A special groundfind - maybe something unique!

**Wagriff** · 02-15-2015, 09:58 PM

It gives a person perspective of it's enormity, that even a relatively tiny Fragment of it required a Machine just to Move it!

**Tiger IV** · 02-16-2015, 12:16 AM

I try to take some new photos this week when we move the other "bigger" fragments to a new storageplace. There is also a fragment from the outer barrel, one from the locking piece and one from the ammunition elevator (presumably). We are not sure with this piece. After the recovery we ordered an analysis of the steel and got the exact alloying of the parts to make sure they are made with the famous "Wotan-Steel" or not. Very interesting is the fragment from the outer barrel. The outside of this fragment is coated with a thin layer of 100 % cooper. Maybe a kind of rust prevention?

The fragment from my first post is now embedded in the exhibition of the local museum (sorry for the low quality pics. I didn't have my best camera with me). The museum didn't hit "our taste" with their idea how to display the fragment but...check out the added pic.

Yeah - we have a lot of very small stell and cooper fragments because of the big blast. Steel fragments with the size of a apple or smaller. Right enough for a blacksmith to forge some nice stuff. We think it's a good idea to use them in a knife or something equal to keep the spirit of this famous technical masterpiece alive. The analysis made sure we have high quality base material for blades. Our favorit is a 244 layer damask blade called "Ultrafort". I like the shape and the design very much. Looks like a Tiger.

http://www.messerforum.net/fotoalbum...medium/304.JPG

For me personal the knife must have a handle made of german oak from the woods near the detonation area. At the moment we are still in proceeding with a well known german blacksmith because their are many very interesting designs for the blade, the handle and so on...

Will see...

Greetings

Tiger IV

**AZPhil** · 02-16-2015, 02:33 AM

I'm guessing that this was the end of the barrel(Crown) and not a part from the chamber even though the smooth section is shown.. The chamber I would expect to to be much thicker. If it were the chamber section it would have been much thicker and had to deal with the high pressures that I would have existed after watching a loading of this beast.
Semper Fi
Phil

**TrondK** · 02-16-2015, 03:19 AM

To fund the museums expences for fuel etc, you should take photos of smaller pieces in situ. Then you could sell these mounted on oak plates from local trees in the area to collectors who would be very interested in having a piece of such a cannon in their collection.

Remember without many photos from each piece in situ it can be difficult to sell. Evidence is key for a collector

**Tiger IV** · 02-16-2015, 10:56 AM

by AZPhil

I'm guessing that this was the end of the barrel(Crown) and not a part from the chamber even though the smooth section is shown.. The chamber I would expect to to be much thicker. If it were the chamber section it would have been much thicker and had to deal with the high pressures that I would have existed after watching a loading of this beast.
Semper Fi
Phil

Hi!

You are right. Our fragment should be located directly after the locking peace (chamber) at the begining of the barrel(s). The transition from the locking peace (chamber) to the barrel(s). Don't forget the barrel had nearly the double thickness as showen on the pictures. We are talking about a combination of two barrels because of the high pressure. A internal (first) barrel (german: Seelenrohr) with the rifling and a external (second) barrel (german: Mantelrohr) for the stability. We also owen one piece with the double thickness. It's 16 Inch. by the way - the weight of the big fragment showen on the pictures is 3196 lbs. (1.450 Kg).

**Tiger IV** · 02-16-2015, 11:05 AM

by TrondK

To fund the museums expences for fuel etc, you should take photos of smaller pieces in situ. Then you could sell these mounted on oak plates from local trees in the area to collectors who would be very interested in having a piece of such a cannon in their collection.

Remember without many photos from each piece in situ it can be difficult to sell. Evidence is key for a collector

Yes - we have some pictures of small fragments in situ but we don't take a picture of everyone from them. There are hundrets of small fragments. We have the evidences (pictures) that showes the blasted rail gun after 19. April 1945 taken by the US-Army. There are also the studies done by the national experts and the contemporary witnesses. And it's not really a secret where the detonation area is. That means for me: detonation area = hundrets of fragments. :-)

**TrondK** · 02-16-2015, 12:04 PM

I wish you good luck with this important work. Remember once you have removed the pieces they are gone forever. They will not grow back.

So enjoy everytime you are out there and saving history for future generations. I salute you, your fellow detectorists and the important work you are doing.