In January 1934, a driver-mechanic Nikolai Martynov received the command of the regiment strange but interesting task - to prepare for participation in the Arctic expedition to Taimyr. And no one to prepare, along with the tank! Order is an order, and astonished Martynov started together with engineers from the design office to convert the experimental amphibian K-29 to work in conditions of the Arctic.
By mid-August icebreaker "A. Sibiryakov" approached the Cape Chelyuskin, which was located a tiny station. On board the ship was a detachment of polar explorers. The expedition was equipped to fame: among other things, she had two U-2 aircraft, a biplane P-5 and reconstructed tank K-29P. However, the tank was, of course, and Nikolai Martynov.
What do the tank at Cape Chelyuskin, thousands and thousands of kilometers from any potential enemy? Order received Martynov, was uncertain: to protect the polar station.
The protection - from whom? From polar bears? But orders are not discussed, the more orders secret. The second part of the order - to take an active part in the chores - more understandable, although the use of the tank instead of a tractor stunt looked dubious: as a much heavier tractors, tanks, respectively, consume much more fuel, which is at polar stations are always in short supply. However, when unloading tank proved to be good, dragging on the fast ice from ship to shore with the sledge expedition goods.
Small, existing two-year Station Cape Chelyuskin, planned to convert a relatively large settlement. It was evident that people are leaving the station great joy. But what is strange in this: even now the newcomers a little bored of the house. And what will happen in a year?
At the new location on the tank installed 28-millimeter smooth-bore cannon and machine gun (K-29P transported without weapons). Martynov expect ridicule and jokes, but the explorers have looked at the tank quite seriously, and even with approval, taking it as granted and highly useful.
In the battle outpost Martynov was released in October: the station agent Dmitri Ivanovich magnetologist Eugene went to the big lake, which lay about fifty miles from the station, Martynov accompanied them on the tank. Hike have surrounded with great care - always conducted aerial reconnaissance, tank provided the ammunition. At the lake, by this time covered with ice, Eugene spent magnetic measurements, at least as understood Martynov, who was standing near Dmitri Ivanovich.
No accidents have happened. On the way back, when the explorers were already 15 kilometers from the station, next to them landed an expeditionary U-2. The commander of the U-2, Dmitri Ivanovich Vorobiev proposed to move the plane, instead of leaving the mechanic Shilov. Dmitri Ivanovich refused, believing that under the cover of the tank, he and other explorers are safe, after which the plane took off and headed to the station, for which we had a few moments of summer. Arriving at the station a few hours later, they learned that the plane from Sparrow and Sipovo never returned!
Dmitri Ivanovich immediately organized a search. U-2 found. He fell near the lake, so much so that the front part of it was completely smashed. The pilots were killed. How, why crashed in good weather, Robust, driven by the experienced pilot U-2?
Pilots were buried at Cape Chelyuskin. Martynov provided military escort. A few days later not far from the lake found the carcass of a polar bear. All would be nothing but a bear could bully the other bear, but here came another: there were no serious injuries on the body have not noticed, but when cutting carcasses (meat decided to pickle for dogs) revealed that the bear was completely bled dry!
It appears that Dmitri Ivanovich is not surprising: he noticed that from the carcass to the lake is a strange track - though slid on the snow huge snail. Next ended abruptly at the water. The very existence of areas of open water near the shore, an area of about twenty meters, ice-free, despite the heavy frost, it was still a mystery. Dmitry ordered to arrange for hole in the ice trap. Actually, the ambush as such was not - the tank was opened a few hundred meters from the shore, and about forty meters from the side of it tied several dogs, after a nourishing feed them. In the tank were Dmitri Ivanovich. Eugene himself Martynov. The weather was clear and windless. Over open water swirled pairs, making the most mysterious way.
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