b17's in the english channel

[groundpounder]

has anybody or any group ever gone after or recovered the remains of any b-17 from the bottom of the english channel? i would think that the bottom would have at one time at least been literally littered with the remains of such aircraft. i have no idea of just how deep the channel is , just a saturday morning thought.

[peter]

Don't think there would be too much left....?

[Mudge]

Gotta' agree with Peter. Hitting the water at those speeds is going to tear an airplane apart pretty thoroughly. You might find a few big chunks but I doubt that they'd be worth the effort and $$$.

Mudge the doubtful

[F3V]

And many B-17s Hulks are war graves

Two years ago I locate one B-17 in the English Chanel near Dieppe but it's a war grave I shall never say to his location anybody except USAAF

[Ross_McNeill]

Most have been trawled over the years.

"Miss Lollipop" is a few miles off Dover in 20 metre depth and all that is proud of the bottom is the bomb racks, 50 calibre waist mounts and the engines.

The internal structure of the wings has collapsed leaving only the main spars and a few lace like skins.

Most of the B-17s are in the same state as per the Newhaven example

http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/ma ... /5002.html

(click on the red dots for the seabed piccys..)

Having said that some gems do exist..

http://www.wessexarch.co.uk/projects/ma ... a1001.html

Regards
Ross

[Cripes A Mighty]

Reminds me of the story of the 2 mustangs recovered on the French coast or more recently that Lightning in Wales.

They are out there. Norway continues to find wrecks and successfully salvage/restore them.
JU-88
http://www.ju88.net/

[Tangmere Mk II]

I have almost lost count of the B-17 wreckage that I have seen trawled out of the Channel. I live on the coast at Hastings and about three years ago there was a near complete wing spar and main leg on the beach here. Engines and props frequently come ashore and I found a horizontal stabilizer on the beach at Pevensey with a lovely Bell Aircraft Co brass plate on it marked B-17 F. So...only bits and pieces of B-17's, but similarly hundreds of wreck parts of other types, including Battle of Britain period. Mostly VERY poor condition though.

[hang the expense]

I would bet that due to the shallow nature of the channel there wont be much left.The salt water really plays hell with an airframe.Maybe had they been recoverd in the late fifties but we are talking 60 plus years now.

[Pat Carry]

You have my curiosity up Tangmere Mk II. What happens to the stuff that has been trawled out of the Channel?

[The Inspector]

I've seen pictures from years past where the Dutch have drained a Poulder for more farm land and found Ju-88's piled up on B-17's resting on Lancasters and all held together by 109's and 51's and 47's
And thats brackish water

[Russ Matthews]

Two years ago I locate one B-17 in the English Chanel near Dieppe but it's a war grave I shall never say to his location anybody except USAAF

PM me for contact info for "JPAC," the US military's Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command -- if you wish to report finding the remains of US servicemen.

[F3V]

I owe some researches of archives fire first before acting, in epoch the body of one of the members of crew had been found one or two months after the crash, there must be a police report somewhere...

[Tangmere Mk II]

You have my curiosity up Tangmere Mk II. What happens to the stuff that has been trawled out of the Channel?

Sometimes it goes to museums and collectors...other times it goes to the junkyard. I have collected a good few pieces myself over the last 35 years or so!!

[corn cob R4360]

I've seen pictures from years past where the Dutch have drained a Poulder for more farm land and found Ju-88's piled up on B-17's resting on Lancasters and all held together by 109's and 51's and 47's
And thats brackish water

Yes, you are right, but the story rages further. But first things First! It is called the POLDER, where I live. Small town called Dronten: We have a airgunner memorial of a Propeller from a Lancaster ED-357 where I had to make a small presentation of when I was just under my 10.
Every year during the 4th of May we commemorate with 2 minutes of silence. Every year we have Airgunners from England over here in this small town. Now 1 thing in our community over here is a Large map for all to see; containing all crash sites of Lancaster bombers scattered over Holland, but also we find the remains of Lightnings, Messerschmitts and even B-17’s. Not mutch, but they are located, but it is to expensive to recover them all.

Here are some pics, and a clip I shot of (darn???) D_AMN) Yankee during 4th may, it used to be a Lancaster flyby years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qai_2JgB2p4

There are also some pics of B-17's on Google Earth near the coast of Holland. Check it out.

[n5151ts]

You have my curiosity up Tangmere Mk II. What happens to the stuff that has been trawled out of the Channel?

they have an aviation museum as well as a traditional castle and hve quite a few relics pulld up from the channel...