These Pipes Were Sticking Out Of The Ground, But There Was A Bigger Surprise Underneath
It was supposed to be an ordinary flight for Dale Hufford. He was leaving Baltimore to visit Mike Peter, his longtime friend who's living in Lobetal, Germany. Eventually, Mike told Dale about a pair of "pipes" that were mysteriously sticking up from the ground in a secret place near his home. Of course, Dale was excited to see for himself, and Mike never expected to actually explore the pipes.
Suddenly, Mike was enthusiastic, but he didn't know that his adventures into the woods and deep underground would spiral into a fantastic tale that included everything from buried treasure to a run-in with the law.
Dale Couldn't Hold His Enthusiasm For The Prep When He Got To Germany
As soon as Dale got to Germany, he got right at it by making plans to inspect the site. Mike would explain to his friend that he believed that the pipes were apart of something deep underground.
There were signs around the area indicating that there was a structure of some sort beneath the forest floor.
When Mike And Dale Arrived, The Pipes Stood Silently
Finally, once Mike and Dale arrived, two pipes stood silently in the chilly afternoon. They would protrude from the ground, where the metal stood out against the forest backdrop.
But, something chilling went through Dale's spine the moment he saw the sight of the foreboding metal pipes. What were they guarding? They soon found out.
After Circling For About 100 Meters, They Spotted The Concrete Entrance
A dark and rectangular hole appeared in the ground at an angle. Stairs were leading down, which featured an old iron gate barring the entrance. Also, there was a sign that warned "Betreten Verboten" or "Do Not Enter".
The boys would muster up all of their courage and slowly walked into the entrance.
The Lock On The Gate Was Broken, So Dale And Mike Pushed It Open And Started To Walk Down The Stairs
The lock on the gate was broken, so Dale and Mike pushed it open and started to walk down the stairs. Of course, they were warned by locals about the munitions on the site, and the boys had no way of calling for help.
Instead, they proceeded down the hallway, making sure to take their time and be as cautious as possible.
The Corridor Went On Forever, Until They Reached A Junction
To avoid getting lost, Mike said that they shouldn't take unnecessary turns. But, wandering for hours with no way out, they walked straight into the concrete labyrinth.
Mike and Dale didn't know who or what would be waiting for them further on down the track, but they continued to press on.
A Weird Sound Had Them On Edge
Mike and Dale were nervous when the corridor turned sharply. They were miles underground while the claustrophobia really started to set in. A funky smell grew stronger as they kept walking, and the corridor had suddenly widened.
For a moment, Dale thought he heard a girl's laugh, but he stopped abruptly to put his hand on Mike's chest.
The Strange Markings Made Dale Assume The Worst
The markings on the walls looked like a boxer punched them in. Dale had no clue why, but the thought of someone down here made his skin crawl.
He had the urge to turn back and run, but it was too late for him or Mike to do that. Instead, they kept going further on down the path.
A Door Torn From Its Hinges
As the boys continued down, there was a rusted yellow door ripped from its hinges. The door looked like it opened to a vault and had some Cyrillic writing stenciled onto it. Dale's mind traveled to every scary story he heard as a kid, but who had done such a thing?
Something might have been waiting for them if they kept going, but they went for it anyway.
The Decay Was So Bad, But They Couldn't Turn Back
The funky smell started to reek even more thanks to all the sewage and rot. Both Dale and Mike passed through the doorway, about to vomit. This is probably the part most of us would have turned back.
But of course, our two heroes decided to press on to find out what was going on.
As They Kept Going, Something Appeared From The Corridor
Coming through the corridor, Mike slipped, sending waves of water to the side. This caused Mike to instantly panic, and his flashlight beam caught a dark silhouette of someone crouching in the water.
Meanwhile, Dale swung his flashlight blindly in the same direction of the figure, but it was already gone.
The Incident Forced The Boys To Keep Going
Finally free from his spill, Mike ran back and took cover behind Dale. To Dale's dismay, he noticed that the walls were made of heavy lead. They didn't expect to find a bunch of wet rooms and didn't bring respirators.
The air was growing so thick, but somehow, the two boys continued on their journey.
Dale And Mike Stumbled Upon A Secret Back Entrance
The stumbled upon the entranceway into the subterranean depths of Lager Koralle. The Koralle was built in 1939 during WWII as a naval intelligence school. It was in the same location where rockets were stored that were silently aimed at Berlin.
What mysteries would the boys find there, waiting quietly in the ruins?
They Were Shook At What They Saw Next
It's been hours since Mike and Dale wandered through the underground. No, they didn't stumble upon "The Sunken Place," but they had to get out.
The idea of a creepy maniac crouching around alone in the flooded room was enough to make them run, which they did.
With One Flashlight, They Traced Their Steps Back
The amount of oxygen was starting to wind down. Dale would soon begin to see spots and sparks. His brain was starting to beg for oxygen, and his blood pressure was rising pretty dramatically.
Mike was experiencing it as well with his heart pounding, with an irregular thump rattling through his chest.
Something Was Glinting From The Distance
Dale saw something flash in the corner of the waterlogged room. There was a glinting that caught the light and bounced into his retina. Dale started to wade to where he thought he saw it. Mike knew what Dale's intentions were and stopped him.
But, he was too weak to protest, and sat down on the damp ground as Mike continued on.
Wading Through
Dale slid into the frigid water until he was knee-deep. Holding the flashlight with his teeth, he splashed to the far corner, and something winked at him. He made his way over, then put his hands in the water.
He found something flat with rounded edges, with engravings on one side.
Finding The Way Out
Dale's instincts told him to move into the west direction and try to find the junction. The boys backtracked until they could no longer hear the dripping of the water.
Suddenly, they saw the yellow door on its side in the doorway and they knew they were close to getting out.
Star Light, Star Bright, Dale's Mystery Item Was Very Interesting
Finally, the boys got out. That's when Dale remembered what he found when he was knee-deep in the water. Dale pulled it out of his pocket for a closer look now that they were out of the hole.
It was heavy and etched on it were some nondescript numbers that read 999.9. He was holding a 500g bar of pure gold!
There Were Other Finds In The Area Too
Dale and Mike didn't realize there was something going on in the area. There was a search in the area for WWII-era gold.
That sent Hans Glueck on a WWII treasure hunt, and he was convinced that he finally located the exact spot it was hidden.
Glueck's Treasure Hunt
Glueck's search for the treasure consumed his life. According to Glueck, in the last days of the war, Chief Heinrich Himmler was ordered to empty the Berlin Reichsbank of its loot and send it on a train towards the Alps.
He was then arrested, and 76 kilograms of gold were recovered.
Glueck Was Contacted By A Man About A Map
In 1995, Glueck was giving an interview to Bavaria TV. That was when a man gave him a map that he said he might find "interesting."
The map turned out to have belonged to an SS officer and been hidden in the lining of his coat.
The Strange Light
Dale was looking at his lucky treasure when a strange light flicked through the trees and Dale thought his eyes were playing more tricks on him. He woke Mike up, who had been speechless since they came out from below.
There was barking and growling, and it was growing nearer by the second as it came toward them.
Caught Red Handed
Dale knew that the police had gotten an idea of what the two were doing. The boys would once again put on their heavy backpacks and take off.
Mike followed behind Dale, and the two circled back once again to the path that would lead them straight home.
Home Sweet Home
Finally, they got to Mike's house. They tossed their backpacks aside, and Dale had dreams of the forgotten gold and treasures that must have been left behind.
Then, he had nightmares about the stretching underground corridors and the voices echoing off of every wall, which made it all the more terrifying for him.
The Gold Bar
Dale had to eventually hand over the treasure to the authorities. Dale also admitted to the cops that he found the item in the forest and explored the abandoned bunker in the woods.
While the two fessed up to trespassing in the woods, the cops were overwhelmed by their find.
A Lucky Find Indeed
After a few days, the boys heard back from the cops. The bar was examined and it was 500g of pure gold. The estimated value of the treasure was hovering around $18,000.
The bar's identification number had been defaced, making a determination of its origins incredibly difficult.
The First Taste Of It All
Dale wanted to return to the underground bunker, but Mike wasn't down for doing it all over again. It wasn't even safe, to begin with, because they were inexperienced Urban Explorers at best.
And, they could easily have been overwhelmed by the dangerous gasses and all the water that had been sitting underground.
The Footage
On closer inspection, he was able to make out the silhouette they had seen before, but they still couldn't actually determine what caused the shadow. But, the gold was very real.
He hoped that the owner would not be located at all. The unexpected windfall would solve all of his money troubles. Watching the recording again, he noticed something strange.
The Chilling Sound
They thought they heard a little girl laughing, but the image becomes grainy and blurred. And when he heard it, an unmistakable but faint tinkle of laughter came out of nowhere.
Who knows what's hidden inside the depths of the forgotten bunker? I'm sure it was something really cool back in the day, but sometimes, it's best to stay out of places where you shouldn't be.
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