 60+ years of weather and natural decaying leaves (10cm of decay seems like a lot in 60 yrs but I just don't know) or are they items that have been buried by the troops or by the farmers who own(ed) the land?

Anyway, fantastic finds. While we here in the states are fortunate that no wars like this have occured here, I envy you guys overseas for the opportunities you have for finding these items. I'm surprised we don't see more coming out of the former Soviet Union than we do.

[FJ George]

I m glad to see the gentleman saved the mortar. Rust nevers sleeps. The quicker you treat the metal with good product like Por15 rust sealant the better off the piece will be. It will turn to dust and just crumble into to nothing if you dont do something to preserve it.
I know that for a fact. Just 20 minutes down the road is a 1955 T Bird that was driven into a barn because of a slipping trans back in 1979. I was there to watch it being pulled out. Its broke in 2 and isnt good but to scale it except for some small parts. Rust ate the ole girl up. I ve see a Studebaker Golden Hawk the same way, but at least we got more parts off it than the bird.
I restored a FJ helmet that had been for 55 years buried in the ground (Poland). It looks much better now restored and being used again in the field.
The mortar turned out pretty good given that paint products in other countries outside the US are more tightly controled than here. I would have used high build primer surfacer to take the pits out and then I would have sprayed the paint. Kubal looks great doesnt it.
George

[Gusbucket13]

Measurements of the Kurz 8cm mortar

I was wondering if it would be possible to get some accurate measurements from you taken off your rare original example, we are building a copy for our living history impression (FJR5) and are having trouble getting reliable data. Simple things like the diameter of the leg tubing overall barrel length, diameter of the re-enforcing piece at the base. even baseplate length and width.

If you could help we would be in your debt bigtime

Many thanks
Chris C.

[Bruce Simcox]

Well......

......Maybe he should have just left it in the ground for the ants to enjoy? I think a fine job was done saving it from the ground, cleaning it and then painting it.

IMO

Oh. By the way. How many of you purists have RESTORED antique furniture in your homes?

IMO this anti restoration attitude goes a bit too far. A piece of what could just as well have ended up as useless, rusty junk is now back in the light of day. And looking good to boot.

@Dubar1

I'm surprised we don't see more coming out of the former Soviet Union than we do.

One of the reasons we haven't seen more stuff coming out of the former USSR is the fact that many of the battlefields there were left untouched after the fighting, and sealed off. The Great Patriotic War devastated a country already poor, and ruled with an iron fist by dear old Uncle Joe. Perhaps, in the future, some of those sites will yet reveal the treasures languishing there.

[Gusbucket13]

......Maybe he should have just left it in the ground for the ants to enjoy? I think a fine job was done saving it from the ground, cleaning it and then painting it.

IMO

Oh. By the way. How many of you purists have RESTORED antique furniture in your homes?

IMO this anti restoration attitude goes a bit too far. A piece of what could just as well have ended up as useless, rusty junk is now back in the light of day. And looking good to boot.

@Dubar1One of the reasons we haven't seen more stuff coming out of the former USSR is the fact that many of the battlefields there were left untouched after the fighting, and sealed off. The Great Patriotic War devastated a country already poor, and ruled with an iron fist by dear old Uncle Joe. Perhaps, in the future, some of those sites will yet reveal the treasures languishing there.

In recent months war Relic collectors sending stuff out of Russia cannot send anything that even remotely resembles weaponry, a lot of stuff is now coming out but its mainly soldiers small kit, plus you also have the problem of war graves - there was little reverence for the casualties of either side on the eastern front, mixed mass graves of both sides are common and these definately have been plundered in past years for anything of saleable value, Latvia seems particularly fruitfull with quite a few sellers selling German & Russian kit from the Kurland Pocket.

Just my experience based on recent multiple transactions with Ex Eastern Bloc sellers