Me 323 Found Complete!

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ADLERTAG
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Me 323 Found Complete!

#1

Post by ADLERTAG » 15 Sep 2012, 13:50

This has just appeared here in the UK on the Daily Mail website.
What a find!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml

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Marcus
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#2

Post by Marcus » 15 Sep 2012, 14:44

Added for easy reference.
It was the 'Giant' German aircraft shot from the skies while delivering tanks and weaponry to the battlefield during the Second World War.
Now nearly 70 years after being shot down by a British fighter, experts have found the only surviving example of the Messerschmitt 323 'Gigant' transport plane, 200ft underwater off the coast of Sardinia.
The Me 323 - the largest land-based transport aircraft from the War - was on its way to the Tuscan city of Pistoia from its German base in Sardinia when it was hit by a Bristol Beaufighter fighter plane in July 1943.
After being taken down by the long-range fighter plane, it plunged into waters off the Maddalena islands, an idyllic getaway island now popular with holidaymakers.
But a small team of divers and amateur historians have since 'stumbled upon' the wreckage hundreds of feet underwater, claiming the rusting Messerschmitt is amazingly still intact.
Remarkably, divers found the wreckage while they were searching for another sunken plane.
Aldo Ferruci, a diving instructor and photographer who took pictures of the wreck, told The Daily Telegraph: 'It was just by chance that we found it because we were actually looking for a different plane wreck.
'We had understood that the Me 323 was in a totally different location so we were lucky to stumble on it.
'It is in good condition – it is almost intact, with the six engines still all in line.'
Other experts described the find as one of 'great historical importance'.
Second World War historians say they are aware of 'no other complete surviving Messerschmitt 323 Giant in existence.'
There were an estimated 213 Messerschmitt 323s made, with the transport plane's first flight in 1942, before it was retired in 1944.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... ds-newsxml

/Marcus
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redcoat
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#3

Post by redcoat » 15 Sep 2012, 16:59

Does the person who wrote the headline sell used cars 8O
Because while it's a nice find,it's not really what I would call 'complete'! :lol:

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Natter
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#4

Post by Natter » 15 Sep 2012, 18:25

redcoat wrote:Does the person who wrote the headline sell used cars 8O
Because while it's a nice find,it's not really what I would call 'complete'! :lol:
Just a normal journalist... Sensationalism and exaggeration is in their backbone - whatever topic they cover it seems :-|

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Takao
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#5

Post by Takao » 16 Sep 2012, 02:12

redcoat wrote:Does the person who wrote the headline sell used cars 8O
Because while it's a nice find,it's not really what I would call 'complete'! :lol:
All journalists are 100% truthful, this 323 is 100% complete...a 100% complete wreck!

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Mark in Cleveland, Tn.
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#6

Post by Mark in Cleveland, Tn. » 16 Sep 2012, 04:05

Yep, and was not the 323 made with a large amount of wood and fabric???

And consider the source...The Daily Mail!!!! a POS tabloid like our National Enquirer..or better yet...The World News paper rag.

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Steve Hoog
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#7

Post by Steve Hoog » 16 Sep 2012, 04:50

Even with the spin it's still a cool plane and story!

pey
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#8

Post by pey » 16 Sep 2012, 23:20

Hi to all!

The Me 323 was from 3./TG 5 and took off from Olbia Venafiorita directed to Pistoia, in Tuscany, where they had a Base.
The Beaufighters were from RAF Coastal Command Squadron No 144, part of a Rover Partol of 8 Beaus. The 4 cannon armed Beaufighters (the other 4 were torpedo carriers) were dispatched in pairs to deal with the Gigants. One Beau was shoot down by a Gigant with the loss of the operator and the capture of the Pilot.
The other Gigant fell in the Mongiardino area of the La Maddalena Island, and burnt to ashes. Only around 10 soldiers escaped the wreck. It also had one ton of military mail (I think German documents, their troops were leaving Sardinia in those days)

I read all this stuff in june 2011 in the french book of Mr. Roba about the Me 323 published by Lela Presse last year. The date was July 26th, 1943, one day after Mussolini was deposed.

As I have an home in La Maddalena Island the story struck my attention, and as I work in the Libreria Militare in Milan, Italy (http://www.libreriamilitare.com), I spoke about this history with the sub Cristina Freghieri, who discovered the HMS Thunderbolt in the Sicily Channel.

She began her researches at and on May 28th, 2012, found the wreck at around 70 meters deep.
In that dive there was also Mr. Aldo Ferrucci, but he was a guest of Cristina.

Regards

Federico Peyrani

Merobaudes
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#9

Post by Merobaudes » 24 Oct 2012, 18:16

I remember my mother told me she saw one of those giants crashing against the Gabicce promontory (or close to it?), around 25 kms south of Rimini, in summer 1944, before the battle on the Gothic line.
Best.
Carlo

Arto O
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#10

Post by Arto O » 24 Oct 2012, 21:31

Hi,
According of Tony Wood & Bill Gunston: Hitler´s Luftwaffe (spanish editorial) the E-1 had one MG 151 of 20 mm on each wing. Was these operated by somekind remote control or was there a man inside each torret?
Thanks
Arto
Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-668-7197-16,_Reichsgebiet,_Flugzeug_Me_323_Gigant.jpg
Source of the photo Histomil.com

Arto O
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#11

Post by Arto O » 24 Oct 2012, 21:32

Hi,
According of Tony Wood & Bill Gunston: Hitler´s Luftwaffe (spanish editorial) the E-1 had one MG 151 of 20 mm on each wing. Was these operated by somekind remote control or was there a man inside each torret?
Thanks
Arto
Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-668-7197-16,_Reichsgebiet,_Flugzeug_Me_323_Gigant.jpg
Source of the photo Histomil.com

pey
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#12

Post by pey » 24 Oct 2012, 21:52

Hi Arto!

There was a man inside. The wing was so high in its central part, that a man could seat inside.

Regards

Federico

Arto O
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#13

Post by Arto O » 25 Oct 2012, 03:31

Thanks Federico,
I was thinking by remote control. A lucky found from Google image search: the wing turret
inside view:
with best regards
Arto
me323wt08bx4.jpg
Source: ww2incolor.com

michael_ww2history
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#14

Post by michael_ww2history » 31 Oct 2012, 08:38

redcoat wrote:Does the person who wrote the headline sell used cars 8O
Because while it's a nice find,it's not really what I would call 'complete'! :lol:

Yeah I think this airplane has a lot of wood and maybe even canvas on it. I don't think those materials would last very well under the ocean for so long. The engines were metal, so they may be somewhat visible still. (as well can see in the photo)

Merobaudes
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Re: Me 323 Found Complete!

#15

Post by Merobaudes » 01 Feb 2013, 20:53

HI.
It seems they found the exact place where the Me. 323 fell down, after it crashed against the Gabicce promontory (adriatic coast), in Dec. 16th 1942 (not in 1944 as I pointed out above).
This subject is dealt on this forum (italian language) http://archeologidellaria.tuttovola.org ... pic=2176.0 . They made a few digs finding traces of the airplane. On the same page they report names of the members of the crew.
Other detailed articles have been published on a local newspaper.
Best.
Carlo.

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