World War II B-29 Bomber: July 9, 2016

 

Tinian and Saipan served as major air bases during the final year of World War II, with B-29 bombers flying long-range missions to Japan. Many aircraft were lost on take-off and landing. The lost aircraft have great significance to American history, yet none of the B-29s that crashed in the Saipan Channel had ever been discovered.

During the final dive of the Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition, we explored sites that had been identified during previous mapping with exploration targets to search for B-29 aircraft possibly lost during World War II. The dive provided the first information on B-29 bomber wreckage resting in the deep water of the channel and provided initial information on the state of preservation of the aircraft and the environmental conditions affecting the sites.

 

Download SD version (mp4, 38.0 MB).

Download HD version (mp4, 133.9 MB).

Video courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas.

 


 

For More Information

Discovering a World War II B-29 Superfortress

Dive 22: Romeo and Juliet - B29 Bomber Discovered

Education Theme: Marine Archaeology