Digging for Buried Luftwaffe Aircraft and Parts in Indiana

[comiso90]

Funny... i read recently that a D0 335 was flown to Indiana but there is no record of it leaving. i was wondering if anyone was looking for it.

I think if they were in the mindset to bury them, they would have ran them over with bulldozers first.

I would think that very few pilots would be rated to fly those aircraft... maybe the pilots, or their records, could be tracked down.

 

[Messy1]

Very interested! Keep us posted!

 

[r2800doublewasp]

Google Image Result for http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2207/2486873184_c3de7f33ce.jpg?v=0
I wonder if the arado still there??

 

[beaupower32]

Very nice. Please keep us up to date.

 

[dirkpitt289]

That would be as cool to see as it was when they pulled the P-38 from under the ice in... Greenland I think? Or when that crew tried to bring back that B-29 from the Artic.

 

[buffnut453]

While I'm watching this with interest, I can't help feeling it's something of a wild goose chase. There are stories all over the world (UK, Australia, India) of aircraft being buried after the war but not one of them has proved correct. Aluminium (or aluminum if you prefer) was, and is, a vital commodity so I don't see any commander, anywhere, simply dumping tons of it into the ground. A far more likely reason for no record of the Do335 and others leaving is because they didn't leave as complete airframes - they were reduced to components. Now normally, this would be recorded on a form somewhere ('cos someone had to sign for the aircraft - it's a military thing!) but this wasn't always done. Records were lost/destroyed etc.

I appreciate that some artifacts have been found but these are relatively small pieces consistent with an airfield dump but this is very different from whole aircraft being buried. Sorry for being a gloom-monger but I'm going to remain skeptical of this story until something definitive is discovered.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

While I'm watching this with interest, I can't help feeling it's something of a wild goose chase. There are stories all over the world (UK, Australia, India) of aircraft being buried after the war but not one of them has proved correct. Aluminium (or aluminum if you prefer) was, and is, a vital commodity so I don't see any commander, anywhere, simply dumping tons of it into the ground. A far more likely reason for no record of the Do335 and others leaving is because they didn't leave as complete airframes - they were reduced to components. Now normally, this would be recorded on a form somewhere ('cos someone had to sign for the aircraft - it's a military thing!) but this wasn't always done. Records were lost/destroyed etc.

I appreciate that some artifacts have been found but these are relatively small pieces consistent with an airfield dump but this is very different from whole aircraft being buried. Sorry for being a gloom-monger but I'm going to remain skeptical of this story until something definitive is discovered.

Believe it or not they find things like this buried here in Germany from time to time. The Germans had hidden bunkers and **** all over the place. Many bunkers were just flooded or detonated shut because of the possibility of mines or explosives being tripped. From time to time these things are being uncovered. I am trying to find some information on it, but I believe they uncovered a few German tanks here near our area. Hopefully I can get some more information. I have not found anything about it in the press yet or anything, and it was last year I believe.

 

[buffnut453]

Believe it or not they find things like this buried here in Germany from time to time. The Germans had hidden bunkers and **** all over the place. Many bunkers were just flooded or detonated shut because of the possibility of mines or explosives being tripped. From time to time these things are being uncovered. I am trying to find some information on it, but I believe they uncovered a few German tanks here near our area. Hopefully I can get some more information. I have not found anything about it in the press yet or anything, and it was last year I believe.

Absolutely agree - I did some training in Garmisch-Partenkirchen a number of years ago and there were Me262 engine factories installed in hand-hewn caves. However, that's a very different situation from the ones I'm talking about bulldozing holes in an airfield and deliberately burying whole aircraft - it just seems a highly impractical scenario rather than reducing them to components, smelting them and re-using (recycling in modern parlance) the raw materials.

 

[Messy1]

Believe it or not they find things like this buried here in Germany from time to time. The Germans had hidden bunkers and **** all over the place. Many bunkers were just flooded or detonated shut because of the possibility of mines or explosives being tripped. From time to time these things are being uncovered. I am trying to find some information on it, but I believe they uncovered a few German tanks here near our area. Hopefully I can get some more information. I have not found anything about it in the press yet or anything, and it was last year I believe.

That would be cool Chris. Post anything you find.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

That would be cool Chris. Post anything you find.

I will try, but I can not promise anything. I have not been able to find anything, and therefor it is not confirmed.

 

[Messy1]

In my home town, there is a large John Deere plant that during WW2 made military ordnance, and I have also heard it might have made parts or pieces of tanks. I know the ordnance part is true, not so sure about any tanks, parts or pieces being produced here. But I have heard rumors for years that after the WW2, tons and tons of unused ordnance was buried on the property. Not sure about the truth to that either. For most of the time between the war and now, the land was used as a test field for John Deere and Pioneer seeds, and now the vast bulk of the fields has been sold and has been turned into residential property. I do believe the land had to be examined and surveyed to locate any large buried stores of ordnance, but did not hear of anything news worthy being found. I can understand how legends and stories like these can grow and become fable.

 

[ww2nut]

i live in Kenfig in south wales, the huge dunes were used by the Americans to pracise with their tanks, after a few months some of the tanks started to develop problems while out on the range, the Americans choose to bury these tanks in the side of a large dune for collection later, the reason being was to prevent them falling into enemy or indeed local hands, they were forgotten about! no when you walk the sea shore one tank turret stands out of the water at low tide the other 2 tanks have never been found, this is not folk law this is real.

 

[Messy1]

I did read in a local paper that some buried items had been found and removed on the property of the old plant for the new housing. Nothing live I am sure.

 

[Junkers88A1]

its places like this all over.. just 10 minutes from my place on a former luftwaffe field one can still find tonns of material.. here is some pics of what is laying on the surface.. its lots more buried in the ground ( its inside a active AF base so its left untouched by souvenirhunters )

this is just after 5 minures search.. Bf 110 G engine bearer.. part of a DB 601.. Bf 110 parts.. Ju 88 exshaustparts.. and lots more.. i did a small kick in the ground and found several mint cowlflaps from a Ju 88

in this area over 200 luftwaffe planes was buried after the war.. we are considering doing some digging here. The AF has given us approval and the museums curator are postivie.. now just for the fundings to do the digging.. so will see what we will do with this area

the quality of the engine picture is bad ( taken with my cellphone another day i was there looking )

 

[Junkers88A1]

here is one of the cowlflaps i found from a Ju 88 ( after 2 minutes digging with my foot..kicking the top soil away )
still with original hellblau paint

 

[Airframes]

Oooh Guttorm! You are such a lucky.............!!!

 

[vikingBerserker]

Gees, Guttorm - just when I don't think you can get any more lucky you get more lucky!

Can I just be you for a day???????????

 

[Junkers88A1]

hehe..i wouldent mind having a clone..so i can get time to do all the things i need to do..and want to do..and thinking about doing.. "#¤% several places to see and search.. digging..restoring.. tracking parts.. visit museums.. and on and on and on..sometimes it get a little to much.. so yes.. you can be me for one day..so i can get one day of..

by the way..there is also a huge steel"wagon" laying on the side in there with a luftwaffe datatag on it.. no idea what it is..maybe a crate for shipping engines.. i dont know.. will take a picture of it the next time i am there.. kinda forgot to take a picture of it.. and its fueldrums all over the place..badely rusted so no need in saving those..but one can wonder what is in the ground.. i know it was buried over 100 Ju 88`s..several Bf 410.. Fw 200 Condors.. Bf 109..Bf 110.. and so on..

and another airfield has over 40 Fw 190 and 109` s buried..been thinking about takeing a look there ( for the last 10 years..but finding the time is not easy.. so please be me for one day..hehe..so i can do some more of the stuff i want to do..

 

[vikingBerserker]

Cripes, I REALLY need to move there!

 

[Airframes]

I'll do you a real favour Mr.G. I'll be you for a week, how's that?!!