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When I first read the title of the video I was actually amazed and eager to watch it but after seeing this video on “War History Online“, a so called online news editorial website for historical war news question mark, looking that they mostly use copy and paste, I thought about writing this article.
Is the YouTube video “Nazi Vehicle Graveyard in Belarus” Real or Fake?
1. As first I still amazed that history enthusiasts, still use the term “Nazi” rather than German especially when one talks about material made during the period of the Third Reich. In the video we see different types of tanks and vehicles, which are preferably by the producer referred too as a Nazi (Nationalsozialist) Vehicles. National socialism Vehicles? Are it dark, Hitler saluting vehicles which should be feared? Couldn’t, collectors and history enthusiasts, just refer them as being German produced vehicles?
2. When the video starts the producer explains that he is on a military base and stumbled upon a graveyard full of Nazi Vehicles.
3. The first vehicle we can see lies upside down and is hard to be recognized. Again, should any of the readers, recognize or think they might now what type of vehicle it is, do let us know.
4. After the upside down vehicle he records a Tank “with the Iron Cross (Producer)”. The symbol painted on the tank isn’t exactly an Iron Cross but the “Balkenkreuz”. Most likely because of this Tank he thought that the graveyard must have been full of “Nazi Tanks and vehicles” than. Actually the tank he sees, with the Balkenkreuz, is a Soviet T-70 or at least the chassis. Some will think it is a PzKpfW 1 but the chassis doesn’t match. Concluding that it is a T-70, how did the Balkenkreuz came onto it? As it definitely can’t be a WWII German “Beutefahrzeug”. Was it used in a Movie? Was the area a movie scene?
5. The third vehicle we are able to see – difficult due the snow – looks like to be a Soviet BTR-152 (entered the Soviet ranks in the 1950’s).
6. The fourth vehicle, which the experienced producer refers too as “burned out German (..) Car, Nazi Car (…)”, looks like the Soviet GAZ-M20 “Pobeda”.
7. The second tank in the video in the distance looks like a Soviet SU-100 Tank destroyer.
8. UPDATED: And finally, this place has been located. It is “The Historical and Cultural Complex “Stalin line””. The Military-museum exposition was created and planed, so that from first steps a visitor could feel a spirit of the times. The basis of the exposition is original pillboxes, all entrenchments and communication trenches with rifle-pits for machine-guns and with blindages and recesses for ammunition were reconstructed according to the designs of the year 1940. There is a park of military equipment of different years in the museum. It is the most complete exposition in the Republic of Belarus for military equipment.
So the riddle has been … uncovered!
And for so far the infamous Nazi Vehicle Graveyard in Belarus. Glad that “War History Online” choices for accurate historical articles.
Thanks Freund Hein.
