Saturday 8 June 2013

Last Surviving WWII Dornier bomber To Be Raised From Its Watery Grave After 70 Years

image credit: German Federal Archives cc

A rare German bomber from the Second World War is set to be raised from the English Channel where it has lain for seven decades. The retrieval of the last surviving Dornier Do 17 from the Goodwin Sands off the coast of Kent will be the biggest recovery of its kind in British waters. The aircraft was first spotted by divers in 2008, lying 50ft below the surface on a chalk bed, surrounded by debris.

Two of its four-man crew were killed as it crashed into the sea, but the other two were captured and taken into custody as prisoners of war. The plane, which is said to be in 'remarkable condition', was one of the Luftwaffe's 'flying pencil' bombers, named for their narrow fuselage.

(via Look At This...)

2 comment(s):

Dan H said...

I dont quite get the phrase "last surviving". It hasnt survived has it? Have the rest been scrapped?

Gerard said...

The article explains it.