World War II led to the loss of millions of lives including countless innocent civilians however the war Left Behind more than just sorrow and loss the remains of a World War II carrier pigeon found during Renovations at a Southern England Home in this segment we will explore some of the most astonishing discoveries that emerged from the Second World War we've got everything from the astounding stash of Nazi loot found in Argentina to the fate of the notorious bronze Eagle so get ready for a wild historical ride n number 19 Nazi artifacts Unearthed in Argentina authorities
in Argentina have made a shocking Discovery believed to be the largest collection of Nazi artifacts found in the country's history this remarkable cache was located in a hidden chamber within a house situated near buenos AES among the 75 pieces recovered are items such as elegant magnifying glasses adorned with swastikas a device designed for head measurements with Sinister implications and a bust of Adolf Hitler himself this discovery has garnered International interest highlighting the dark remnants of the past officials suspect that these relics are genuine Originals likely belonging to high ranking Nazi officials during the second world
war in a separate incident a frozen body was found beneath a glacier in the Sierra Nevada in 2005 the corpse still dressed in military attire sparked speculation among experts regarding the solders possible covert Mission at the time of his demise Ice Climbers scaling Mount mendle stumbled upon the remains which were largely encased in ice with only the head shoulder and arm visible the deceased is believed to be an Airman who perished in a plane crash back in 1942 number 18 the Nazi Eagle Uruguay is set to melt down a bronze Eagle that was discovered on
a sunken German Destroyer off its Coast over a decade ago transforming it into a symbol of peace this impressive 6.5 ft statue which clutched a Nazi swastika in its Talons originally adorned the stern of the Admiral graph spe a battleship prominent in one of world war II's early Naval battles the captain of the graph spe Hans langsdorf ordered the ship to be scuttled on December 17th 1939 following the Battle of the River Plate the sculpture was discovered in 2006 after an exhaustive 10-year search in the waters of the River Plate near Mont Vio in 2019
a Court ruled that the eagle will be sold mandating that half the proceeds go to the government and the other half to the Salvage team the treasure Hunters had previously reached a 5050 agreement with the Uruguayan Navy back in 2004 but later sued claiming the government violated this deal ultimately Uruguay Supreme Court ruled the eagle belonged to the state and artist Pablo aari was commissioned to create the new PE do number 17 the the German battleship bismar the bismar recognized as the most powerful battleship ever constructed slipped into the Baltic Sea during the early morning
of May 19th 1941 concealed by the cover of Darkness this heavily armored vessel likened to a floating Fortress represented the German Navy's first full-scale Battleship since World War I capable of reaching speeds exceeding 30 knots approximately 35 mph the bismar was a formidable force on the high seas it was one of the first two ships commissioned under the Nazi regime and marked the beginning of the Cs Marine tragically the bismar was immobilized by British battleships King George V and Rodney during an intense hour-long engagement on May 27th it sank shortly after hit by three Torpedoes
from the cruiser Dorset Shure leading to the loss of nearly 2,200 crew members only around 110 of the bismar crew survived the remnants and artifacts that surfaced after the war provide a captivating glimpse into the past and the Monumental conflicts that shaped the world number 16 carrier pigeon bones with message found in chimney after enduring a perilous Journey back from Nazi occupied territory a British spy pigeon landed on a chimney in Suri seeking a moment of rest exhausted from its flight the pigeon tragically fell from its perch potentially succumbing to fumes from the fire burning
below its remains along with a small capsule tied to its leg containing a crucial coated message went unnoticed for around 70 years the discovery was made when the new homeowner decided to renovate the fireplace uncovering twigs and debris along with the skeletal remains of the pigeon initially thinking it was a racing Bird the owner was surprised to find a red capsule attached to the bird upon unscrewing it he found a fragile handwritten message made from thin paper this message was subsequently sent to the renowned code Breakers at Bletchley Park in buckinghamshire who played a vital
role in deciphering the Nazi Enigma code significantly shortening the war's duration during World War II roughly 250,000 carrier pigeons were deployed to carry messages across Enemy Lines serving as precursers to Modern communication systems experts suggest the red capsule found belonged to the Special Operations executive which conducted sabotage missions targeting railroads factories and bridges in German occupied areas number 15 a Panther Tank found in a basement Garage in Germany a legal debate is unfolding concerning an elderly man who kept a World War II Panther Tank an anti-aircraft gun and a torpedo in his basement the Army
assisted in removing these military artifacts from his home in heikendorf back in 2015 currently lawyers are negotiating potential consequences for the 84-year-old which may include a suspended prison sentence and a hefty fine of up to €500,000 his attorney has mentioned that a museum in the United States has expressed interest in purchasing the Panther Tank which many historians consider one of the most effective vehicles used by the Germans during the war that other collectors in Germany have also contacted the defendant regarding additional items like assault rifles and pistols the operation to extract the panther tank from
the residential property in July 2015 was no small feat it took about 20 soldiers over 9 hours to Hoist the tank which was missing its tracks onto a transport vehicle local officials had been alerted to the contents of the basement by their colleagues in Berlin who had previously searched the residents for stolen Nazi artifacts number 14 Hidden World War II 2 air sign revealed along the scenic Irish Coastline a World War II Landmark that had been hidden from view due to wildfires has been uncovered once again Irish police spotted the large air sign while conducting
aerial surveys over Brad County Wicklow following the fire the word air which translates to Ireland is crafted from the letters EI e during World War II over 80 such signs were strategically placed along the coast to inform bombers that they were flying over a neutral country these whitewashed letters were carved into Cliffs to provide navigational cues to both German and Allied aircraft while several of these signs remain visible today some like the one at malen head in County dagal have been restored by Volunteers in recent years the sign at Brad had been obscured by dense
vegetation for many years until the wildfires intense heat and Flames revealed it to the world once more this rediscovery serves as a powerful reminder of Ireland's unique role during the war and the history etched into its landscape number 13 verm tractor the verm tractor was a German half-rack vehicle that played a vital role during World War II from 1943 to 1945 this versatile vehicle served multiple purposes adapting to various military needs throughout its operation ational life unarmored versions primarily acted as Supply carriers and artillery tractors ensuring that troops and Munitions reached the front lines in
contrast armored models were equipped with anti-aircraft weapons or even a 10 Barrel rocket launcher enhancing their defensive capabilities despite their significance fewer than a thousand of these vehicles were produced before the conflict came to a close following the war an upgraded variant was manufactured by the tatra company in Czechoslovakia showcasing the enduring Legacy of this unique military vehicle number 12 the P40 Kittyhawk in 1942 a single Curtis P40 Kittyhawk aircraft met its fate in the harsh terrain of Egypt's Western desert this long lost plane was finally Unearthed by a Polish oil exploration team in March
2012 yakob Perka a member of the team found the aircraft nearly 200 mi from the nearest settlement while conducting research in a remote area remarkably most of the Wings in the front of the fuselage had been sand blasted by the Desert Sands revealing a preserved Curtis Kitty Hawk P40 that had remained untouched since its Crash Landing evidence suggests that the pilot survived the incident as a parachute found at the site was likely used for shelter after the crash however the absence of the Pilot's remains LED experts to theorize that he attempted to walk to to
safety leaving the aircraft behind military historians have praised this discovery as a remarkable time capsule likening it to the aviation equivalent of the tomb of Tuten cimon number 11 grandparents discover hidden time capsulle Martin and aliceon Tracy were astounded to uncover a hidden World War II bunker buried in their backyard garden filled with fascinating artifacts from the 1940s as an enthusiastic Gardener Allison took it upon herself to excavate the bunker and she Enlisted the help of their granddaughter Robin aged 32 and their great grandson James who is just 8 years old together they are dedicated
to revealing the hidden structure while adding vibrant flowers and plants to beautify the area inside the bunker they discovered long slate benches Plumbing fixtures vintage vehicle lights and even drink bottles Martin explained that the previous owners of the property likely constructed this shelter during the war as the surrounding City had suffered significant damage during the blitz this exciting discovery not only connects them to history but also creates a unique family project as they bring new life to a piece of the past number 10 aircraft carrier USS Yorktown the USS Yorktown was a notable aircraft carrier
that played a significant role in the United States Navy during World War II named after the historic Battle of Yorktown in 1781 the ship was commissioned in 1937 and became the lead vessel of the Yorktown class this class was designed using insights gained from the experiences of the Lexington class's converted battle Cruisers and the smaller specialized USS Ranger on June 7th 1942 the Yorktown sank resulting in the loss of 141 officers and crew members the wreck was later discovered by oceanographer Dr Robert Ballard who previously located the RMS Titanic and the German battleship bismar on
May 19th 1998 he photographed the Yorktown which was found resting upright at a depth of 3 miles remarkably despite spending 56 years on the seabed much of its paint and Equipment were still visible in September 2023 the research vessel EV Nautilus conducted a more thorough exploration of the wreck number nine op operation burnhard counterfeit money counterfeiting Bank notes can stem from various motivations but during World War II one reason was rooted in economic Warfare in 1942 plans were underway to produce British white notes not in Britain but within the confines of the soxon Housen concentration
camp the Germans aim to forge British currency to devalue the pound hoping to destabilize the British economy while simultaneously funding their own initiatives German soldiers viewed these practices as underhanded and unprofessional however after the war the tactic of counterfeiting enemy currencies became commonplace among several Nations Friedrich Walter burnhard Krueger LED Germany's second attempt at counterfeiting British Bank notes following the failure of the first effort operation Andrew due to infighting among Nazi officials the second operation was dubbed Bernhard named after Krueger he assembled a team of around4 40 men who were promised improved living conditions including
radios newspapers and warmer accommodations in exchange for their participation their task was daunting they were expected to produce 400,000 counterfeit British bills each month time for the fancy Topic in a remarkable turn of events explorers in South America stumbled Upon A chilling artifact from World War II during an excavation in a remote jungle they uncovered what appeared to be a lifelike dummy of Adolf Hitler buried since the end of the war the Eerie Discovery featured a meticulously crafted figure dressed in military attire and was found inside a decaying casket adorned with a swastika historians are
calling it the most mindblowing discovery of World War II historians were also quick to speculate about the origins of this dummy some believe it may have been part of a deception plan created to mislead Allied Forces about Hitler's fa fate after the war The dummy's Uncanny resemblance to the infamous dictator sparked debates and discussions about the extent of Nazi strategies during the conflict as news spread about this discovery it raised questions about the lengths to which the Nazis would go to protect their legacy What secrets could this dummy reveal about wartime tactics how might this
discovery impact our understanding of Hitler's final days let us know in the comments with the # fancy topic number eight the Enigma machine the Enigma machine was a highly sophisticated encryption device employed by the Germans to send coded Communications during World War II this machine had the capability to encode messages in billions of unique configurations making it extraordinarily challenging for other nations to decode German messages throughout the conflict at times it seemed that the code was impenetrable however British mathematician Alan Turing and his team managed to uncover several vulnerabilities within the Enigma code system by
gaining access to German code books they developed the bomb machine which played a critical role in deciphering the most complex Enigma messages many historians regard the successful cracking of the Enigma as one of the Allied Powers most significant achievements in the war thanks to this intelligence the allies were able to thwart numerous attacks based on the information gleaned from intercepted German Communications to maintain the element of surprise and avoid Nazi suspicion the Allies sometimes allowed certain attacks to occur even when they knew how to prevent them number seven Spitfire from World War II in April
2012 David Cameron achieved a notable public relations Triumph that stirred national pride among the British popul the Prime Minister negotiated with myanmar's President th s for the excavation and return of 20 Spitfire aircraft buried at mingal Odon Airfield after World War II after the war crates of new unassembled mark1 14 Spitfires were delivered to Burma resembling giant airfix kits to prevent these aircraft from falling into Japanese hands Lord Lewis mountbatten ordered them buried beneath a Runway extension at the Airfield which was once the main Air Force Base and is now yangan International Airport some speculated
that the burial was part of a covert operation to Aid the Caren people in their struggle for Independence against the Burmese government initially dismissed as an urban legend the tale of secret burials was passed to David kundle a Lincolnshire farmer and aircraft Enthusiast who first heard it in 1996 kundle collected evidence interviewed Witnesses and made multiple visits to the site with prime minister's support the story gained International attention if recovered these planes would disrupt The warbird Collector Market a flyable Spitfire could fetch around 2.5 million pounds at auction Beyond its monetary value the Spitfire symbolizes
British resilience and bravery having played a pivotal role during the Battle of Britain and captivating post-war children in January 2013 kundle embarked on an expedition to Myanmar with a team of archaeologists documentary filmmakers and funding despite spending 130,000 of his own money and facing numerous challenges including being detained at gunpoint he ultimately found no Spitfires beneath the airst strip revealing the tail as more myth than reality number six wreckage of USS Indianapolis the 2017 discovery of the USS Indianapolis one of the Navy's most legendary ships renewed interest in the wreck site and open discussions on
World War II shipwreck Explorations following a media Whirlwind the Naval History and Heritage command responsible for managing the US Navy's sunken vessels needed to outline their next steps regarding the Indianapolis shaping their approach to Future underwater discoveries the Indianapolis wreck lies at a depth of 3 miles making it the deepest confirmed shipwreck in Navy history and its remarkable state of preservation presents unique opportunities for scientific research and Analysis the investigation of the Indianapolis also raises new challenges for submerged cultural resource managers particularly as interest in Deepwater wck tourism increases and the depths once considered protective
become less so typically the discovery of a wreck is seen as the final chapter in a ship story but for the Naval History and Heritage command it represents a new chapter in an ongoing narrative by studying the Indianapolis a ship most famous for its tragic final moments we ensure that its Legacy and the Valor of its crew are appropriately honored and remembered number five the Amber Room while many in the US may think of Amber in relation to dinosaur DNA from the movie Jurassic Park this precious stone has long fasinated Europeans especially Russians due to
the lavish jewel encrusted Amber Room this stunning room crafted from tons of Amber was presented as a gift to Peter the Great in 1716 celebrating the peace between Russia and Prussia however its fate was far from Serene during World War II the Nazis looted the Amber Room and the Amber panels carefully packed away in crates mysteriously disappeared in the final stages of the war a replica was completed in 2003 but the original off often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world has been lost for decades on June 22nd 1941 Adolf Hitler initiated operation
Barbarosa sending 3 million German soldiers into the Soviet Union The Invasion led to the plundering of countless art Treasures including the illustrious Amber Room which the Nazis believed was created by Germans and intended for German use the Amber Room remains an enduring mystery and a symbol of the cultural losses suffered during the war number four discovery of Jewish artifacts in Lithuania in a significant archaeological find Sacred artifacts from the great synagogue of vilna have been uncovered in the capital of Lithuania vilnus this synagogue once a magnificent Center for Jewish life was partially demolished by the
Nazis during World War II and its remaining structures were destroyed by Soviet authorities in the 1950s often referred to as lithuania's Jerusalem vilus was home to a vibrant Jewish Community the great synagogue constructed in the 17th century was part of a larger Jewish complex that included classrooms ritual baths prayer rooms and a local Council before the war the city had a Jewish population of about 55,000 which accounted for over 25% of the total residents however German occupation began on June 24th 194 41 leading to the establishment of two ghettos and subsequent mass killings of the
Jewish population by the end of the year approximately 40,000 Jews had been executed in the nearby poner Forest the city was liberated by Soviet forces in 1944 but the remaining structures of the synagogue were demolished in the years that followed replaced by a school on the site between 1956 and 1957 Soviet authorities completely raised any remnants of the once Grand Temple erasing a vital piece of Jewish Heritage from the landscape number three World War II messers Schmidt 262 jet fighter in October 2014 an exciting Discovery was made at the D Airbase Museum in the Netherlands
located near arnam staff members were engaged in clearing out a World War II bomb crater when they stumbled upon the significant remnants of a mmid me262 schwall a jet fighter it was not uncommon during the Frantic years of the war for discarded debris to be hidden in bomb holes prompting the museum team to excavate the area they were astonished when they Unearthed the recognizable albeit rusted and damaged nose of the me262 which still featured its gun apertures this find was a reminder that what was once considered trash could potentially be valuable today following this the
team uncovered the unmistakable windshield reinfor forced with heavy armor and discovered two MK 10830 mm cannons mounted on the front gradually Wing components began to surface revealing the Jet's outline recognizing the historical significance of this aircraft it is crucial that the remains be carefully preserved and thoroughly studied as they offer invaluable insights into aviation history and wartime technology the recovery of the me262 highlights the import of archaeological efforts to uncover and protect artifacts from the past ensuring their legacy for future Generations number two World War II Battlefield box treasure in a remarkable Discovery military personnel
in Russia Unearthed a large sturdy metal case while Excavating a battlefield this Treasure Chest initially believed to hold valuables revealed a collection of intriguing World War II artifacts that surprised everyone involved Inside the Box they found an Eclectic mix of items including cigars a uniform and hat belonging to a Nazi Soldier several bottles of alcohol German currency and various personal effects upon further investigation it was revealed that the Box belonged to an army veterinarian who likely hid these possessions as he prepared to flee unfortunately his ultimate fate remains a mystery leaving behind only this collection
of remnants from a turbulent time in history this discovery serves as a poignant reminder of the individuals and stories intertwined with the remnants of War encapsulating a moment Frozen in Time number one Rees Bank gold in March 1945 a significant decision was made by the Reich Minister for Education regarding Germany's invaluable art Treasures this decision involved relocating these Priceless artifacts to a secure location within the merkers mind complex which boasted 12 entrances and nearly 35 km of tunnels During the period from March 20th to March 31st the Germans successfully transferred about 1/4 of the crucial
contents from 14 major Prussian State museums into the depths of merkers when the United States Army arrived in April 1945 they stumbled upon a trove of looted Art and a substantial amount of Nazi gold stored in the mine General Dwight D Eisenhower personally visited the site to witness this extraordinary find today the merkers adventure mindes have transformed into a popular tourist attraction where visitors can explore the historical significance of the site in our thumbnail image you can see how the merkers mine looked during its inspection with countless bags of valuable items piled up a testament
to the treasures hidden away during the chaos of war the discovery of the reiches bank gold was a crucial moment as it highlighted the extent of the Nazi regimes looting across Europe reports indicate that the total amount of gold recovered from the mine was approximately 1,700 tons including gold coins bullion and other valuable items this gold believed to have been taken from occupied countries and Jewish families represented a significant part of the asset stolen by the Nazis during their reign the recovered artifacts included Priceless paint P ings sculptures and historical documents further underscoring the magnitude
of the Looting that took place following the war a series of Investigations were launched to trace the origins of the looted treasures the Allied authorities faced the challenge of determining rightful ownership and repatriating the items to their original countries or families this led to the establishment of various organizations dedicated to recovering stolen art such as The Monuments fine art and archives program also known as The Monument's Men which aimed to restore cultural property to its rightful owners despite these efforts many items remain unaccounted for and the quest to recover stolen art continues to this day
the merker Mind serves not only as a reminder of the war's Devastation but also of the importance of protecting cultural heritage during conflicts today the site is a testament to the resilience of Art and history attracting ing historians art enthusiasts and tourists eager to learn about the treasures hidden beneath the surface during one of History's darkest periods do you think we will find more Treasures from the second world war let us know in the comments below see you next time [Music]
