March 24, 1943, German pilot Non-Commissioned Officer Günther Seraphim of the 5th Fighter Wing (JG 5) discovered engine problems in his Messerschmidt Bf 109 G-2 «Yellow fighter 3». Circumstances forced him to make an emergency landing on water near the Norwegian coast, near the town of Rørvik. There he was rescued from the water by Norwegian Olette Bliko and her 16-year-old son Birger.
The plane pecked its nose into the seabed, raising its tail vertically. It was in this position that scuba divers found him. Based on the serial number 146449, it was established that the aircraft belonged to the headquarters of the IV group of JG 5. The aircraft was lifted on May 22, 2010.
Even though it’s not a bomber, it still raises the «Messer», which had lain there for 70 years — not an easy task! Activists from the Norwegian Underwater Search Club, employees of the aviation museum and other specialists involved in this work developed a precise plan. They installed special steel plates on the leading edge of both wings in the place where they planned to thread the cables. It was important to lift the entire plane and not let it fall apart.
It was not possible to get close to the propeller blades, the silt turned out to be too viscous. Instead of threading it under the blades, they decided to put it over the nose in the hope of still getting the entire plane out of the water along with the engine.
Estimating the weight of the aircraft was also not so simple. The weight of the machine itself was calculated at 2.5 tons. In addition, about 3.5 tons of sludge were added to the equation. Total weight was 6 tons.
The ascent from the water was successful. In limbo «Messer» delivered to the pier in Rørvik. Here, at the moment the plane was unloaded ashore, the front part of the fuselage along with the engine broke off. This did not cause any particular difficulties. The staff of the Norwegian Aviation Museum immediately began dismantling and preserving the fighter even before it was delivered to its destination in Bodo.
The Aviation Museum in Bodo is currently working on a project for the complete restoration of the German fighter Messerschmidt Bf 109. The plan is to recreate one whole aircraft from the remains of several aircraft. It is already planned to completely disassemble the wings of the fighter raised near Rørvik and send them to Hungary for a thorough restoration. Germany was chosen to restore the rear fuselage. The Norwegians are ready to take care of the nose section along with the engine of the DB-605 fighter themselves. Perhaps the work has already been completed at this point.
Detailed photos from the climb:
Interested? Read further about what can be found in the earth and water since the Second World War!
