Two men file for legal cut of 300 tons of lost Nazi train’s gold cargo

Mystery train ... Did a Nazi train vanish with 300 tons of gold in 1945? Two men say they know where it is. Source: Federal Archive Source: Supplied

A NAZI train carrying loot and guns is long rumoured to have ‘vanished’ in the last days of World War II. Now two men are claiming they know where it is, and are demanding a 10 per cent cut — of 300 tons of gold.

The mystery of the heavily armoured train and rail carriages have been a source of much speculation for decades. It is a story that has achieved near legendary status in Poland and German.
Where did it go?
Where could it hide?
Did it even exist?

Recovered ... US officers inspect loot recovered from Nazi sympathisers in the last days of World War II. Source: US National Archive Source: Supplied

“It would be an incredible discovery,” historian Joanna Lamparska told Polish news channel TVN24 — with a proviso: “No one could ever prove the existence of this train”.
Whether or not the two men have found the train — or are just wishful thinkers — has not yet been established.
But what is known is that they have approached the Walbrzych district council demanding a 10 per cent cut of any find.
“The area has never been excavated before and we don’t know what we might find,” a district council official told Reuters.

Mobile bastion ... German soldiers leap to action for the cameras in front of an armoured train during World War II. Source: US National Archive Source: Supplied

Mystery treasure train

The story goes something like this:
It was the last days of the war. The Russian Red Army was closing in on the city of Wroclaw. German forces were in full retreat.
During the Nazi occupation, a massive treasure of gold, gems, art and historical artefacts had been stripped from Polish museums, galleries and private collections. Then there were the gold reserves of the Wroclaw bank.
Now this untold wealth was at risk of falling into Russian hands.
So, a train — one of many clad with heavy armour and bristling with guns to withstand Allied air attacks — was sent to Wroclaw in May 1945 to remove the loot.
Among the treasures was said to be 23 boxes of gold bullion.
The 150m long assembly of armoured locomotive and carriages was spotted leaving along a south-western rail line.
It was never seen again.

Reich machine ... Adolf Hitler inspects an armoured rail carriage during World War II. Source: IWM Source: Supplied

“We actually have two gold train stories,” Ms Lamparska told local radio.
“One is supposed to be under a mountain and the other somewhere around Walbrzych. But no one has ever seen documentary evidence confirming the existence of such trains.”
The figure of 300 tons of gold is one such mystery: Its origins are unknown.
“We inform about finding by the shareholders (of an) armoured train from WWII. The train is likely to contain additional equipment in the form of self-propelled guns positioned on platforms with a total length of about 150 metres. The train also contains valuable, rare industrial materials and precious ores “ a legal letter sent to the Walbrzych district council reads.
Lawyer Jaroslaw Chmielewski also spoke to Radio Wroclaw on behalf of the two treasure hunters: “This is a treasure of global significance, comparable with the Titanic.”
Polish law permits treasure hunters to claim 10 per cent of their find. The remainder goes to the government.

Gold Bars taken from Jews by the Nazis and stashed in the Heilbron Salt Mines Source: National Archives Source: Supplied