SM-79 was one of the most popular of the Royal Air Force bombers during WW2. Based in Greece, their mission was to make the raid on the Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. This specimen was probably shot down in 41 although there are conflicting opinions among fans and scholars, all assumptions, however, are still being examined. E 'was found off the town of Kas, a tourist destination and a paradise for divers, there are beautiful grounds, the' MS is 61m deep, the wreck as a whole is in good condition engines are quite distinguishable is a moved forward slightly separated from the rest of the fuselage, probably due to the impact damage. The wooden parts no longer exist after 60 years at the bottom of salt water was inevitable but the shape of the SM can be seen from the metal parts of the fuselage which has now become the home of a local underwater flora and fauna. 
The tails are in good condition, there are signs of division but are incomprehensible and weapons on board have been completely colonized by beautiful coral reefs, I have not had the courage to remove someone. Basically I have to say that it is a great experience but now the time has expired and I have to go back, do a last look at the beast and see it slowly disappear over the blue, I'm sure of one thing I will return. www.kas-diving.com
.jpg)
exceptionally light and strong he was capable of considerable strain during the attacks, strokes and be able to cash suffer severe damage, while still volare.Pochi days after the declaration of war in September 1939, were the first planes to drop bombs on Germany and the bombing continued until the end of the day when, due to the heavy losses, were forced to operate only at night: Their motto became "Avening (bird of the shadows). The Bomber Command used them as bombers until the end of 1943 (in versions MK II and MK III) and then targeting it, with the Coastal Command, to fight anti-ship and anti-submarine. 
The MK II was destined to the Mediterranean: Gibraltar reached England then moved to Malta. One part remained in the island, others relocated from Cairo in Egypt to operate against the Italian forces stationed in Germany in Libya. Both in Malta from Cairo who fought against the Axis ships. Maltese was the task of aircraft reconnaissance, and Wellington's daily flew over the base of Taranto, Naples, Tripoli, controlling the channel Sicilia.Opera of Wellington were the heavy bombardment of the city of Messina played to prevent the ferry between Italy and German forces after their withdrawal from the island, between July 29 and August 17, 1943, based Trapani. They attacked the city at night releasing 225 times in the first fortnight of August a total of 6,542 tons of explosives. 
three parts immediately Wellington of 104 Squadron (the ones available) and two of them charged the famous bombs 'cookies' from 4000 pounds to try to surprise Castelvetrano in the confusion after the attack. Were destroyed 14 other planes, however, this time the battery of defense against EREA-gunners were alert and bragging about the killing of one of the attackers. A Wellington failed to return with the loss of all hands near Castelvetrano: Flt. Sgt JF Lewthwaite (serial number Z9036). One of the Junkers 4/NJG 2 (night fighter) and commanded by Upt Jung, that evening, boasted of killing a twin-engine aircraft, the aircraft was identified as Blende.Si was thought that he was the Wellington crashed . Later, however, has been identified as a Mk1C, down to the Castelvetrano 4/17/1942. All crew buried in Catania, then fell on the ground. Camera searches other losses of Wellington MkII were reported to luce.La night between 23 and 24 February two Wellington of 458 Squadron (Australian) are precipitated in the waters adjacent Marettimo. On 19 April 1943 a Wellington, 458 Squadron (Australian) was shot down during the night while flying over the area Marettimo. In the night between 6 and 7 May 1943 a Wellington was shot down over the waters of Trapani It 's very likely that this is one of three planes. In diving you have not found any serial number of the engine that can bring us back to the identity. The research continues with the suspicion that if it were a Wellington for the antisubmarine warfare, the war ended there documentazione.A Wellington flew to 346,440 hours, half of which are visible in the Far Oriente.Oggi two specimens recovered in Wellington, the MF628 T10 (last set was built in 1945) to the Royal Air Force Museum in London. The second series of 2980 N Wellington IA, exposed to the Brooklands Museum. 
Great America Japan and the fierce faces, on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, both across the ocean throwing war fleet, some turning their prows toward the setting sun, the other towards the dawn. Miles of saltwater dividing the two superpowers, but at the same time represented a great and safe way to move to another offesa.Splendidi coral atolls became so important bridgeheads, equipped with military bases in which massed men and equipment, ammunition and weapons, medicines and clothing , intended to combat troops, or ships that ran off in search of nemico.E 'That's why one of those atolls that now we see the window of one day was look like hell, surrounded by fire and flames, ravaged by the horrors of a battle without quartiere.Siamo nell'atollo of Truk in Micronesia, the sea, a belt of coral enclosing a dozen islands covered by dense jungle and the tranquil waters of a shallow lagoon interna.Le over one hundred miles of the circumference of the atoll offered shelter to a formidable Japanese merchant fleet support military operations. 
Dozens of ships at anchor, loaded to capacity expected to sort their cargo, protected by coral atoll by the fury of the waves and the guns of those days any airstrikes americane.In Truk really seemed impregnable, only four passes in the open barrier allow access to those waters tranquille.Pass watch from a distance with powerful long-range cannon capable of destroying any enemy ship had tried to force entry through one of those steps obbligati.Intanto one hundred antiaircraft control the skies, while a large number of fighters was ready to take off to intercept any attack bombers nemici.Eppure on this seemingly impregnable objective focused the attention of the 'Intelligence' americana.E the night of February 17, 1944 the atoll became a heavenly a real inferno.Una violent incursion Hellcat fighter planes hurled against ready to take off and anti-aircraft positions, followed by a huge attack bombers with tons and tons of bombs obliterated the atoll of Truk from the board of war Pacifico.Le defenses were destroyed and was sunk all ships of the great merchant fleet with its precious carico.Le ships still at anchor , flowed above the place in the same location where they were. 
Constraints from heavy anchor chains, nailed to that precise spot from a deadly hail of bombs, torpedoes and proiettili.1300 tons of bombs were dropped .416 in the attack, Japanese planes and 60 ships were lost and 423 buildings reduced macerie.Il 15 August 1945 the Japanese base at Truk chapters, and then was declared "off limits". For 25 years the atoll of Truk was mondo.Per then forgotten by all that time the Japanese fleet of ancient ships rest on the bottom, while the tropical vegetation launched his latest attack on the fortifications Japanese covers the extent and removed almost every traccia.Intanto, at the bottom of the lagoon, were the tiny coral polyps which attack the metal of the ships, providing them with a rigid substrate and away from the mud of the bottom to colonize. For twenty-five years, therefore, kept the waters of the ships sunk in the same condition as they were during the tragic days of the sinking. And the same scenario is now in front of our occhi.Le ships lying on the bottom, with the anchor chain that goes from the eye of Hawse and you lose out on the sand, beyond the limits of visibilità.Le holds filled with goods, cargo safely in today in the same positions in which they were willing now more than 50 years ago. Furnishings are scattered everywhere on the seabed, the structures of the bridges devastated by bombe.Tutto is like that day more than fifty years ago, all as the end of that tragedy, when the ship slowly left the area. While the atmosphere was ravaged by flames of fire, the thunder of explosions, the screams of men mad with terror, and the ship sank, resting gently on the sediment bottom, suddenly in a world of silence and stillness. Everything is as it was then, yes, but with one difference: here it seems that nature is committed to this perk that can rightly be considered a veritable shrine, a monument in memory of all those men who in those days of war perished. Today you can visit these ancient sunken ships. No need to be underwater espertissimi.E 'enough to have achieved any scuba diving adventure to embark on the exciting exploration of these ancient relitti.Le depth is always limited. The waters of the lagoon protect us from the waves and are not affected by intense correnti.La visibility is usually excellent and the temperature pleasantly high. And 'no denying that the spectacle of a sunken ship is still a sad spectacle, sometimes angosciante.E this was the first feeling that while we tried to kick the high peak load Fujikawa Maru.Il his profile appeared to us through the water full of plankton. 
Tetro, distance, bathed in soft corals that were left dangling, clinging to strutture.Ma was just a little closer, to light from near the plate with a powerful underwater light, overwhelmed by utter amazement, the incredible spectacle of the brilliant Things marine.Sfumature colors of yellow, red, purple, which add up to one another, a scenario that depicted admirably otherwise dark and monochromatic. Very quickly we got used to this strange contradiction, the different colors of joy living with these testimonies drammatiche.Costruzioni coral modify the metal structures, they become part, they distort the shapes. We had a kicking on the decks of large navi.Ingombri of twisted metal, winches, cables of steel. And yet the vivid colors of sponges, corals, soft corals of which enveloped the Battaiola, the cleats, spikes carico.Affascinati from this amazing and unusual environment, we had to swim along the corridors, to appear in ships oblò.Un through the day exploring a ship we arrived at the bridge of the large glass windows comando.I were no longer in place and so we could easily push inside. In front of us we found the engine room telegraph: evidence of an ancient way to go for mare.A that time the lever of the engine room telegraph was transmitted the order to slow down the engine, acceleration, making the machine back. Today, modern ships, the commanding officer can act directly on the powerful engine by following commands on the bridge. From the bridge we left to go down. Carefully 
we slipped deeper and deeper through narrow passageways, swimming upside down through the narrow stairways. On the way light the torch has discovered the remains of pottery, dishes, whole, a large lantern on the ground in a alloggio.Continuammo pushing us deeper and deeper into the interior of the wreck, I decided to get more and more into the darkness, crossing cabins and corridoi.Fino when we were not attracted by a light lontana.Istintivamente we headed in that direction, soon found inside a huge stiva.La light filtered from breaking up into bundles of rays azzurrognoli.Ci were moving cautiously, careful not to raise with fins or a clumsy movement of the blanket thin silt that covered everything and that would in visibilità.Ad an instant reset of a sudden a flash caught our attention: a large number of bottles were packed in a brown glass angolo.Bottiglie, still their place in the vaults in which were stowed, stacked one upon the other altre.Più bottles, medicine bottles more piccole.Di sure, as confirmed later by the discovery of boxes full of bendaggi.Attraversammo a bulkhead and the nature of the cargo changed here completamente.Ecco crates and crates of ammunition, bullets each tipo.Un huge load that gives us an idea of \u200b\u200bthe effort that Japan was putting away in guerra.Poco find the fuselage of a Zero fighter, with wings removed and place on earth to look out quick distanza.Ci pilot's cabin, we look at the seat, on-board instruments, yet all their posto.Ma still a ray of light draws us to an isolated point in the dark. We passed a couple of corridors to get to appear on some large openings in fiancata.Fu like looking at a beautiful garden from a window framed by clusters of soft corals colorati.Il reassuring light blue sea of \u200b\u200bthe tropics irresistibilmente.E attracted us so we passed through the window and we left the ship, to fly over the wreck, had grown into a real coral reef and slowly move towards the surface. 
more bizarre objects to be searched on relittiSe one day you will have the good fortune to find yourself diving on the wrecks of Truk Lagoon, do not forget to sharpen the sight, looking for what may be the finding was reached after more bizzarro.Nulla wrecks, everything is even your little posto.Un 'everywhere you will find gas masks, ammunition in abundance, do not be surprised to find automezzi.Ma cups and plates, glasses, utensils cucina.Noi we have gone in the engine room and found a workshop. Attacked the wall, still in place, there were hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches inglesi.E just off a lathe and a drill colonna.Ci we are amazed to find a pressure gauge with the written Italian: Fratelli Martelli, was written on the face of the instrument . But what surprised us most was the discovery of a stack of old records at 75 rpm and a good number of scores musicali.Datevi to do, then, in search of finding the most curious, but do not forget: the depths lagoon Truk proprioMuseo.Guardare are considered a real and not touch anything, then, is the main rule. 
A team of divers of the Hellenic Air Force has recovered off Cape Prassonissi, the wreckage of a German Ju 87 aircraft, this 'popularly known as Stuka aircraft entered the collective imagination as a symbol of the war unleashed by the Nazis. The aircraft recovered, military designation S7 + GM, belonged to the Squadron II / St.G stationed in the former Italian airport of Maritsa. The crew of the Lt. Rolf Metzger and Uffz. Hans Sopnemann but did not survive the impact. 
Two years ago a vessel rodiota stumbled across the wreckage dragging it down to the sandy sea bottom in front of the small port near Prassonissi about 15 meters deep. The diver Iaonnis Glynatsis immersed himself in the seabed where it had been left to the vessel, and documented with video footage that it was a German plane that was easily identified as a Stuka for its gull wings, the wreckage was lying upside down with its tail and part of the wings removed, the complex was in good condition. Informed the Greek authorities decided to recover by the same diving team which had operated two years ago in Leros JU 52 aircraft on three engines in the bay of Alinda. 
This time the job was easier because it was a wreck about 3 tons, was lifted by harness and balls underwater. The wreckage was then transported to the airport of Maritsa from which it had left 63 years ago, for the first restoration. It will then be transferred to Athens to be exhibited in the Museum of Aviation. 
With a wingspan of 22.6 meters and a length of 16.2, the Heinkel presents lying on the sandy bottom upside down. The area 'characterized by turbid water and only when we are near we see the wreckage of the aircraft. Huge 
the two engines, lost much of the bodywork, suggesting the top of the head with the cylinders and exhaust pipes. On them protrude trolley wheels wing which, while in the retracted position, are slightly protruding. The flap appears in the position of maximum slope confirming the emergency landing. Network traces on the fuselage of the vessel that inadvertently led to the discovery of the wreck. 
From here you can inspect the car before lighting up outside the cabin where you can see levers and controls to govern the air and oxygen cylinders used during flight at high altitude. 
The doors are open to release the bombs and we can see the racks supporting the heavy bombs of 250 kg. But I do not see the 7.92 mm machine guns, and probably covered up the two sides, probably lost during the impact with the sea surface. 
and remained there until 1965 when a famous local divers, Claude Verge ', was hired by the owners the vessel's trans''Notre Dame de Laghet''to retrieve a network inexplicably entangled on the bottom. Verge 'is' in front of the bomber, in which were some bones. 
This seems to endorse the idea of \u200b\u200bthe air war and the subsequent landing of luck, as evidenced by the doors open and empty rooms and other explosive devices to minimize the risk of impact with the sea surface. Moreover, the absence of the propeller blades could be assumed that the engines were stopped. Maybe the plane had been hit so badly, or really had been out of gas? 
