wreck rap

Edited by Peter Symes

Wreck of the B-17F "Black Jack" off Cape Vogel in Papua New Guinea

Text and photos by Don Silcock World War II came to the Australian territory of Papua New Guinea in January 1942 when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Rabaul in New Britain, followed shortly after by the taking of Kavieng in New Ireland. The invasion turned Papua New Guinea into a major theatre of war in the battle for the Pacific, and there Of Papua New Guinea were many brutal encoun- ters between the invading Japanese and the defend- ing Allied . Aircraft Wrecks

Conditions were often appalling the New Guinea Campaign. War they came down in remote jungle ter, just off the fringing from name from the last two digits of its one, soon after take-off, as both and the fighting was incredibly is of course deadly by nature, but locations or far out at sea. How- the remote village of Boga Boga serial number—a jack and an ace of the right wing engines devel- fierce, with many young lives lost for the pilots and crew of those ever, some aircraft wrecks have on the tip of Cape Vogel, is what is a “blackjack hand" of 21 in the oped problems during the flight on both sides. To this day, relics of aircraft, the rate of attrition was been found. Each one has a spe- many consider to be the best air- card game of Pontoon. over the Owen Stanley range and those battles are part of the fabric particularly high, with many of cial story. Of these, the underwa- craft wreck in Papua New Guinea Black Jack’s final flight was on onwards to New Britain. However, of Papua New Guinea. them shot out of the sky. Some ter aircraft wrecks of Papua New and possibly the world. The wreck 10 July 1943, when it left 7-Mile the pilot, Ralph De Loach, and his World War II was the first time aircraft suffered mechanical fail- Guinea offer us divers a unique is the B-17F "Black Jack", serial Airdrome in Port Moresby just crew of nine managed to reach that air power played a major role ures, while others just got lost and insight into those heroic tales. number 41-24521. It was one of before midnight, on a mission to Rabaul and successfully deliver in combat and both sides had simply ran out of fuel. the first Flying Fortress bombers bomb the heavily fortified Japa- their bombs on target. some formidable aircraft in action The majority of those planes B-17F Black Jack built at the Boeing factory in Seat- nese airfields at Rabaul in New De Loach turned the plane during what is now referred to as have never been found because Lying undisturbed in the deep wa- tle during WWII, which takes its Britain. The flight was a troubled around to return to Port Moresby.

6 X-RAY MAG : 80 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Historical photo of Boeing B-17E Flying wreck Fortress, c. 1942 (left); rap Wreck of the B-17F PNG "Black Jack" (far left)

which had remained undisturbed for nearly 60 years. William was for sea cucumbers when he noticed what seemed to be a large

US AIR / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / PUBLIC DOMAIN shadow on the seabed. Like many people in Papua New Guinea, he was very superstitious and thought that he was looking at a ghost lying face-up, with its arms out- stretched, soaking up the sun. Ter- rified, he shot to the surface and Kimbe Bay’s Zero wreck from Hoskins Airport in Kimbe Bay. the relative safety of his canoe, As the story is told around the bar So, when William saw a plane eventually summoning up enough at Walindi Resort, the day the Zero laying on the sandy sea floor, he courage to go back down to take was found by local villager William thought he had found the wreck- a closer look—realizing that it was Nui, was not long after a small age of the recent crash—not that the wreck of a plane rather than plane had crashed on take-off of a WWII Japanese fighter plane, some demon of the deep.

But on the way back, it ran into Boga Boga had told Pennefather it, which later allowed them to a violent storm on approach to that a plane had crashed near positively identify it as the famous the coast of New Guinea to the their reef in WWII and he believed Black Jack. northwest of Cape Nelson, a situ- it might be the Australian Beaufort Diving the Black Jack is a ation the pilot later described as A9, which had crash-landed off unique experience, as the plane “the blackest of black nights… the Cape Vogel in November 1942. is so intact. Sitting as it does on a worst flying weather I’d ever seen Pierce, Johnson and Pennefather sandy seabed in clear blue wa- in my life”. organized an exploration trip on ters with visibility that can easily Running low on fuel, and with Rod Pierce’s dive- reach 40m, it is almost like a set two engines malfunctioning boat, MV Barbarian, to search for from a Hollywood movie! The nose badly, De Loach decided against the wreck. is badly crumpled from the im- trying to get over the Owen Stan- Pearce found the wreck when pact of the crash landing and the ley Range to reach Port Moresby he spotted the large tail-plane, as propellers on the four engines are and turned Black Jack southeast he made his way along the edge somewhat twisted, but the rest towards Milne Bay, but was forced of the fringing reef at Boga Boga. of the plane is all there. It is quite to ditch the plane at Boga Boga. As someone who had dedicated a remarkable sight after 73 years The crew survived the crash land- his life to , it must underwater. ing and managed to scramble have been like out of the plane before it sank finding the Holy down to the sandy seabed some Grail. Over the 50m below, where it lay largely next few days, forgotten for another 43 years. they dived the The discovery of Black Jack wreck as much as reads like something out of an its depth of nearly adventure novel, with three 50m would allow, Australians—Rod Pierce, Bruce entering the in- Johnson and David Pennefather— side of the plane stumbling on the wreck, almost by and finding the accident, in late December 1986, Radio Call Plate while searching for a completely with the 24521 different wreck. The villagers at serial number on US NAVY / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / PUBLIC DOMAIN Japanese Navy Mitsubishi A6M2 "Zero" fighter, 1941 Wreck of Japanese Navy Mitsubishi "Zero" fighter in Kimbe Bay

7 X-RAY MAG : 80 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Wreck of Japanese Navy wreck Mitsubishi "Zero" fighter (left rap and below) PNG

who saw the plane come down New Ireland’s “Deep Pete” nificantly expanded the original helped him ashore and took him While Rabaul was Japan’s main Australian-built airfield and set up to the nearby village of Talasea. base along the southern rim of the a sea-plane base, which, when What happened after that re- Pacific, Kavieng in nearby New the of war turned, became mains a mystery, but one theory is Ireland also played a significant an important target for the Allied that losing a plane due to naviga- role in the grand Japanese plan forces. There are more known tional errors would have been a for control of New Guinea, to- aircraft wrecks around Kavieng very significant loss of honor, and gether with the isolation and pos- than anywhere else in Papua New Honda, unable to deal with such sible invasion of Australia to the Guinea, and my personal favorite a loss of face, spent the rest of his south. Kavieng’s strategic location is the “Deep Pete” because I think life in the jungles of New Britain. to the north of Rabaul meant that it is the most photogenic. An alternative but slightly more it could be used to protect both The plane is a Mitsubishi F1M gruesome notion (which is very Rabaul and the Japanese supply float-plane, which was designed popular around the bar at Walin- convoys coming down to New and built to be launched by cata- di) is that he ended up as the Guinea from Japan and the huge pult from battleships, cruisers and main course of a ceremonial feast Imperial Navy base at Truk La- aircraft tenders and used for re- for a head-hunting tribe—a prac- goon in the central Pacific. connaissance missions. However, it tice still common in those days. At Kavieng, the Japanese sig- also saw service as an impromptu

William took his story to the local authorities and word of the dis- covery made it to Max Benjamin, the owner of Walindi Plantation Dive Resort, who although some- what doubtful about its veracity, felt that it should be checked out. What Max found was a WWII Mitsubishi Zero in quite remarkable condition despite its six decades underwater. There were no signs of bul- let holes or combat damage to indicate that the plane had been shot down, rather the “off” posi- tion of the throttle lever and the pitch control set to reduce air speed clearly pointed to a con- trolled crash landing. In all prob- ability, the pilot had got lost and ran out of fuel—a relatively com- 16 had disappeared due to “un- the battle of Cape Gloucester on mon occurrence during the New known causes”. West New Britain on 26 Decem- Guinea campaign and confirmed The aircraft’s serial number ber 1944. The pilot on that day by Japanese records showing and date were still visible on the was Tomiharu Honda, but his fate that, in 1942, only 10 Zero pilots wreck, and military records show remains a mystery, although a lo- were shot down in air combat, but that the plane went missing during cal story suggests that some locals "Deep Pete," wreck of the Japanese Mitsubishi "Pete" floatplane in Kavieng, New Ireland

8 X-RAY MAG : 80 : 2017 EDITORIAL FEATURES TRAVEL NEWS WRECKS EQUIPMENT BOOKS SCIENCE & ECOLOGY TECH EDUCATION PROFILES PHOTO & VIDEO PORTFOLIO Historical photo of a Royal Australian Air wreck Force PBY Catalina rap from 1944; Historical PNG photo of Japanese Mitsubishi F1M1 "Pete" floatplane (lower right) WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / CC BY-SA 4.0 fighter, dive bomber and patrol aircraft. being the manufacturer’s alphanumeric sticking up, on flat white sand in 40m of The Mitsubishi F1M was a biplane, with a project code and the other the official water—hence the name “Deep Pete”. As single large central float and stabilizing military designation. it is on the Pacific Ocean side of Kavieng, floats at each end of the lower wing. Ear- So, the Allies used code-names instead: diving it on an incoming tide means that ly versions suffered from poor directional Men’s names were given to fighter air- the visibility is often exceptional and usu- stability in flight, and were prone to “por- craft; women’s names to bombers and ally in excess of 30m. poise” when on the water, which may transport planes; bird names to gliders; Although its tail is broken, its biplane explain why the wreck is actually there. and tree names to trainer aircraft. shape is remarkably intact, given the The name “Pete” comes from the way The wreck of the Pete float-plane is relatively lightweight and fragile nature the Allied Forces identified enemy aircraft located on the western side of Nusa Lik of the aircraft. What makes the Deep during WWII, as the actual Japanese (small Nusa) Island, which, along with Pete so photogenic is the resident school Wreck of a Royal Australian Air Force PBY Catalina near the mouth of the harbor in Kavieng naming convention was difficult to under- Big Nusa Island, provides the shelter for of yellow sweetlips that stream in and stand and pronounce. Plus, there were Kavieng’s harbor. The wreck lies on its around the wings, as well as the batfish harbor. The Catalina flying boat was de- killed the crew instantly and sent what two names for each aircraft—with one back, with the remains of its main float and barracuda, which patrol in the clear veloped by the US Navy in the 1930s as a was left of the Catalina to the bottom blue waters above the wreck. At just 31ft long range patrol bomber. Although slow of the harbor entrance, where it lay until long, with a wingspan of 36ft, Deep Pete and somewhat ungainly, the Catalina 2000, when Rod Pierce found the wreck- is not a big wreck, but given its depth of flying boats served with distinction during age. 40m and the square profile of the dive, WWII, both in the role for which they were The engines are what makes the Cat- there is rarely enough time to fully explore designed, and as a very effective way alina wreck special, as they stand proud it, and at least two dives are required to of rescuing downed airmen. Their ability on the seabed, surrounded by those fully appreciate and photograph it. to land on water meant that they could parts of the plane that were not oblit- be used to quickly and effectively rescue erated in the explosion. Whenever I dive New Ireland’s Catalina wreck crews that had gone down in the Pacific. the Catalina, my thoughts always return The wreck of the Royal Australian Air They are credited with saving the lives of to the brave crew suspended in the flimsy Force (RAAF) PBY Catalina A24-11 rests thousands of Allied aircrews. fuselage below those massive engines. in 20m near the entrance to Kavieng’s PBY A24-11 had taken off from Rabaul Like all the crews of the aircraft wrecks of with six other RAAF Catali- Papua New Guinea, they were simply do- nas on a mission to attack ing their duty to their country. Some lived the Japanese base at Truk to tell the tale, but many did not, and the Lagoon and had landed aircraft wrecks of Papua New Guinea are at Kavieng to take on fuel poignant reminders of the sacrifices these before heading north in to servicemen made.  the Pacific. After refueling at Nusa Island, the Cat- Based in Bali, Indonesia, Don Silcock is alinas took off again one the Asia correspondent for X-Ray Mag. by one, but disaster struck Check out his website Indopacificimages. when it was the turn of com for the extensive location guides, ar- A24-11, as one of its wing ticles and images on the diving in Papua bombs was hit by sea- New Guinea and other diving locations in causing it to explode. the Indo-Pacific region. The force of the explosion "Deep Pete," wreck of the Japanese Mitsubishi "Pete" floatplane in Kavieng, New Ireland US NAVY / WIKIMEDIA COMMONS / PUBLIC DOMAIN

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Legendary Swedish 17th century "Dalarö Wreck" identified PETER SYMES

The Dalarö Wreck has been from researchers, media and others, be used for transport of horses and sol- fleet sought winter quarters just north identified in documentary the original identity of the wreck has diers in his war against Denmark. After of Kalmar instead of returning to sources as the small Swedish remained an open question until now. the unpredicted death of the king, Stockholm in order to take advantage The answer was found by Niklas the campaign against Denmark was of the earlier ice-break in the southern naval vessel Bodekull, which Eriksson, postdoctor at the Centre for cancelled and the unfinished ships harbour. Bodekull was sent to grind sank in 1678 during the Maritime Studies and the Department ordered before his death were rebuilt cereals at a mill along the coast under Scanian War, Swedish archae- of Archaeology and Classical Studies. in different ways. the command of Olof Styff. Despite his

In the preserved minutes and letters One of these was Bodekull, which instructions, he sailed to Fagerholmen MUSEUMS ologists announced. of the Swedish Admiralty kept in the was built under supervision of the in the Stockholm archipelago. On its Military Archives. In 1659, Karl X Gustav newly recruited English Master way back, the ship hit a rock and sank. The wreck was discovered in 2003 ordered a number of small vessels to Shipwright Thomas Day between 1659 Twenty barrels of water soaked flour north of Dalarö in the Stockholm and 1661. As the design was sent to Stockholm. The story of Archipelago. Artefacts indicated that was changed during Bodekulls foundering was written down the ship sank during the mid or later construction, several in the documents thanks to the exten- half of the 17th century. unique details that are sive discussions within the Admiralty on MARITIME SWEDEN'S NATIONAL also visible on the wreck, how to make bread out of the soaked Largely intact are mentioned in the flour. With a coherent hull, intact deck and preserved correspond- The opportunity to study Bodekull two masts still standing, the wreck is ence between the ship- through both material remains at the one of the best preserved 17th century yard and the Admiralty. seabed and written documents in

ships in the world. Even if it is a small archives provides a unique opportu- COURTESY OF ILLUSTRATION vessel, it has many details in com- Another war nity to reveal previously unexplored mon with large sailing warships, such In 1675, the war with aspects of the everyday activities of as gun ports along the sides and a Denmark broke out the navy as well as the crew's every- lion figurehead. Despite the massive again. During the fall day life onboard.  SOURCE: SWEDEN'S attention the wreck has achieved PHOTO COURTESY OF SWEDEN'S NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUMS of 1678, the Swedish NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUMS Artefacts (above) on Dalarö wreck site (top left) Illustration of Dalarö wreck site

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RECYCLED FROM THE SEA

fourthelement.com Historical OceanPositive photo of by HMAS

Century-old US Coast Guard cutter wreck discovered

Strong currents and thick Then, in the early morning of their intention not to raise or sal- AUSTRALIAN NAVY ROYAL sediment means USCGC 13 June 1917, the vessel collided vage the wreck as the strong with a civilian steamship and currents and thick sediment that McCulloch wreck to sank within 35 minutes. had accumulated after a centu- remain where it is. ry would have made such efforts Discovery extremely difficult. n Illegal salvage strip 60 percent of Australian In October 2016, a gathering of In June 2017, the US Coast Guard SOURCE: SCIENCE TIMES, WASHINGTON fish was the clue that suggested announced the discovery of the POST, WIKIMEDIA that the joint hydrographic sur- shipwreck. They also mentioned wartime wreck HMAS Perth vey off the Southern Californian coast might turn out to be more interesting than usual. This was On May 14 to 17, divers ing was indicative of a large-scale Indonesia (ARKENAS) to safeguard because the unexpected con- to the World War II wreck commercial salvage operation. whatever was left of the wreck. gregation suggested the pres- Scrap metal from naval ship- "As the site lies in Indonesian ence of a shipwreck. HMAS Perth made the wrecks have a very high resale territorial waters, it is important Further investigations con- shocking discovery that as value. For instance, the phosphor that we continue to work in close ducted via a remotely operated much as 60 percent of the bronze from the propellers is val- partnership with our Indonesian vehicle (ROV) revealed that the wreck was missing. ued at about $4,000 per tonne. colleagues," he said. wreck was that of the USCGC The HMAS Perth had sank off On their part, ARKENAS director, McCulloch, which sank at the the coast of Java as a result of I Made Geria, assured that they Point of Conception, 5km off the “The research team has found Japanese torpedo strikes in 1942. would continue with efforts to ob- coast of Southern California. evidence of large-scale sal- More than 350 navy personnel and tain formal protection for the site. vage on the site, including what civilians perished. Frank McGov- The HMAS Perth is not the only History appears to be recent removal ern, one of the survivors still alive, shipwreck around Indonesia that Built in 1896, the ship was the of material from the wreck,” said, “That’s sad news all right.” He have been pillaged. In 2016, three largest cutter vessel at the time. said Kevin Sumption, Director of added that he hoped the wreck Dutch naval wrecks that sank in The following year, it was drafted the Australian National Maritime could be declared a war grave. 1942 during the Battle of the Java to serve under Commodore Museum (ANMM). Sumption gave the assurance Sea had completely vanished as a George Dewey in the Spanish- It is believed that the wreck had that the ANMM was commit- result of illegal salvage operations. American War. been pillaged illegally for scrap ted to working with the National  SOURCE: PS WORLD NEWS, SYDNEY

metal. The magnitude of the loot- Research Centre of Archeology MORNING HERALD US NAVY Historical photo of USCGC McCulloch

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[email protected] www.dive-damai.com

12.8cm

PAULALLEN.COM Italian naval ship discovered Raja Ampat 77 years after it sank Flayer Size: 203X128mm A dive team led by Microsoft on the hull. very little corrosion co-founder Paul G. Allen has “The Artigliere is in amazingly good or encrustation.” condition other than the fact she was The Artigliere discovered the Italian naval sunk in a war,” said David Reams, Sen- was a Soldati-class ship Artigliere, during an ex- ior Director for Allen’s maritime opera- destroyer that pedition in the Mediterranean tions. perished on 12 Sea earlier this year. “She's upright and easy to identify. October 1940 after At 3,700 meters down, the water is very being damaged cold and has little so there was by forces from the The Artigliere was found along the PAULALLEN.COM Sicily-Malta escarpment in the Medi- Scenes from the wreck site of the Artigliere (above and top left) terranean Sea under about 3.66km of water in March 2017. The discovery British Navy in the discovery in April 2017. The precise lo- was made by a dive team led by Mi- Battle of Cape cation of the wreck was not disclosed crosoft co-founder Paul G. Allen. Passero. to the public in respect of the victims The identity of the wreck was veri- The Italian and their family members. n SOURCE: fied by video and photographic docu- government was FOX NEWS, PAULALLEN.COM mentation, as well as the letters “AR” notified of the [email protected]

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS KLASINA RUMBEKWAN Historical photo of the Italian destroyer Artigliere

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