80th AAAA 57mm Ammo Clovers (Ardennes)

Quite an unexpected find in a line of German foxholes on the edge of a village in the Ardennes - a foxhole full to the brim with the "clover" endcaps that were used to secure three 57mm Anti-tank Gun shell cardboard transport tubes.The 57mm gun was one of two supporting 2/505 in the January 1945 offensive towards the Salm. After taking around 60 endcaps from the hole and still not reaching the bottom, we eventually gave up as it was getting too dark to see and filled it back in, keeping the best ones.

The pictures below show the mass of endcaps after we were about halfway down, and one of the other foxholes in the line. The remains of a German gasmask were found in another of the holes.

The saved endcaps after cleaning and painting, with two of them holding three 57mm shell tubes like they used to in 1945.

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