North African warbird recoveries?

Tue Apr 05, 2005 6:52 pm

I'm sure this has been covered somewhere but, anyone have a good idea what happened to all the planes shot down in North Africa during the war?

I realize not many N. African countries are Western friendly, just wondered what happened to so many planes?

Did locals scavenge them or are they still out there buried in the sands of time?

Regards,
Mike

Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:41 pm

Majority were scrapped by the locals, but of course over such a wide and remote expanse some will have been buried over time in the shifting sands. Other wrecks are known but access is dodgy to say the least as they lie in heavily mined areas and there are no 'maps' showing the said mines exact locations.

Dave

Tue Apr 05, 2005 7:56 pm

Here's what happened to some of the captured 109's

There's one or two more photos like this in Kevin Mears' forthcoming book "Wise Without Eyes".

Tue Apr 05, 2005 8:27 pm

a metal detector the size of a horse's rump will tell you plenty!!!

Tue Apr 05, 2005 10:20 pm

How about that crash landed P-38 story in Tunisia with Pilot still aboard in desert mountain range. Never found? I remember looking at satelight images in area but not good enough resolution. Talk about remote.

Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:38 am

How about this SAAB B.17
,the pics are from 2 years ago . not WWII, but a 'warbird'

Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:58 am

O.K. I cant get the pics up or a 'clickable' URL
so please 'cut & paste'
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/picture_eritrea.htm

Wed Apr 06, 2005 9:08 am

Wow neat pictures! Sandblasted and ready for paint! :wink:

Mike