Excavating a large WW2 underground command post is very hard work. On the second day of the dig and after two days of hard work we have just scratched the surface of this very large underground WW2 structure.
Scale model of "Kabanovs Bunker" in Hanko Front Museum. The model was made by Stig Nyström who visted the remains as a youngster between 1942 and 1948.
Despite the excavator having done a tremendous job yesterday our main task until now has been focused on clering rubble from the 1950´s -1990´s that covers the excavation area. This hard work has mostly been done by using shovels not trovels.
A member of the "Hanko 1941" excavation team straightening out the profiles of the excavation area.
After the top layers have been removed and at a depth of some one meters below ground WW2 period finds have slowly started to emerge. The finds include important structural remains of the command post itself as well as a variety of small finds.
A large grooved concrete slab and large stones that were once part of the superstructure of the command post were found inside southernmost part of the shelter.
Quite a large number of small finds were encoutered in the soil that filled up the interior of the structure. The finds included items related to the daily life of the soldiers occupying and performing their daily duties inside the command post aswell as outside of it.
A few of the many small finds from "Kabanovs bunker" (a medical ampoule, porcellain cup fragments and a factory marked glaced tile).
Tomorrow our team will again get help from an excavator. After this we will probably be able to pinpoint the excact area of the command post where we are conducting our research. After this we will be able to continue our work "room by room".
Floor plan of Segei Kabanovs underground command post by Stig Nyström.