Okeanos Explorere looking for a B-29 off Tinian

m50a1ontos · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2016 5:04 pm

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/m ... tream.html

TAdan · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2016 7:39 pm

Wow, great footage! Thanks for sharing. You could clearly make out the remains of a wing and two engine nacelles. Amazing that after 70 years it was still identifiable.

WIXerGreg · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2016 8:25 pm

Neat footage

The front of the cowls were stainless because of front bank exhaust heat which is why they've fared better than the aluminum.

TAdan · **Posted:** Fri Jul 08, 2016 8:46 pm

Looking at the FE station, and part of the bomb bay tunnel now...

camshaw · **Posted:** Sun Jul 10, 2016 10:16 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8RK13LJ4Ws

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

TAdan wrote:

Looking at the FE station, and part of the bomb bay tunnel now...

That isn't the tunnel. It is actually the upper gun turret.

wendovertom · **Posted:** Mon Jul 11, 2016 12:31 pm

Wow - what a find. I was hopeful the crew got off her but then the photos of the parachutes. . . . God rest her crew and their families. I assume this is off the est side of the runways on North field - when I was there 6 years ago the locals talked a lot about B-29s that did not make it and sank in the water there.

Tom P.

lmritger · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2016 7:56 am

WIXerGreg wrote:

Neat footage

The front of the cowls were stainless because of front bank exhaust heat which is why they've fared better than the aluminum.

Thanks for that info, I was genuinely puzzled why those panels were readily identifiable but the rest of the airframe seems to have almost completely dissolved.

Do we know how deep this aircraft is located? Given the corrosion evident in the aluminum structures, I would assume it's probably pretty shallow (relatively speaking) but I honestly don't know. I know a bunch of folks are working hard to try and ID her right now... I'm sort of hoping it's not Dauntless Dotty, just because I selfishly hoped that she would be in somewhat better condition than this, but I expect that's a futile hope.

Lynn

Brad · **Joined:** Thu Apr 29, 2004 10:30 pm **Posts:** 1131

lmritger wrote:

I know a bunch of folks are working hard to try and ID her right now... I'm sort of hoping it's not Dauntless Dotty, just because I selfishly hoped that she would be in somewhat better condition than this, but I expect that's a futile hope.Lynn

Dauntless Dotty crashed on takeoff from Kwajalein. It is a long way from this wreckage.

Russ Matthews · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2016 3:43 pm

lmritger wrote:

Do we know how deep this aircraft is located?

Approximately 370 meters ... or around 1,200 feet deep.

Russ Matthews · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2016 3:51 pm

wendovertom wrote:

I assume this is off the east side of the runways on North field ...

Yes. In the channel about halfway between Tinian and Saipan.

camshaw · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2016 4:19 pm

going off the current state of the wreckage and the depth it sits, I would venture to say that this b29 went in hard and fast and blew apart wouldn't you guys say, nothings left of it! leads me to think it was a terrible crash??

StangStung · **Posted:** Fri Jul 15, 2016 4:53 pm

camshaw wrote:

going off the current state of the wreckage and the depth it sits, I would venture to say that this b29 went in hard and fast and blew apart wouldn't you guys say, nothings left of it! leads me to think it was a terrible crash??

On the contrary, looks like it went in together and 70 years of pressure and saltwater have done away with the majority of it. If it had blown apart at the surface, you'd never see that compact of a debris field 1000 ft down.

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Okeanos Explorere looking for a B-29 off Tinian

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