It is not unusual for arms aficionados to stash guns and war memorabilia in their basements. But a German senior took his collection to a whole other level when police discovered a 44-ton Panther tank in his cellar. At least 20 soldiers were called in to remove the Second World War relic in Heikendorf, a town located in northern Germany. The authorities took more than 9 hours to haul away the arms stash, which included other Nazi weaponry such as torpedos, an anti-aircraft gun, flak canon and other weapons, The Telegraph reported.
Ulrich Burchardi, an army spokesperson, explained that the task involved precision work so that the 1943 vintage tank and the entire arsenal were extracted without damaging the house, according to the Telegraph. The military has sent modern recovery tanks for this purpose. Several local residents could only marvel at the feverish extraction activity.
Prosecutors in Kiel are still pondering whether the still unidentified 78-year old pensioner violated the German War Weapons Control Act. The law requires license for all military weaponry. Peter Gramsch, the man's lawyer, stated that his client is not breaking any laws because the confiscated weapons no longer work, reported The Telegraph. He is set to file a case against the government's supposed illegal seizure and for compensation in case the artifacts were damaged.
Fresh reports establish that the tank ownership is an open secret at Heikendorf. No less than the mayor has confirmed it when he stated that, "some people like steam trains, others like tanks" in a USA Today report. It turned out that elderly man was driving the tank around "during the snow catastrophe in 1978," according to BBC News.
The old man's house was also raided early this year for the seizure of stolen Nazi art.
