Messerschmitt 323 Found

[swoose]

Massive Luftwaffe plane wreck 'found off Sardinian coast' - Telegraph

 

[model299]

Really??? Wow!! What a find!

I know the diver said it's intact, but I do wonder what shape it's really in, and what it will take to get out of the water.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Oh Wow!!!

I hope they are able to bring her up and restore it. That would be amazing!

 

[B-17engineer]

Oh man this is huge! (no pun intended )

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Very cool! With Adler, I hope they can get it ashore, catologued and restored. Man, what a job that would be.

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's fricken awesome!

 

[Airframes]

Fantastic news. Let's hope it survives being 'lifted' to the surface, and can be recovered as intact as possible - if a recovery is initiated.

 

[CobberKane]

I don't mean to sound pessimistic but I wonder if it would be practical to get such a big aircraft up from such a depth. Pity its too deep to be a practical dive site, though that has probably saved it from souvenir hunters.
The article mentions the 363 as being heavily armed. I thought it had just a few hand held, rifle calibre guns.

 

[GrauGeist]

Incredible!!

It would be awesome to see this survivor recovered and restored!

 

[stona]

Great find. Dreadful reporting....as usual.

"The Germans initially intended to use the plane in the planned invasion of Britain, Operation Sea Lion"

They'd have needed a time machine since Messerschmitt only submitted plans for the powered version of the Me 321 glider,which became the Me 323,in the autumn of 1941. Series manufacture started at Leipheim and Obertraubling in the summer of 1942 at which time the Luftwaffe obviously contacted Dr Who.

Steve

 

[T Bolt]

Surprised it took until now to find one. The bottom of the Med should be covered with wrecks of Me 323's so many were shot down trying to supply Rommel

 

[davebender]

Only 200 produced and they were used all over Europe. I doubt if even 100 were shot down over the Med. Finding a Me-323 in the Med is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

 

[Messy1]

Very great find. Waiting for more info!!!

 

[Capt. Vick]

How "intact" could anything, especially something that flies, is made out of metal tubing, wood and fabric AND was SHOT DOWN, be after nearly 70 years? Really? REALLY???

 

[proton45]

Interesting, and thanks for the "heads up" on the article....I hope that someone documents the recovery and restoration, it's going to be quite costly and difficult. I'll bet that they will have to recover it in pieces...I think that it will be impossible to lift something that old, big and in questionable condition with any confidence. I hope it doesn't get destroyed in the attempt...I always think about that B-29 that burned up when they tried to fly her out of the arctic. What a shame that was....

 

[Crimea_River]

Great discovery. "Almost intact" is a surprise if true.

 

[Grampa]

Here's a newspaper whit picture on that plane.
Found after 70 years: Divers discover wreckage of Second World War 'Giant' German transport plane which was shot down by British fighter while flying from base in Sardinia | Mail Online

 

[stona]

Doubled somehow.

 

[stona]

Mr Ferruci obviously has a different concept of "almost intact" to mine.
The Me 323 was largely made from materials which I wouldn't expect to survive well for 70 years under salt water,but I'm no expert.
Steve

 

[riacrato]

Well the wood and fabric parts could at least be rebuilt from scratch rather easily, the question is if all that tube framework (if still existant) can be lifted without falling to pieces... I don't have high hopes to be honest.