Lake Constance is quite big and there were many aircraft that fell into it. There still is a Halifax in thick muck and some more stuff. I know of a number of FW-190 canopies raised from the seabed during the 90’s where they had been deep-sixed shortly after VE-Day.
Another Lancaster exploded in mid-air over frozen Sihlsee (an artificial Lake near Einsiedeln monastery) and the debris were laying on the ice until they sank in when the ice thawed. I am speaking of Merlin engines and other components.
Lancaster III ND595 of No. 625 Sqdn, lost during the night of 25th/26th February 1944.
(See Aeroplane Monthly August 1991)
Then there was a Mosquito that plunged into Lake Constance (again) during the night of 6th/7th April 1944 – only little was recovered (Mosquito VI NS875 UP-R of No.605 Sqdn). (See Aeroplane Monthly March 1993)
In Greifensee (near Dübendorf Airfield) we had a B-17 (see “Little Chub” in posting #8) that had been evacuated by its entire crew and then kept on circling on autopilot until shot down by Swiss fighter aircraft. Most of the remains of this bomber were raised after WW2, but the engine mentioned earlier came from there.
Our glaciers in the mountais also still hold remains of many aircraft, i.e. Bf-109E-3, D-3801 Morane, C-3603, two USAAF C-47 Dakotas, P-51D……..
I could go on…….
Martin
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