# Shot Down Planes Underwater



## 102first_hussars (Mar 1, 2006)

Im not sure if these have been posted before but whatever


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## Gnomey (Mar 1, 2006)

I found a site a while back with lots of pics similar to those but I haven't been able to find it since. Good stuff hussars.


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## evangilder (Mar 1, 2006)

Is it Pacific Wrecks, Gnomey? I know they used to have a pretty comprehensive list and all. I know they have redesigned the site lately and things are a little more difficult to find.


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## Royzee617 (Mar 1, 2006)

Pacific? That first one's a 109 isn't it.... wingshape and u/c looks familiar.


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## Royzee617 (Mar 1, 2006)

BTW a recent TV doc of exploring the Ark Royal had some amazing footage of their Stringbags and Fulmars on the floor of the Med.


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## Gnomey (Mar 1, 2006)

Not sure what is was Eric, but it might of been.


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## Dogwalker (Mar 3, 2006)

Fiat BR-20 MM21505, shot down over France by the Dewotine D-520 of the French ace Pierre Le Gloan on 13/06/1940. It's probably the last BR-20 in the world.















www.aiam.info/05/index.htm

DogW


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## cheddar cheese (Mar 4, 2006)

Wow! If that really is the last BR.20 I think it should be brought up and restored...


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## Desert Fox (Mar 10, 2006)

i'll have to agree with u on that. given that it has been underwater for 60 odd years, its in purdy gosh darn golly good condition. A bit of tweaking here and there, and a lick of paint...good as new (or as close as dammit)

Prob not in flying condition tho...


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## Dogwalker (Mar 10, 2006)

It's the fate of the last existing Re-2001 (a shame, since a few exemplaries of Re-2001 survived the war, and were used by the metereological service of the AMI for several years) the MM8287, that crash landed near the coast of Sardinia on 11/04/1943 for an engine failure (the pilot survived). 
It is currently under restoration.





GAVS Torino






restoration of the propeller





restoration of the fuselage





The same for the P-40L n. 42-10857, that crash landed in the sea near Anzio on 31/01/1944 for an engine failure. The pilot, Lt. Michael Mauritz, survived, was taken prisoner, escaped 9 days later and rejoined the allied forces on 25/06/1944.

























www.honorguard.org





www.laviniomare.net






The aircraft was in exceptionally good conditions since it was covered by the sand (however there were too many persons over the wings  )


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## cheddar cheese (Mar 10, 2006)

Looking forward to that Re.2001!


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## Dogwalker (Mar 24, 2006)

Consolidated Catalina, strafed while floating by the Macchi C-202 of the Marshall Ennio "Banana" Tarantola (11 personal and 4 shared kills) on 02 august 1943 near the coast of Sardinia.

the nose










instruments panel





left wing





right wing





engine





www.abyssi.it


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## loomaluftwaffe (Mar 25, 2006)

wow, that thing is decomposing!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 26, 2006)

loomaluftwaffe said:


> wow, that thing is decomposing!



Mr. Obvious that is what 60 some odd years under water will do to an aircraft.

Great pics up there guys.


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## Pisis (Mar 27, 2006)

Yeap, great pictures.
I'm sure the 1st picture IS a Bf 109!


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 27, 2006)

Where do you guys find these pics? I would love to look at some more.


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## Dogwalker (Mar 27, 2006)

Mainly in sites of appassionates of immersion.

Dornier Do-26 at Narvik 
The site stated it was probably shot down during the second battle of Narvik
















www.submerged.co.uk


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## Dogwalker (Mar 27, 2006)

B-24 in the Marshall Islands











The complete story
http://www.pacificwrecks.com/aircraft/b-24/42-73013.html


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 27, 2006)

Cool thanks for the links for the ones that were posted.


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## Concorde247 (Mar 28, 2006)

Royzee617 said:


> BTW a recent TV doc of exploring the Ark Royal had some amazing footage of their Stringbags and Fulmars on the floor of the Med.



I saw that one too, the stringbags were in a very sorry state due to their tubular - fabric construction, but the condition of the fulmars was better due to their metal stressed skin construction. 

to think, that the ark royal neednt have sunk if only they'd steamed to port SLOWER!


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## Concorde247 (Mar 28, 2006)

the deeper the aircraft is in the sea, the slower the decay. 

Maybe with the exceptions of Russia the pacific, i dont think there will be many more warbird wrecks found above ground. the seas will be the place to get them from now on.


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## Twitch (Mar 28, 2006)

Here is a Shiden coming up


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Mar 28, 2006)

Good pic.


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## loomaluftwaffe (Mar 30, 2006)

wow... wonder how they will be able to make it's engine more reliable if they are gonna make it fly again?
does it look like it still has a chance to fly again?


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## Vassili Zaitzev (Mar 30, 2006)

I thought the first picture in this thread was a F2A Buffalo from Midway?


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## Hot Space (Mar 30, 2006)

The 1st picture is indeed a 109 off the coast of France.

I'll find the site it comes from


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## pbfoot (Mar 30, 2006)

from what I understand the deeper the wreck is the less corrosion I am trying to recall whether this is due to less salt or oxygen the deeper you go


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## Hot Space (Mar 30, 2006)

Here's a few links beforehand though:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/The_Warbird_Recovery_Team/

http://www.nwrain.net/~newtsuit/recoveries/b-17/b17s1.htm

http://users.cybercity.dk/~dko4098/bv138.htm

http://www.ju88.net/

http://www.nwrain.com/~newtsuit/recoveries/recvfrm.htm

and the one I was looking for 

http://www.divetheworld.com/Diving/warbirds/index.htm


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## Hot Space (Mar 30, 2006)

pbfoot said:


> from what I understand the deeper the wreck is the less corrosion I am trying to recall whether this is due to less salt or oxygen the deeper you go



Oxygen


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## carpenoctem1689 (Mar 30, 2006)

If that first picture isnt a -109 in the atlantic which i think it might be, the only other thing it might possible be would be a Ki-61 or -100 in the pacific, those resemble a -109 somewhwat.


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## Hot Space (Mar 31, 2006)

http://www.divetheworld.com/Diving/warbirds/index.htm


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## livedive (Mar 22, 2007)

Dogwalker said:


> Consolidated Catalina, strafed while floating by the Macchi C-202 of the Marshall Ennio "Banana" Tarantola (11 personal and 4 shared kills) on 02 august 1943 near the coast of Sardinia.
> 
> Abyssi--Immersioni profonde su siti e relitti inesplorati



Does any one know this history of this plane? How it went down? or of the Dornier DO 26 in Narvik: In the Rombakfjord outside narvik city lies the wreck of a Dornier 26 Seeadler. The airplane was first found in 1991, and it is believed that the plane was one of totaly two Seeadlers that supplied the German forces in May 1940 under General Dietls commando from Trondheim. British Hurricane fighters spotted these airplanes on the 28th of May 1940, and sunk these while they laid in Rombakfjorden. The wreck of this Dornier 26 lies on a depth of twenty five meters in Rombakfjorden, and is in a relatively good condition. Not far away from the plane wreck lies the wreck of the German destroyer Georg Thiele in Sildvika. 

I'd like to find all I can on both wrecks.

Thanks
V


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## Bernhart (Mar 22, 2007)

first pic looks like a radial engine? rest of it looks like a 109.


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## Watanbe (Apr 25, 2007)

I dont reckon its a 109, my thoughts were the same as Bernhardt above^^^


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## Heinz (Apr 25, 2007)

Nah the first is a 109, taking a stab and saying an E model

you can tell by the undercarriage and bottom of the engine can make out the inlet.


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## DerAdlerIstGelandet (Apr 25, 2007)

Yes the very first one on the first page of the link is obviously a 109. The nose does not even look like a radial anyhow.

The pics directly below it are of a different aircraft.


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## Njaco (Apr 25, 2007)

The first is a 109 and I think its an E model. Tailgear looks rigid and not retractable.


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## corsairfreak (Apr 26, 2007)

This one lies about a quarter-mile off the north side of Kwajalein island. This lies next to the wreck of the _Shoei Maru_, a medium-size cargo vessel (3,000 to 5,000 ton range). The ship was attacked on 19 Dec. 1943, when it was the target of a U.S.Navy PBY that performed a glide-bombing attack on it at about midnight. The ship was left burning, and according to captured documents, the _Shoei Maru_ sank a few hours later between 0200 and 0230. The entire wreck looks like it was on fire for some time before sinking. 

The ship came to rest upside down, with the stern section separated and lying about 30 feet away due to a bomb hit. The seabed around the wreck is littered with mines, torpedoes, aircraft bombs, and artillery shells. 

This wreck is deep- 130 feet, which is right at the very limit for recreational diving on tank air, so I didn't have a lot of time to explore the area- my bottom time was limited to six minutes. This one will take several dives to explore the area around it. But, the main attraction (for me) was an aircraft lying next to the wreck. Several divers had described it to me, and it sounded like it was a F1M2 'Pete'. Sure enough, it is! 

The state of the wreck leads me to believe that the 'Pete' was being hauled as cargo. That's because the wing outer sections are gone, and aren't lying anywhere nearby in plain view. Plus, the horizontal stabs and rudder are gone. Finally, there's no windscreen/canopy framework on the fuselage. The control stick in the cockpit, as well as the flap on the right side inboard section of the lower wing, still move freely even after all these years down there. 

I got some pics, but not as many as I wanted. As I mentioned, the limiting factor is bottom time at that depth. So, I'll make a couple more dives on the 'Pete' wreck as soon as I can, and then post some more pics. For now, here's a sample of dive shots from my one dive on the wreck so far. 

Cheers all! 

Dan, from Kwajalein


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## comiso90 (Apr 26, 2007)

Awesome pics corsair...

I'm jealious!,,, I have 400+ dives but I havent made it to the south pacific yet..

One of these days I'll make it to Truk..

good job!


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## syscom3 (Apr 26, 2007)

Great Pics!!!!

Thanks!


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## GANJIRO (May 4, 2007)

WOW very cool pictures. 
As a teenager growing up in Hawaii I did alot of freediving spearing fish and grabbing lobsters (no Gameboys back then). One place I dove frequently since it was close to home was off Lanikai on the island of Oahu. One day while diving near the Mokulua Islands I found a pretty nicely preserved fuselage of a P-47 very easy to tell by wing shape. This was a later model with bubble canopy. It was in about 10 feet of water, and I remember diving down and sitting in it. This was about 1976. On looking at a map of the area it was plain to see this plane was right in line with the bellows airfield runway so I assume this plane lost power after takeoff and landed in the water.
Another place a frequented while diving was on the North Shore of Oahu offshore of a town called Haleiwa. There was a private shoreline area reserved for law enforcement personnel and their guests for camping known as "Policeman's Beach" of all things. This property was a fighter strip during WWII and during one late afternoon dive I discovered a 3 bladed prop in nice shape in about 15 feet of water. I'm assuming it was from a P-40 by the looks of it and also by what was commom during that time. Some poor fellow must have overshot the runway and crashed losing his prop in the process. This thing was way too big to hang from any wall I had so I left it there. Wonder if both these things are still there.


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## trackend (May 4, 2007)

loomaluftwaffe said:


> wow, that thing is decomposing!


 So am I


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## irregularmedic (May 13, 2007)

A pair of Douglas TBD's ditched in the Pacific, at Jaluit atoll:















American Aircraft, page 2


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## Njaco (May 13, 2007)

With the condition of some of the ones they do recover, wonder why they don't try to raise these two? Look preserved pretty well.


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## Trautloft (Jun 4, 2007)

i'd like to see the pictures of Ark Royal and its planes,mentioned above. is there alink for those? i dont know in which depth the wreck lies.
btw, exceleent,interesting topic and pictures,thanks


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