Greek divers lift WWII bomber wreckage - German Junkers-87 Stuka dive-bomber

AP on Yahoo ^ | 10/6/06 | Nicholas Paphitiis - ap

[NormsRevenge]

ATHENS, Greece - Greek military divers Friday successfully raised the wreckage of a German World War II Stuka bomber from the sea off the eastern island of Rhodes, the air force said.

The Junkers-87 dive-bomber was shot down in 1943 and will be conserved and displayed at the air force museum at an airport near Athens, air force spokesman Col. Ioannis Papageorgiou said.

Papageorgiou said there was no trace of the two airmen's bodies.

"The plane was raised a couple of hours ago, and I don't know yet whether there are any remains inside," he told The Associated Press.

He said part of the plane's tail section appeared to be missing.

The two-seater's wreckage was located two years ago by a trawler, which caught it in its nets seven miles offshore at a depth of 492 feet, and dragged it close to the island's southern coast.

Air force experts believe the plane was part of a Luftwaffe squadron operating from Rhodes that lost several Stukas to allied ships and aircraft on Oct. 9, 1943.

"Once we locate the serial number, we will be able to identify the plane, what squadron it belonged to and the crew," Papageorgiou said.

Fitted with a screaming siren for maximum psychological effect, the gull-winged, single-engine Stuka was a feared symbol of Nazi military power.

Used in action in the Spanish Civil War, it played a major role in the German invasions of Poland and France, but was outdated and severely outgunned by allied fighters by 1943.

Out of some 6,000 aircraft produced between 1936 and 1944, only two survive intact in museums, while the wrecks of three more Stukas have been salvaged.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Not sure i know about that. Jars of fetuses at incremental stages of development just gross me out, but my babies ultrasounds (especially with the sound) were awesome.

I was an EMT in the USCG (mk3) and did some ugly stuff, but the grossest thing I ever did was cut my #2 daughters umbilical cord. I cut the remaiming flesh off a guys arm with my pocket knife so i could transport him off a fishig boat, and that wasn't as nasty.

[endthematrix]

It's new.
http://www.bodyworlds.com/index.html

[Fierce Allegiance]

OMG! Is that that germand dude who flays human cadavers? NO FRICKIN WAY!

[PzLdr]

The velocity. The 88 started out as an AA gun, and was designed to put a round way up in the air real quick.

There's an argument about when the Germans first used the 88 in an anti-tank role. Some historians say Spain, others say Arras, 1940. that would be interesting, if true, because it would mean Rommel was the guy who first came up with the idea. God knows, he perfected it.

The Brits had a gun that might have been better than the 88 - a 3.7" AA gun. But they refused to use it it the anti - tank role. Designed to shoot down bloody planes, you know.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Alas, I had no training - Il y a plus d'acheteurs que de connaisseurs.

[fso301]

Here in Chicago we are fortunate to have a Ju 87 at Museum of Science and Industry

I noticed it has a few jagged holes in it.