Halifax bomber found 200 meter off-shore, Norway

[79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer]

A Halifax was found at 180 meters depth, 200 meters from the shore in the Trondheim fjord, Norway. No positive identification as of yet, but it is likely one of the machines lost while attacking Tirpitz in 1942.

 

Norwegian national broadcasting, a picture and a small filmclip: http://www.nrk.no/trondelag/fant-sjeldent-bombefly-fra-2.-verdenskrig-1.12001529

[TheBlackPenguin]

Looks pretty well preserved! Thanks for sharing, one of my favourite bombers from WW2.

[II./JG27_Rich]

It does look in good shape 

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 A colleague of mine has done diving off Norwegian coast and says the WW2 wrecks you find there are in amazingly good shape. The water is cold, not much humus and all that, hepls to preserve the planes and other wrecks. Of course he did not touch the wrecks as they are relics nor tell where they are, but said it was quite an eerie moment to see a plane deep in water, like a time capsule.

[Feathered_IV]

Escape hatch is open.  Hope everybody got out.

[79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer]

Escape hatch is open.  Hope everybody got out.

 

The machine has now been identified.

 

Two of the crew were killed by flack over the target. On the way out of the target area (when things had cooled down enough the pilot was about to open his thermos with coffee) fire was discovered on the starboard side. The pilot put the plane down in a controlled emergency landing on the fjord. The remaining crew were taken prisoners by the Germans.

 

There is as of now no plans to raise the plane. Due to the depth (180 meter, about 540 feet) salvage will be very expensive. There is no funds available for such rescue as of now.

 

More detailed report (in Norwegian):

 

http://www.nrk.no/trondelag/tror-ikke-bombeflyet-blir-hevet-1.12004958

 

Article with Google translate:

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=no&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nrk.no%2Ftrondelag%2Ftror-ikke-bombeflyet-blir-hevet-1.12004958&edit-text=&act=url

Edited October 25, 2014 by 79_vRAF_Friendly_flyer