A rare, well-preserved German World War II bomber has
been found in Croatia's central Adriatic more than seven decades after
it was shot down, the national conservation institute said.
The wreckage of the Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug) 'dive
bomber' was discovered not far from the southern coast of the island of
Zirje, institute official Igor Miholjek told a news agency.
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Only two bombers of that type, out of some 5,700 that were produced,
have been preserved and are now on show in London and Chicago, according
to the institute.
'The engine, which was most likely ripped off when the plane hit the
water, was missing and was found nearby, but the rest of the aircraft is
complete and in very good condition,' he told AFP.
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'The plane is lying on its wheels as if it smoothly landed on the
seabed,' he said, adding that it was still unclear when it would be
recovered.
The bomber was most likely an Italian plane hit by Yugoslavia's navy in
April 1941 during the invasion by the German-led Axis powers at the
start of World War II.
Two more had been found in the sea waters of Norway and Greece, but
apparently in much worse condition that the one near Zirje, which is
some 340 kilometres (210 miles) south of Zagreb.
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It is the second WWII plane found almost complete in Croatia's Adriatic.
The first, a B-17 Flying Fortress, was found in 1998 in the waters of
the southern island of Vis but was not recovered.
'Stuka' bombers were designed for a dive-bombing technique which
consisted of diving on the target at a steep angle and releasing the
bombs at a low altitude for maximum accuracy.
A tiny propellor by the undercarriage leg produced the stuka's
intimidating scream when it dived. |