A unique bomber wreck has been recovered from the English Channel

A highly valuable wreck of a World War II bomber plane has been recovered from the bottom of the English Channel near Portsmouth. It is the only known example of this machine, which crashed in this place 75 years ago. The presence of the wreckage remained a mystery to all until last summer.

The Fairey Barracuda torpedo bomber is a real white raven among the machines that fought in the European skies during the Second World War. Resting at the bottom of the English Channel, near Portsmouth, it was discovered during work to lay electricity cables between England and France.

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According to Wessex Archaeology, this is the only piece of this aircraft ever found in one piece and the last of its kind to be found in the whole of the UK! Once all the necessary conservation work has been carried out, the bomber will be on display as an exhibit at the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum in Somerset.

As for the history of the found wreckage, it is believed that the 3-seater got into trouble shortly after it began a training flight, which probably took place in 1943.

Euan McNeill of Wessex Archaeology said the wreckage of the plane is in amazing condition, despite being buried in the seabed for the past 75 years. No Fairey Barracuda aircraft has survived to this day, despite 2,500 of them serving in the Royal Air Force.

The bomber crashed in fairly shallow water and at low speed, so it was found almost intact on the bottom. All work to excavate the wreck is expected to be completed within the next 3 weeks. The find will then go to the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Museum, where it will be refurbished and studied.

David Morris from the museum in Somerset said that for many years staff had been collecting parts and pieces of this machine so that the Barracuda could be recreated and built for the museum’s collection. It turns out that very few blueprints for this model are available, so the discovery of the wreck in excellent condition is a huge step forward for this project.

Source: bbc.com
Photo: Stuart Martin