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During construction work at the Nordholz naval air base in Lower Saxony, an extraordinary Second World War find has come to light: a well-preserved Sturmgeschütz III assault gun of the Wehrmacht was found hidden in sandy soil for more than 80 years.
According to public broadcaster NDR, citing the Federal Agency for Real Estate (BImA), the tracked vehicle was discovered back in April 2026 during excavator work. The find was publicly confirmed in mid-May.
The vehicle is a Sturmgeschütz III (StuG III), the most widely produced fully tracked vehicle of the Wehrmacht. Unlike a classic tank, the assault gun did not have a rotating turret. Instead, the gun was fixed in the superstructure and aimed by turning the entire vehicle.
According to the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr (MHMBw), the vehicle is in exceptionally good condition. The sandy ground in particular is said to have helped preserve the gun for more than eight decades. The shape of the gun mantlet also shows that the vehicle is a later version of the type.
The mystery of how the vehicle ended up underground is now considered largely solved. According to NDR, which refers to the district archaeology office in Cuxhaven, the assault gun was disposed of by the Allies after the end of the war. It was driven into a former defensive trench and then covered with sand. Such trenches and bomb craters were often used at the time to get rid of military equipment.
The Bundeswehr says the roughly 20-tonne vehicle was recovered on 1 June 2026. It initially remained at the air base, where it is being examined, among other things, for potential hazardous substances. It must also be ensured that the main weapon is permanently rendered unusable.
From August, the assault gun is to be taken first to the German Tank Museum in Munster. There it will be conserved and initially put on public display as a so‑called ground find. In the longer term, the vehicle is also to be shown at the Military History Museum of the Bundeswehr in Dresden.
The find may not be the last of its kind
As NDR reports, ground radar images suggest that further relics from the final days of the war may lie in the former tank trench on the site, possibly even an aircraft.
However, there will be no targeted search for more vehicles. They would only be recovered if they obstruct construction work, pose a danger or are of particular scientific interest.
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