In the eastern part of Estonia, on the narrow 50km wide Narva front, fierce battles were fought from February to September of 1944. It is estimated that over 100,000 men were killed and over 300,000 were wounded in this fighting. After this tank was used by the Germans it is believed that they drove it into the lake on purpose to prevent it from being taken and used by the advancing Red Army.
The tank was in the lake at a depth of 12 meters with 6 meters of peat and silt above it. Over a two week period, divers from the local diving club washed away silt above the tank. After it was pulled from the bog and on dry land again the ammunition, 116 pieces in total, was removed from the tank and it was taken to the war museum in the nearby village of Gorodenko. There it was possible to start the diesel engine without installing any spare parts!
