Lost titans of the sky found rusting beneath the waves: Fighter planes shot down during mighty Second World War battle are discovered off of the Solomon Islands
- March 9th, 2016
The haunting remnants of
fighter planes shot down during a mighty Second World War battle have
been pictured 185ft feet underwater.
Dramatic images show these
once powerful war machines, now lying dormant on the sea-bed off the
coast of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific.
The planes, a Japanese
Mitsubishi A6M Zero long ranger fighter aircraft, an America Grumman F6F
3-Hellcat and a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, were all lost in 1943
during fierce battles in the region between the US and Japan.
Haunting:
The remnants of fighter planes - including this US F6F-3 Hellcat -
shot down during a mighty Second World War battle have been pictured
185ft feet underwater 
Discovery: Dramatic
images show these once powerful war machines, now lying dormant on the
sea-bed off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific. The
remains of a Grumman F6F 3 Hellcat are pictured covered in coral 
Wreckage: The
planes, including this Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, were all believed
to have been lost in 1943 during fierce battles in the region between
the US and Japan
They are shown in varying
degrees of decay with colourful coral growing out from now their rusted
shells, some of which included the human remains of the crewmen.
The Hellcat is believed to
be Betsy II, which came down when its engine failed on September 16
1943 during an assault on Ballale Island in the Solomons.
The Boeing B-1, thought to
have been named Black Jack / The Joker's Wild, was lost on July 11 that
year during bad weather after a bombing raid on Rabaul, Papua New
Guinea.
Three of the crew were
injured when the plane went down, but incredibly, the entire crew
escaped the aircraft, climbed into life rafts and were helped ashore by
villagers who gave them food and shelter, according to
Pacificwrecks.com.
All three planes were lost
during the Solomon Islands campaign, a major Second World War operation
which started after the Japanese landings and occupation of several
areas of the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville, in the Territory
of New Guinea in early 1942.
Resting
place: The aircraft, including this Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero, are
shown in varying degrees of decay with colourful coral growing out from
now their rusted shells 
Canadian
underwater photographer Christopher Hamilton, 34, embarked on a diving
expedition to the Solomon Islands, near Papua New Guinea to photograph
these underwater relics. A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is pictured above
Lost at sea: The Hellcat pictured above is believed to have come down in September 1943 during an assault on Ballale island
The Allies launched a
counteroffensive in New Guinea attacking the Japanese base at Rabaul and
in the Solomons with landings on Guadalcanal. This sparked a campaign
of attrition fought on land, on sea and in the air which eventually wore
the Japanese forces down.
Canadian underwater
photographer Christopher Hamilton, 34, embarked on a diving expedition
to the Solomon Islands to photograph some of the planes that took part
in the conflict, now lying deep underwater. These wrecks were previously
known to local people only.
'I could actually place my
hand on the controls that the pilot would have gripped with such
adrenalin, all those years ago, as he attempted to achieve a smooth
water landing,' said Christopher.
'The first Pacific plane wreck I encountered was the WWII Zero off the East coast of Papua New Guinea.
'I was stunned to find
something so intact, such a solid remnant of events that happened so
long ago, out there in the middle of nowhere.
'Under the encrusting
coral and sponge I could see the body of the plane, this shell that a
handful of men trusted with their lives.
'Photographing wrecks allows me to be near something that has been frozen in time, untouched for so many decades.
'It's difficult to
describe the feeling of going into a wreck, particularly on wrecks where
human remains are still trapped inside, it is very strange yet
exhilarating and very moving.'
The F6F Hellcat was best
known for its role as a rugged, well-designed carrier fighter for the US
Navy service. It made its first appearance in 1943 to counter the
Mitsubishi A6M Zero.
It was successful in helping to secure US air superiority against the Japanese in the Pacific.
The F6F Hellcat Photo by: pictured
Eerie:
The incredible underwater pictures were taken by the Canadian
photographer Christopher Hamilton during a diving expedition 
A
diver approaches the looming shape of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress - a
key player in the US offensive in the Solomon Islands in 1943 
Mr
Hamilton said he planned a six-month sailing voyage from New Zealand,
through to Vanuatu and Solomon Islands with a view to getting to some of
the 'most inaccessible, forgotten wrecks of the Second World War'
The Hellcats were built
with such quality and simplicity of design that they were the least
modified fighters of the war, with a total of 12,200 being built in just
over two years.
'From a technical point of
view there is often the great and really enjoyable challenge of
shooting wrecks in a perspective which allows the viewer to piece
together the whole of the scene,' said Christopher.
'I planned a six-month
sailing voyage from New Zealand, through to Vanuatu, Solomon Islands,
and Papua, with a view to getting to some of the most inaccessible,
forgotten wrecks of the Second World War.
The
Hellcats were built with such quality and simplicity of design that
they were the least modified fighters of the war, with a total of 12,200
being built in just over two years 
Relic:
The Hellcat was successful in helping to secure US air superiority
against the Japanese in the Pacific during the Solomon Islands Campaign 
Lost
to the sea: The photographer said the area in which he was diving was
'littered with incredibly remote wreck sites, seldom visited'
'This route is littered with incredibly remote wreck sites, seldom visited. It was an incredibly rewarding trail.
'Naturally, I would not have been able to find anything if it were not for the help of the local people.
'I think the key to
finding the wrecks is to not be on a timetable. Sometimes you get lucky
and sometimes you search all day and still come away with nothing.
'It's just one of those passions, the closer you look, the more addicted you become.'
Many
of the wrecks have become habitats for fish with colourful coral
growing on the rusting frames of the Second World War planes 
The remains of a Grumman F6F 3 Hellcat carrier based fighter aircraft lie on the ocean bed off the coast of the Solomon Islands
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TITANS OF THE SKIES: HOW THE MITSUBISHI A6M ZERO, F6F HELLCAT AND BOEING FLYING FORTRESS MEASURE UP
F6F-3 Hellcat
Role: Carrier-based fighter aircraft
Primary users: United States Navy
Manufacturer: Grumman
Entered service: 1943
Top speed: 376 mph
Weapons: six 50 caliber machine guns
Range: 1,090 miles
Length: 33 ft 7 ins
Wingspan: 42 ft 10 ins
Crew: Pilot
The F6F Hellcat had a top speed of 376mh
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Role: Heavy bomber
Primary user: US Air Force
Manufacturer: Boeing
Entered service: April 1938
Top speed: Up to 325mph
Weapons: 13 machineguns, 17,600 lb of bombs
Range: about 2,000mph
Length: 74 ft
Wingspan: 103 ft 9 ins
Crew: 10
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress had 10 crew
Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero
Role: fighter aircraft
Primary user: Imperial Japanese Navy
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Entered service: 1939
Top speed: 350mph
Weapons: 4 maching guns, two bombs
Range: Up to 1,930 miles
Length: 27ft
Wingspan: 36ft
Crew: pilot
Japan's long range Mitsubishi A6M Zero
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