Nazi warplane lying off UK coast is intact

By Stefano Ambrogi April 8, 2011

LONDON (Reuters) A rare World War Two German bomber, shot down over the English
Channel in 1940 and hidden for years by shifting sands at the bottom of the sea, is so well
preserved a British museum wants to raise it.

World War Two era German Dornier 17 bomber
A World War Two era German Dornier 17 bomber is seen using high-tech sonar equipment, showing it to be largely
intact and well-preserved on the sea floor, in an undated photo off the Kent coast. A rare World War II German
bomber shot down over the English Channel, hidden for years by shifting sands at the bottom of the sea, is so well
preserved a British museum wants to raise it for its collection. The Dornier 17 warplane -- thought to be world's last
known example -- was hit on 26 August 1940 as it took part on a massive attack that became known as the Battle of
Britain. REUTERS/Royal Air Force Museum London/handout
German Luftwaffe Dornier 17
bomber
A German Luftwaffe Dornier 17 bomber is seen dropping bombs in a World War Two era archive photo. A rare
World War II German bomber shot down over the English Channel, hidden for years by shifting sands at the bottom
of the sea, is so well preserved a British museum wants to raise it for its collection. The Dornier 17 warplane --
thought to be world's last known example -- was hit on 26 August 1940 as it took part on a massive attack that
became known as the Battle of Britain.
World War Two era German
Dornier 17 bomber
A World War Two era German Dornier 17 bomber is seen using high-tech sonar equipment, showing it to be largely
intact and well-preserved on the sea floor, in an undated photo off the Kent coast. A rare World War II German
bomber shot down over the English Channel, hidden for years by shifting sands at the bottom of the sea, is so well
preserved a British museum wants to raise it for its collection.
The Dornier 17 -- thought to be world's last known example -- was hit as it took part in the Battle
of Britain. It ditched in the sea just off the Kent coast, southeast England, in an area known as the
Goodwin Sands. The plane came to rest upside-down in 50 feet of water and has become
partially visible from time to time as the sands retreated before being buried again.
Now a high-tech sonar survey undertaken by the Port of London Authority (PLA) has revealed
the aircraft to be in a startling state of preservation. Ian Thirsk, from the RAF Museum at
Hendon in London, told the BBC he was "incredulous" when he first heard of its existence and
potential preservation.
"This aircraft is a unique aeroplane and it's linked to an iconic event in British history, so its
importance cannot be over-emphasized, nationally and internationally," he said. "It's one of the
most significant aeronautical finds of the century."
Known as "the flying pencil," the Dornier 17 was designed as a passenger plane in 1934 and was
later converted for military use as a fast bomber, difficult to hit and theoretically able to outpace
enemy fighter aircraft.
In all, some 1,700 were produced but they struggled in the war with a limited range and bomb
load capability and many were scrapped afterwards.
Striking high-resolution images appear to show that the Goodwin Sands plane suffered only
minor damage, to its forward cockpit and observation windows, on impact.
"The bomb bay doors were open, suggesting the crew jettisoned their cargo," said PLA
spokesman Martin Garside. Two of the crew members died on impact, while two others,
including the pilot, were taken prisoner and survived the war. "The fact that it was almost
entirely made of aluminum and produced in one piece may have contributed to its preservation,"
Garside told Reuters.
The plane is still vulnerable to the area's notorious shifting sands and has become the target of
recreational divers hoping to salvage souvenirs.
The RAF museum has launched an appeal to raise funds for the lifting operation.
(Editing by Steve Addison)
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