An introduction to the U.S. WW2 aircraft wrecks of Kwajalein Atoll by Dan Farnham – Part 9
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos submitted by Dan Farnham, used by permission CLICK THE LINK TO READ: The Japanese WW2 aircraft wrecks of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham PART 8 Kwajalein Atoll is a veritable underwater museum of World War II American aircraft, and many types lie scattered around the bottom of the lagoon. They comprise […]
The WW2 Pacific Treasures of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham PART 6 – The H6K ‘Mavis’ float plane wrecks of Ebeye Island
By Pierre Kosmidis Text, photos and additional information by Dan Farnhham, used by permission CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO READ THE FOLLOWING STORIES The WW2 Pacific Treasures of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham PART 1 – Exploring aircraft wrecks The WW2 Pacific Treasures of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham PART 2 – Warrant Officer […]
Kamikaze attack: A tribute to Robert E. Lee, killed on the USS Colorado on November 27, 1944
By Pierre Kosmidis Research and photos by Travis Anderson Born to Clyde and Eveline Lee on Halloween, 1924 in Sun River Montana and older brother to my grandmother, Bette Ryerson. His family had been fighting for this nation since the American Revolution, his great-grandfather had died fighting for the Union during the Civil War and […]
The WW2 Pacific Treasures of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham Part 19: The Helldiver BuNo 21461 of Mellu island
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos, text and research submitted by Dan Farnham, used by permission Designed in 1939, the Curtiss SB2C ‘Helldiver’ was a dive-bomber intended as the replacement for the earlier Douglas-built SBD ‘Dauntless’. When the Dauntless went into production in 1938, the U.S. Navy already knew that the speed, range, and payload of the Dauntless […]
The WW2 Pacific Treasures of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham Part 18: The Avengers of Mellu Island
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos, text and research submitted by Dan Farnham, used by permission Designed in 1939 as the replacement for the obsolete Douglas TBD-1 ‘Devastator’, a new torpedo bomber with the designation XTBF-1 was built in 1940 by Grumman Aviation Corporation. The first flight of the new torpedo plane took place on August 7, 1941. […]
Help us solve the mystery of this 3D photogrammetry wreck in Truk lagoon
By Pierre Kosmidis 3D photogrammetry submitted by Mike Perrin and used by permission The Asian Research Institute of Underwater Archaeology are trying to figure out this wreck in Truk Lagoon. The Asian Research Institute of Underwater Archaeology managed to do a 3D photogrammetry on her and get the contours clear. There is a mystery as […]
The WW2 Pacific Treasures of Kwajalein Lagoon by Dan Farnham Part 16: The F4U-1 Corsair wreck near Mellu Island
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos, text and research submitted by Dan Farnham, used by permission Designed in 1938, the Vought F4U-1 ‘Corsair’ would become the greatest American-built carrier fighter of World War II. It would also have the longest production run of any piston-engine fighter in history. The first Corsair was built in 1940, and by the […]
Locating and identifying WW2 aircraft wrecks: The Kwajalein Missing in Action (MIA) Project
By Pierre Kosmidis Flight deck of the PBM-3D which crashed at Kwajalein on February 16, 1944 Kwajalein Atoll is part of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island. Dan Farnham speaks to WW2 Wrecks andpierekosmidis.blogspot.com about the Kwajalein Missing in Action (MIA) Project: “The […]
Z Special Unit: The top secret Australian Special Forces “Zed” during World War 2
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and video submitted by Lionel Aitken and used by permission A 13-part documentary series, focusing on Z Special Unit, a largely unknown Australian Special Operations element, is in the making and www.ww2wrecks.com has reached out to Mr. Lionel Aitken, the driving force behind capturing and producing all the interviews with surviving members […]
The WW2 “flying coffin” that never returned: The search for the lost Beaufort
By Pierre Kosmidis Photos and info by Pamela Harrison In a solemn ceremony, the relatives of Flying Officer Arthur Aitken and Flight Sergeant Peter Hastie threw flowers on to the ocean gently lapping the shore. It was on the 72nd anniversary since the ill-fated RAAF Beaufort A9-317 took off from RAAF Busselton Air Base on September 9, 1943, never to be […]