San Diego Devastator wreck recovery effort revealed

[Russ Matthews]

I'd heard rumors that a TBD-1 wreck had been discovered in the waters off San Diego at least 8 years ago. According to this news report that is indeed what happened and Pensacola has made it their next priority.

http://www.10news.com/news/26990735/detail.html

Presumably this is Bu No 0377 which, according to Lynn Ritger's excellent "TBD-1 Production List," was lost on 3/4/1941 with no loss of life following an engine failure during training with VT-2 and "sank in 100 fathoms 5 mi. west of Mission Beach, CA." I expect a rough position would have been available in the logs of the rescue ship, USS Williams.

http://tbd_devastator.tripod.com/tbdpage.htm

I'd also assumed (and this is pure speculation on my part) that the wreck must be in pretty rough shape. I don't know why NMNA chose to go public at this particular time .. but, I'm sure we will learn the answers to these questions and more as the days go by.

Last edited by Russ Matthews on Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Dan K]

Nice spotting on the article, TBD.

Bittersweet news.

I'm glad that the Navy is finally moving on recovering a TBD, but this now means that they've abandoned the Jaluit birds to TIGHAR. TIGHAR recovers shoes and turtle bones, but not historic aircraft. The Jaluit birds are doomed to Davy Jones.

[TAdan]

Good to hear that the Navy museum finally wants to recover one. I hope they can find donor.

Did any thing ever come of the Champlin TBD off of Miami? Shame it is still out there it looked to be in great shape in pictures.

[whistlingdeath77]

what kind of shape is it in?

[TimAPNY]

I hope the museum can get on this aircraft and get it up. That would be great!

To bad the others most likely will never see the surface again.

Tim

[Lightjug]

Did any thing ever come of the Champlin TBD off of Miami? Shame it is still out there it looked to be in great shape in pictures.

The article linked above says "The museum has kept the Devastator sighting a secret for more than a decade, focusing on a Devastator that sank near Miami. That project is tied up in litigation."

[TAdan]

Did any thing ever come of the Champlin TBD off of Miami? Shame it is still out there it looked to be in great shape in pictures.

The article linked above says "The museum has kept the Devastator sighting a secret for more than a decade, focusing on a Devastator that sank near Miami. That project is tied up in litigation."

The last I could find on the litigation was from about 10 years ago. Just wondering if there had been any progress since then.

[Russ Matthews]

Shame [the Champlin TBD] is still out there it looked to be in great shape in pictures.

It's true that in some photos (especially close shots of the fuselage and canpoy) that bird looks remarkably well preserved. However, in wider angles, the toll taken by her ditching and subsequent long immersion in a harshly dynamic seawater environment become readily apparent. The link below will take you to an online gallery where Underwater Admiralty Sciences have posted images captured during an expedition to the wreck off Miami seventeen years ago (1994). Check them out and you'll see what I mean ...

http://www.reachone.net/~newtsuit/uasi/douglas1994gallery.html

The cockpit/crew positions seem to have survived pretty well. The engine is a mess, but that's a common trait among many known submerged wrecks and understandable when you assume the plane would have sunk nose heavy -- which would, in turn, mean that the nose absorbs the brunt of the initial impact on striking the bottom. Sadly, her back is broken, just aft of the R/MG station and there may even be damage to the tailfeathers. The wings look really rough -- missing large amounts of structure and a significant portion of the upper skin.

Last edited by Russ Matthews on Wed Mar 30, 2011 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Russ Matthews]

what kind of shape is [the San Diego TBD] in?

A follow-up article has appeared online that describes the Devastator off San Diego as "largely intact." More importantly, it also features underwater video of the wreck...

http://www.10news.com/news/27004610/detail.html

It's hard to make out much detail, but the distinctive "greenhouse" canopy is visible and while sporting many large marine growths, most of the fuselage looks to be fairly clean. There's a brief glimpse of the right wing, which seems to have suffered the same peculiar degradation of upper skin surfaces as Bu No 0353 (the "Champlin TBD") at the bottom of the Atlantic. The footage doesn't reveal anything of the nose and tail sections which were damaged so badly on her sister plane. It is clear, however, from the way the ROV gets bounced around that there's a wicked current running (at least on that day).

No doubt about it .. attempting to recover this wreck will be quite a challenge!

Last edited by Russ Matthews on Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Chris Brame]

Bravo, Taras!!! Bet this will be your biggest challenge yet, unless you find an F2A down there... Looking forward to hearing you tell the story. (If I found a TBD, don't know how I'd keep it secret for eight minutes, let alone eight years!)

[TAdan]

Thanks for the info TBDude.

Congrats on the find Taras, that is one heck of a secret!

[lmritger]

Anyone want to donate airfare so I can be there at the dock when it comes ashore?

Lynn (TBD fan from WAY back)

[shepsair]

Lynn

I think my air fare is going to be more than yours!!

Mark

[Russ Matthews]

If I found a TBD, don't know how I'd keep it secret for eight minutes, let alone eight years!

Eight years ago is just when I first remember hearing a rumor that 0377 had already been found. According to the article he's actually been keeping the secret for fifteen years ...

[airnutz]

unless you find an F2A down there...

There has been rumour of a Buffalo which fell off of a carrier offshore of San Diego during a training exercise...Rob Rohr suggested there was a second one off Dago but who knows....