B-24 D LIBERATOR PLANE WRECK








B-24 D LIBERATOR PLANE WRECK



In the beginning period of World War II, Germany was getting their petrol supply from overseas sources. But after a while, when allies got stronger on the sea, Germany started searching for new petrolium sources. Ploesti Petrolium in Romain was one of these new sources.

Allies, organized two bombardments to this facility in order to limit the German's fuel supplies and to win the war earlier. The second of this bombardments was made in 1st August 1943 by 178 peices of B-24 D liberator Bombardment planes that took of from Bingazi airbase in Libya.

In the day that called "Black Sunday", one of the B-24's, HADLEY'S HAREM, after succesfully bombing its target, it was shot by a German Plane. Its 3rd motor malfunctioned and the pilots decided to land to an English Base in Cyprus. But while passing through the Toros mountains, its second motor also malfunctioned. And when the first motor's gas pressure started dropping, they decided to land to water near Manavgat, Antalya.



The plane's cocpite compartment was salvaged in 1995 with the help of Roy Newton, one of the seven survivors of the plane and now it is being showed in Rahmi M. Koc Museum in İstanbul. The plane's other parts are still under the sea.








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