Re: Surviving Helldivers
Sat Apr 23, 2011 4:43 pm
jdvoss wrote:I have just received an e-mail from a French contact of mine, a former aircraft mechanic in the French Navy, and he regetfully informs me that no SB2C Helldiver resides in France any longer. The only possibility is that one 'may' be hidden away somewhere. Forty eight SB2C-4 / -5 Helldivers and 32 SBD's apparently all scrapped. He did inform me of the following website that has a number of classic photos of french naval aircraft.
http://www.frenchwings.net
FWIW, although I posted it before I've attached a photo of a forlone and forgotton SB2C-4 I ran across while exploring the former Marpi Point Naval Airfield on Saipan in the Mariana Islands in 1964.
no chance she is still there?
Re: Surviving Helldivers
Sat Apr 23, 2011 6:46 pm
A friend oif mine explored the area a few years back and saw no signs of the A/C whatsoever. I also did a google.earth search of Marpi and could not see signs of it either. Since my visitation Saipan has been hit by a number of major typhoons with winds approaching 200 mph so conceivably it may have been destroyed.
The aircraft was in pretty sad shape at the time as the corroison was excessive and the skin was paper thin.
John
The aircraft was in pretty sad shape at the time as the corroison was excessive and the skin was paper thin.
John