This is a snippit from http://www.sdkfz.com/site/collection/sturmgeschutz2.php Do you think this means there are still 9 stugs and 2 Jagdpanzers still down there? Wonder how much it would cost to bring them up and how much they would be worth restored or unrestored ?
I don't think that the price of the vehicles could pay for a salvaging operation. As I recall, a couple of restored Sturmgeschütze were sold a few years back for USD 200,000 or 300,000 each.
I don't know, say $100K each and there is 10 units, that's a million dollars. If the ship is already located and has aleady been cut open and accessed then it's just a case of getting a floating crane out there and a barge which should be able to complete the job in a week. Of course whether there is a market out there to sell them quickly is a different matter FNG
Weather could be a major factor in salvage operations.A week would almost be miraculous.Although I would love to see the vehicles brought up.
I suppose the more of 1 type you bring up lowers the value. Now if they had been Tigers or even Panthers !! may have made a big difference.
A restored StuG will sell for considerably more than a rusting hulk. Your one-half to one-third ($100K) estimate for sea salvage condition is probably high.
Consider the cost of barge, crane, fuel, labor, insurance, permits, work/storage area, utilities, equipment, housing/lodging, vehicle rental, etc just to do the salvage operation and you are looking at a great deal money. Once you get them up, you then have to clean them, preserve them until restoration can be made, transport them, and store them and you will still use many of the above expenses until the project is finished.
rebuilt they could be worth some money. If i had the money to salvage them i would. i would keep a stug and a jagdpanzer for myself, maybe give a couple to museums and maybe sell the rest on ebay.