Starting up a WWII tank on a Ukrainian monument - video

[Jon]

Disturbing a WWII monument is extremely inappropriate at best, possibly even taboo. But starting up an old T-34 tank is a good thing. 1:13 video:

Here we have a more classic "cold startup" internet trend video, but with a barn find T-34. 5:34 video:

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-34

Previously:

tank silencer
Big Wind firefighting jet tank
Panzer tank hull being quenched
Can you own your own tank?

[MeJasonT]

The ethics of starting the tank may offend some but consider that its not a wreck recovered from a battlefield. Chances are its not a grave as no one will have been killed in it, its not being desecrated, was put there by someone who was lucky not in action - possibly and every tanky who served dead or alive will be jumping with joy to see the old girl fire up again. If they take it for a spin then that's just sick Or is it. Tankys will still be jumping with joy. Still the young pranksters next holiday might be in Cyberia.

[MeJasonT]

I think the guys who started the second tank may be these two guys

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/329171...itary-vehicle/

They run a tourist attraction driving tanks in the UK

[hemmjo]

OH the memories. I was a kid, guessing 7-9, back in the late '50's. The local American Legion Hall, where I got my very first paying job mowing the grass, $2.00 for cutting about 1/2 acre with an old LawnBoy push mower.

The real fun though was the 3" field gun(I think that is what it was) and WW2 Sherman Tank they had out front. All of the cranks, and levers, worked. The breach on both of the guns opened and closed. The hatches on the tank would open and close, the turret turned, the gun cranked up and down. The drivers seat hatches opens, the shifter and steering levers moved. We spent many hours, fighting numerous battles for a couple of years. It was a big deal when us little kids got to move from cranking the field gun up and down to getting in the tank and cranking all of those levers and wheels.

Then one night, the older boys in the neighborhood got the thing started and drove it off 1/2 way off the concrete pads before it stalled and would not restart again. After that all of the hatches were welded shut and the hand wheels welded.

That was a sad day....

[MeJasonT]

Yeah i miss days like that.
kids are not allowed to touch anything now, did i ever mention the skills shortage. yawn shut up Jason before you start.
where do they get inspiration from now - a mobile phone.

[Radioman]

I’m surprised it was left there in runnings condition? I do complement the crew of pranksters who got it running. Maybe the next generation of tank mechanics?

[MeJasonT]

I fear the next war will be like call of duty played on PCs and mobiles with drones, no combatants will be killed but inevitable civilians will be caught up in cross fire as they are most likely going to be living on the battle field. We will wake up one morning to find drone tanks flying around blasting the hell out of invaders without any care for the fact its a residential street. Lets face it, its all about land and resources like oil - somebody else wants what you've got and will take it from you if you wont share or follow their rules. That's the west and middle east conflicts in a nutshell.

The next generation of tank mechanics based on this theory wont even have to get out of bed.

I thought the condition of the tank would be so deteriorated that starting it would require a major overhaul, if they spent weeks working on this tank then hats off to them. Its a very productive use of a youngsters time, certainly kept them off mobile devices. They succeeded which which is more impressive - hire them, they quite clearly have skills. Being pranksters/scally wags they probably wont have a formal university qualification - Go figure.

Just because its a WWII tank we don't nervelessly know if it was last used in the conflicts relating to the breakup of the USSR withe their fight to be independent. Chances are it hasn't been started for 30 years and not 80.

Its like the cannon in Berwick, Scotland/UK which was pointed towards Russia in the 90s to act as a monument to the war which caused an international incident, it transpired the local library had burnt down and in the documents which were recovered from an archive they found the declaration of war, being that Berwick at the time was disputed land between Scotland and England and had signed independently. when the armistice was signed they didn't ask Berwick which meant they were still at war. Russia decided that pointing the cannon at them was an act of war. It wasn't a first or second world war cannon it was an old cast iron thing with an effective range of 200 yards. So obviously the reason for mounting the monument does not necessarily mean it took part in a particular war it was simply acquired to fill the job.

[Bony]

I really like listening to the rhythmic throb of a 38 litre V12 motor. I could listen to it all day.