The Forgotten Libs of Angaur

george · **Joined:** Wed Dec 15, 2004 10:20 pm **Posts:** 435

I've been wondering if much could be left of the 3 or 4 USAAF combat-vet Libs that are rusting away in the Angaur boneyard. Its probably too remote to recover them, from a logistical and financial standpoint, but sad none-the-less that these great heavies haven't been saved.

Phil Earthey · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 3:19 pm

Please tell us more. Not heard of this one.

BW,

Phil

RareBear · **Posted:** Sat Jul 09, 2005 6:43 pm

Angaur is the southernmost of the Palau Islands group in the Republic of Palau which lies about 800km (500 miles) east of Mindanao. The island has only one village and just over 200 people.

The airstrip is aligned NE/SW, and a few hundred meters northwest of the northern end of the strip is an aircraft dump. American forces built a 7000' x 150' coral strip later surfaced with tarmac which exists to this day. Angaur was the base of the 494th Bomb Group, 7th Air Force with four squadrons of Liberator B-24s (864th, 865th, 866th and 867th Bomb Squadrons.). They began operations from Angaur on 2 November 1944. From October & November 1944 three SSMC fighter squadrons, VMF-114, VMF-121 and VMF-122 were based permanently in the Palau Islands at Peleliu and Angaur aerodromes. A flight of Grumman Hellcat F6F-3N night fighters of VMF-541 was also based on Peleliu.

Aircraft Dump
It is located between the road and the sea, in amongst the trees. The remains of a F4U Corsair, 3 or 4 B-24 Liberators, and a C-47 are found there. The Corsair is relatively intact, while the C-47 and B-24s are largely in pieces. Undercarriage parts abound, and there is even a ball turret there, as well as many other bits and pieces. But being so close to the pounding surf (Angaur does not have a reef) corrosion is taking its toll.

(From the Pacificwrecks website)

Walt

Aircraft Mech Paul · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2005 12:30 am

Walt,

VERY interesting post here. Although I do not know where these aircraft are, and given that you say that there are aircraft there, regardless, one would perhaps thought that someone might have considered the recovery in the past. Or, perhaps still, there may yet be hope for recovery.

Or am I all wrong in thinking this ? I ask this in all sincerity given the idea and the lengths that folks went to recover Glacier Girl in the first place, and now from what I have read that there is an effort being mounted to recover Glacier Girl's sister ships along with whatever B-17 parts/pieces there are to be found.

Just my two cents here.

Paul

RareBear · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2005 8:34 am

Please note that the info in my post was taken from the Pacific Wrecks website, as I stated above my name.

I don't have any first-hand knowledge of these aircraft.

Walt

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2005 3:13 pm

i think justin is on an excursion at new guinea / swamp ghost at the moment, i tried to save up the $$$ to go on his trip, but no way with a kid in college, & ohio's toilet economy in relation to my business.

CorsairFreak · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:29 pm

I woner what kind of Corsair...

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:26 am

It's either a -1A or a -1D.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2005 7:36 pm

rob, where was that pic shot & when????

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Tue Jul 12, 2005 9:52 am

Here's the link for that particular picture.

http://www.airdaleamericanhistory.com/WWII--OrotePoint1.html

Someone snagged the tail off of this one back inthe mid 1990s. It was actually a fairly complete plane in the recent past. Here's a fairly horrible photocopy of what it looked like prior to that.

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:06 am

wow!

But given that the corsair was pirated and removed without "anyones" knowledge my guess is that there will be little left of the B-24s or the turrets. I'de love to be wrong on this but I'd bet not much is left.

Has anyone seen the the tail section of a corsair "just happen to available"?? :wink:

Tom P.

paulmcmillan · **Posted:** Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:10 am

Why the tail? Surely the "money shot" is the Gull Wing spar.......

Rob Mears · **Posted:** Tue Jul 12, 2005 10:32 am

The monocoque tail section was no doubt the easiest part to carry out of the jungle, unlike the massive main spar section. At least three different aft fuselage sections have gone missing from island wrecks in the Pacific region over the last couple of decades. I figure the outer wing panels would be just as valuable, if not more so.

tom d. friedman · **Posted:** Tue Jul 12, 2005 11:26 am

why the tail????? "everbody likes a piece of tail...." even a corsair's!!

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Jul 12, 2005 1:16 pm

Tom Friedman - that reminds me of an old Van Halen song - "Everybody wants some!"

Soooo. . . When Col Rohr's friend gets back to him maybe the WIX team should arrange to help out with the remaining piece! LOL

Personally I'd love to find a cockpit/nose section from one of the Libs!

Tom P.

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