The wreckage of a B-17 bomber has been found in the North Sea

A well-preserved wreck of an American B-17 bomber from World War II has been found at the bottom of the North Sea off the coast of Belgium. After a thorough examination and exploration of the area around the wreck, it was found that there were remains of the crew inside. The find was reported in

ByTomasz Andrukajtis

Published: July 9, 2018 - 13:47

Updated: July 22, 2023 - 17:01

The wreckage of a B-17 bomber has been found in the North Sea

A well-preserved wreck of an American B-17 bomber from World War II has been found at the bottom of the North Sea off the coast of Belgium. After a thorough examination and exploration of the area around the wreck, it was found that there were remains of the crew inside. The find was reported in the last days of June.

The wreckage of an American B-17 bomber, nicknamed the Flying Fortress, was found during work to lay high-voltage cables linking the UK to the European mainland. Work is currently underway to explore the find and try to identify the craft and learn its history.

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During work on the seabed of the North Sea off the coast of Belgium, workers came across a fragment of an aluminium wing and propeller. After consultation with the Americans and work in the archives, it was established that this might be one of the four missing units.

The B-17 Flying Fortress was operated by crews of nine or ten and carried between two and five tonnes of bombs in its hatches. During World War II, the Americans used these bombers en masse in Europe to attack German cities and industrial centres.

Interestingly, during the exploration of the vicinity of the wreck, the remains of two other aircraft were also found. A wing of a German Messerschmitt fighter, the aluminium skin of a Spitfire belonging to a Royal Air Force unit and an engine fragment of an American Wright R-1820 aircraft were discovered on the bottom.

[blockquote style=”2″]” We should see this location mainly as a war grave, the study of which will allow us to write the last chapter in the history of the people, the soldiers, still considered missing today. From a strictly archaeological point of view, we have not learned very much by investigating this site. The most important thing now is to carry out the work with the necessary sensitivity and to ensure that the relatives of the found pilots are informed.” – said marine archaeologist Wouter Waldus[/blockquote].

Source: dailystar.co.uk

About author

Tomasz Andrukajtis

Editor-in-chief of the DIVERS24 portal and magazine. Responsible for obtaining, translating and developing content. He also supervises all publications. Achived his first diving certification – P1 CMAS, in 2000. Has a degree in journalism and social communication. In the diving industry since 2008.