Interesting information on Morotai

[DaveM2]

Chris I think it is a SM 79, but no doubt our resident Italian Gregory can confirm.
Since Libya is now welcomed back into the world, hopefully wrecks recently off limits will now be recovered, although from what I have heard minefields are a BIG problem..but still that keeps the scrap man at bay as well

Dave

[bdk]

Chris I think it is a SM 79, but no doubt our resident Italian Gregory can confirm.
Since Libya is now welcomed back into the world, hopefully wrecks recently off limits will now be recovered, although from what I have heard minefields are a BIG problem..but still that keeps the scrap man at bay as well

Dave

Want to visit?
http://www.fjexpeditions.com/expeditions/prinfo/libya/libya.htm

http://www.fjexpeditions.com/desert/history/expeditions/expeditions.htm

1967 April & 1969 August

The Desert Rescue Team of the RAF, based at El Adem near Tobruk, made a number of expeditions to the south during their annual exercises. In 1967 April the DRT visited Jebel Sherif, where the wrecked LRDG trucks were still there, intact. In August 1969 the DRT visited Jebel Uweinat where they found several rock art sites near Ain Doua, and the remains of two Italian Savoia bombers wrecked by the LRDG in 1941. The team also visited the spring at Arkenu, which was reported dry.

ZELENY, Adolf P., "The Desert Rescue Team", After the Battle, Number 51, 1986

[DaveM2]

BK

There was a great story of an NZ LRDG truck pulled out of the sand in After the Battle some years back, it is now displayed as found at the IWM London, and is in great condition apart from the knackered tyres.

On another Nth.African theme there were reports of a Ju 52 fusleage being found in a sand dune by petroleum workers in Tunisia, but didn't hear further on that for a couple of years.

Dave

[tom d. friedman]

i have read more than 10 replies to this topic & numerous site members have said can't the u.s. government use it's satellites to find lost warbird wrecks???? 1st of all our illustrious government is not that benevolent to loan us wixers their space hardware for our cause, that's a pipe dream!!! maybe burt rutan can do some space recon in about 10 years!! even if the u.s. government was that generous to do that think of the 60 year old thick jungle foliage that that satellite would have to penetrate to find the warbirds!! no way in hell!!!! my dad was an infantry rifle company commander in new guinea, morotai & mindanoa philippines, he told me they would be on 1 week patrols, would have to leave dead g.i.'s or enemy troops to pick them up on the return & found the jungle re- overgrown to the extent that they couldn't find the dead to pick up on the return trip. i appreciate all the pie in the sky thinking, i'm as passionate on warbirds & wreck chasing as anybody!! all the best, tom (the kosher kamikaze)

[HarvardIV]

Tom:

Yes, I'm glad we've all had a great discussion on this subject. It sure is a good way to observe the "big picture".

[george]

The graveyard on Morotai was still very visible more than 40 years after they were abandoned, though (1986). And an airline pilot spotted a graveyard not more than 5 years ago in Indonesia (may or may not have been Morotai).

[HarvardIV]

Hi George:

It might be a good idea to get into contact with any airline pilots who fly in the Morotai/Halmahera vicinity. I'll do some homework on that.

Chris

[DaveM2]

Tom

I don't think anyone expects a satellite pic to penetrate a think jungle or make a special effort to look for warbirds. It should be a matter of course that satellites taking surveillance of countries long considered 'threats' to the U.S, will take photos of these areas in Indonesia, Nth Korea and Libya etc as part of their normal duties.
As Tony proved these type of shots do exist for Nth.Korea and Nth.Africa and Syria ..Spitfires anyone?

Dave

[tom d. friedman]

you make a very valid point!!! i stand partially corrected!!! interesting what the tsunami disaster will unearth after 6 decades!!! there is bound to be a few significant long lost finds that would never have occured if it wasn't for the disaster in that region. rather bittersweet wouldn't you say??

[tom d. friedman]

1 more thing..... if the u.s. government "eyes in the sky" did stub their toe on a wreck do you honestly think that they would report it?? i doubt it!! sad to say though that the south pacific region of indonesia is massively contaminated with al quaida & taliban terrorists. i fear these s.o.b.'s will heavily benefit from the relief / rescue effort funds flooding these countries.

[Shay]

Here's a thought:
Concerning Warbird wrecks in the desert areas. Particularly those obscured by shifting sands and so on. Would an aircraft equip with a magnatometer be effective in locating aircraft beneath the sands? Works over the water, should still work over land right? Other than that I can't think of any other way to locate buried aircraft in a time efficient manner over large expanses of land. Just wondering.

Shay

[HarvardIV]

Hi Shay:

I believe that the Magnometer can pick up steel only, but that would be a worthy effort.

Chris

[Shay]

Chris
Yeah I mean't to imply that the magnatometer would pickup on the metal in the engines, armor plate, weapons, landing gear and so on. I guess that's the best we can do until somone will developes a "Alumatometer"

Shay

[george]

Tony - I was very happy to see you posted on this thread. It is encouraging that you could again be in a position to get us some sat. pics. If you could do the same with Morotai and Halmahera that you did with Korea, I think we might be pleasantly surprised at what they reveal.

George

[HarvardIV]

Not to go too far off the topic, but I take it Tony works at either the CIA or USGS?