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Remains of WWII dive-bomber found off the coast of Croatia
The wreck of a dive-bombing aircraft that struck fear into the Allied ground troops is found underwater off the coast of Croatia
The Junkers Ju Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug) 'dive bomber' Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
By Nick Squires
12:38PM BST 02 Oct 2014
The ghostly remains of a remarkably well-preserved Stuka dive bomber, an aircraft that struck terror into Allied forces during the Second World War, has been discovered lying on the seabed of the Adriatic.
The lichen-encrusted wreckage of the Stuka, a ground attack plane officially known as the Junkers Ju 87, was discovered by divers more than 70 years after it was shot down.
The two-man aircraft was found at a depth of around 90ft off the coast of Croatia, close to the island of Zirje.
Although German-made, it is believed that it was being flown by the Italian air force and that it may have been shot down by a Yugoslav warship in April 1941 when the country was invaded by the Axis powers.
"The plane is lying on its wheels as if it smoothly landed on the seabed," Igor Miholjek, of Croatia’s national conservation institute, told AFP.
"The engine, which was most likely ripped off when the plane hit the water, was missing and was found nearby, but the rest of the aircraft is complete and in very good condition," said Mr Miholjek, who took part in the diving expedition that found the wreck.
It was not clear whether the plane could be recovered and brought to the surface.
The two-man aircraft was found at a depth of around 90ft off the coast of Croatia (AFP/Getty Imags)
Nearly 6,500 Stukas were produced during the war but only two aircraft survive.
They are on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon and in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Two more were discovered on the seabed off the coasts of Greece and Norway, but they were in much worse condition than the one discovered off Croatia.
'Stuka' bombers were designed to dive at a steep angle and release their bombs at a low altitude for maximum accuracy.
The name “Stuka” is a contraction of its full title in German, Sturzkampfflugzeug.
The aircraft were operated by a pilot and a rear gunner.
Stukas made their combat debut during the Spanish Civil War, when they were deployed against Republican forces by the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion.
The aircraft were notorious for making a screaming sound when they dived, striking fear into troops on the ground.
They became a symbol of Germany’s Blitzkrieg campaigns in northern Europe at the start of the war.
Hier noch ein Video:
http://www.focus.de/wissen/videos/e...a-deutscher-weltkriegs-bomber_id_4175761.html
Remains of WWII dive-bomber found off the coast of Croatia
The wreck of a dive-bombing aircraft that struck fear into the Allied ground troops is found underwater off the coast of Croatia
The Junkers Ju Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug) 'dive bomber' Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
By Nick Squires
12:38PM BST 02 Oct 2014
The ghostly remains of a remarkably well-preserved Stuka dive bomber, an aircraft that struck terror into Allied forces during the Second World War, has been discovered lying on the seabed of the Adriatic.
The lichen-encrusted wreckage of the Stuka, a ground attack plane officially known as the Junkers Ju 87, was discovered by divers more than 70 years after it was shot down.
The two-man aircraft was found at a depth of around 90ft off the coast of Croatia, close to the island of Zirje.
Although German-made, it is believed that it was being flown by the Italian air force and that it may have been shot down by a Yugoslav warship in April 1941 when the country was invaded by the Axis powers.
"The plane is lying on its wheels as if it smoothly landed on the seabed," Igor Miholjek, of Croatia’s national conservation institute, told AFP.
"The engine, which was most likely ripped off when the plane hit the water, was missing and was found nearby, but the rest of the aircraft is complete and in very good condition," said Mr Miholjek, who took part in the diving expedition that found the wreck.
It was not clear whether the plane could be recovered and brought to the surface.
The two-man aircraft was found at a depth of around 90ft off the coast of Croatia (AFP/Getty Imags)
Nearly 6,500 Stukas were produced during the war but only two aircraft survive.
They are on display at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon and in the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
Two more were discovered on the seabed off the coasts of Greece and Norway, but they were in much worse condition than the one discovered off Croatia.
'Stuka' bombers were designed to dive at a steep angle and release their bombs at a low altitude for maximum accuracy.
The name “Stuka” is a contraction of its full title in German, Sturzkampfflugzeug.
The aircraft were operated by a pilot and a rear gunner.
Stukas made their combat debut during the Spanish Civil War, when they were deployed against Republican forces by the Luftwaffe’s Condor Legion.
The aircraft were notorious for making a screaming sound when they dived, striking fear into troops on the ground.
They became a symbol of Germany’s Blitzkrieg campaigns in northern Europe at the start of the war.
Hier noch ein Video:
http://www.focus.de/wissen/videos/e...a-deutscher-weltkriegs-bomber_id_4175761.html
