Rare Do 17 discovered off Kent Coast

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Guys, please see this article:

Rare German wartime bomber discovered in Kent sandbank to be recovered | Mail Online

Cheers, Ade.

[Gary J]

WOW ! Ade ... it looks almost intact !!!

[Reg]

Fantastic stuff, what with the maid of Harlech discovery too, who knows what else is still to be found in coastal waters.

[Sokol]

Fantastic! The Do-17 was a very nice plane and not a single one is preserved! It will be great if they manage to save this one!

[Paul D]

That will be a very interesting project to get it out , hopefully much of it will be intact.

[Woolgar]

Wow, now this is exciting, I will be following this story

Nick

[big ned]

Generally speaking these things tend to break rear of the wing during lifting due to corrosion, being filled with silt or even suction. The wings outboard of the engines also, remember, these were built light for flight, not for being battered under water by tide, sand and storm for 70 years.

Nevertheless, the airframe can be repaired to varying degrees depending on money available. My guess is it will probably end up more or less 'as is' displayed on a shingle bed similar to the Halibag and Hurricane at Hendon, that were both found in similar circumstances.

It's interesting to note that the aircraft scan shows it to be lying on it's back, the u/c doors and bomb bay are clearly visible, indicating the aircraft must have ground looped on landing or turned over as it quickly sank. That leaves the possibility that the 2 missing crew members COULD still be aboard. Another sticky problem in the recovery.

Regards, Ned.

[lidders]

What a result ive been waiting 25 years fo a DO17 to be found I was hopeing one would come out of russia but no such luck then this turns up in Kent! Hopefully the sand will have protected the airframe. can't wait to see the recovery.

[swiss76]

http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/cosford/...Wnr%201160.pdf

DORNIER Do 17Z Werke nr. 1160

Built as a Do 17Z-2, with two supercharged Bramo ‘Fafnir’
323P-1 nine-cylinder radial engines; the ultimate, and most
numerous, model of the Do 17 produced.

Allotted to 7/KG3 (7 Staffel (Squadron), III Gruppe of KG.3
with fuselage codes 5K+AR. Based at St Trond in Belgium.

Mon. 26 August 40
Part of a formation despatched to bomb Debden and
Hornchurch airfields. Seven aircraft of the Staffel started to
bomb an aerodrome. Accounts of its loss vary from source to
source; The original PoW Interrogation Report states that
before reaching the target, when flying above clouds this
aircraft seemingly became separated from the rest of the
formation and lost its bearings. It was attacked by fighters,
probably one of the recently-arrived RAF Hornchurch, Essexbased
Boulton Paul Defiants of No.264 Squadron RAF led by
Flt Lt Banham (with their forward base at RAF Manston, Kent)
which hit both engines and the cockpit as one of at least one –
or up to six, as again published accounts vary - Dorniers
brought down by the Defiants, who lost three of their number to
defending Bf109s. At around 13.40 hours the aircraft forcelanded
on Goodwin Sands off the eastern Kentish coast at low
tide. Of the four crew, two (Wounded Pilot Feldwebel Willi
Effmert, and Bomb Aimer Uffz Hermann Ritzel) became
Prisoners-of-War in Canada and two (27-year old Wireless
Operator Unteroffizier Helmut Reinhardt and 21-year old
Bomb aimer Gefreiter Heinz Huhn) were killed, their bodies
being recovered later and buried in Holland and the UK
(Cannock Chase German cemetery) respectively.


Sep 2008
Following probable recent exposure by shifting sands, wreck
located at a depth of some 16m/50 feet and a high – resolution
side-scan sonar and magnetometer survey was made (following
original discovery by recreational diver Mr Bob Peacock who
reported the find) by Wessex Archaeology on behalf of English
Heritage. The aircraft is lying inverted and largely complete on
a bed of chalk on Goodwin Sands, with a small debris field
around it. Mr. Peacock indicated the wreck was first reported to
him c. 2004 by a fisherman who had apparently snagged his
nets on it c.2000/2001.
Starboard tailplane, port rudder, tail fairing cone and tailwheel
assembly, flap assemblies, engine cowlings, forward nose
glazing and bomb bay and undercarriage doors missing, though
both the main undercarriage units remain retracted and in place
Other items including at least two of the original six 7.92mm
MG 15 machine guns removed during unauthorised dives by
‘sport’ divers since 2008.

20 May 2009
Further Sidescan geophysical sonar survey of area including the
Do 17 wreck by Wessex Archaeology on behalf of English
Heritage, confirming the continued presence and good
condition of the aircraft.

2/3 Jun 2010
Diving Survey (two dives on consecutive days) of aircraft
undertaken in conjunction with Wessex Archaeology Ltd. A
few small corroded components were recovered from the
vicinity of the aircraft. A further two dives made later.


This is the only known substantially intact Dornier Do-17. A few components from
other machines survive, including the rudder, spinner and propeller blade displayed in the Battle of Britain Hall at Hendon.



ANDREW SIMPSON
RAF MUSEUM 2010

[navyman]

Hello Andrew,
Thank you for that interesting information. Unfortunately I'm unable to offer help with this project, don't think a wheelchair on the Goodwin sands would be a good idea ! However I will follow the progress with great interest. I didn't know that there are no existing DO 17's left.
Best regards,
navyman.