B25 Mitchell Bomber raised from Lake Murray

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - B25 Mitchell Bomber raised from Lake Murray

Posted: 9/20/2005 2:39:51 PM EDT

(Lake Murray S.C.) Sept. 19, 2005 - Crews worked all day Monday, carefully following procedures to safely pull up a historic B-25 bomber from the bottom of Lake Murray.

After sunset, the bomber was visible above the lake's surface. John Adams Hodge has been working on the project from planning to execution, a process that took years, "It's been absolutely fantastic this evening. We've spent well over ten years planning this event. And I'll tell you, there were times along the process whent people felt that maybe just a bunch of guys getting together organizing this were not as effective as a government agency or a corporation or something like that."

But he is proud of his team's work, "We assembled a world-class team and the guys worked extremely hard this week. Ten days on the water, some of these people were on the barge for 36 hours straight. The plane is on the beach. It'll be in its resting place in a sling in just a few minutes, and then off to the museum in just a few days. So we're absolutely excited about this."

He says that crew did their job right, "It's tedious, it's technical, but the main thing is just to be patient and make sure everything's done right and slowly and deliberately."

It'll be on the lake shore for about three or four days, then off to a museum in Alabama. It will take five or six years for the restoration process there.

www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3871232

Posted: 9/20/2005 2:41:12 PM EDT

[#1]

I always love to hear about some of those old warbirds being brought back to life.

Aviator

Posted: 9/20/2005 2:44:53 PM EDT

[#2]

That is so cool!

Vulcan94

Posted: 9/20/2005 2:46:58 PM EDT

[#3]

I heard that one was down there, but I did not realize that they were raising it. COOL. I went to the airshow at Owens field a few years back. They had a B-17, B-24, and B-25. It was neat to see those old birds up close.

Posted: 9/20/2005 2:47:58 PM EDT

[#4]

Always liked the B-25 with a 75mm in the nose

Posted: 9/20/2005 2:50:22 PM EDT

[#5]

Way cool!

Danny

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:04:38 PM EDT

[#6]

A little back ground info on the Mitchell:

"The legendary "Doolittle's Raiders", prepared and trained for their attacks on Japanese targets in the Pacific, by bombing a few select islands here, in South Carolina. In fact several corps used Lake Murray as a training ground. Lake islands were painted with targets for the airmen to attack, in divebombing and other disciplines. Several aircraft were lost here during these training exercises. Occasionally a wing tip would dip to the water, and the plane would impact, and soon sink. The men were most often saved, but the planes would go to the lake floor. Many were salvaged immediately. Some were left in the lake due to the depth.

Today, individuals whom after having the salvage rights to the wrecks for many years, and keeping the actual locations secret to avoid scavenging, have started the task of having one of the aircraft raised.

Of the known machines on the lake floor only one appeared to be worthy of restoration, and apart from an engine ripped free upon impact, is very much intact. It's number is 41-12634.

This B-25C Mitchell is being raised this weekend.

When salvaged, this B-25C will be the third oldest ever recovered. It entered the water on Sunday April 4, 1943.

After recovery and cleaning, the bomber will be taken apart and shipped in trucks to an aviation museum in Birmingham, Ala., for restoration and eventual display, as the centerpiece of a new wing at the museum."

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:09:39 PM EDT

[#7]

Awesome, i wonder how far it was down.

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:10:36 PM EDT

[#8]

That's awesome.

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:16:31 PM EDT

[#9]

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:21:57 PM EDT

[#10]

I just hope they got the title for that before they raised it.

I know some guys who did that a few years back, the navy waited until all the planes were restored, then claimed them all. The navy ended up with 2, he kept 2.

I know where there is an old warbird, I just can't get it until the legal bs is through, and that may take years. Because at the moment I can't afford to get the title from the USAF/Army.

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:25:39 PM EDT

[#11]

That is so great, not too many of those old warbirds left!

Posted: 9/20/2005 3:48:51 PM EDT

[#12]

My grandfather was an Army Aviator and he happened to be the PIC on a B25. He flew most of his missions over Italy and areas South of there.
The stories he tells...awesome.

Posted: 9/20/2005 4:21:16 PM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
I just hope they got the title for that before they raised it.

I know some guys who did that a few years back, the navy waited until all the planes were restored, then claimed them all. The navy ended up with 2, he kept 2.

I know where there is an old warbird, I just can't get it until the legal bs is through, and that may take years. Because at the moment I can't afford to get the title from the USAF/Army.

True, the Navy never relinquishes ownership, but instead barters for ownership (see the Navy's historical website).

The Air Farce basically abandons the wreck after a number of years so they're free to salvage.

Posted: 9/20/2005 5:11:43 PM EDT

[#14]

Pics from a friend, cool stuff...

ByteTheBullet (-:

Posted: 9/20/2005 7:32:00 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Pics from a friend, cool stuff...

tinypic.com/dwb8eo.jpg

tinypic.com/dwb8ky.jpg

tinypic.com/dwb8mf.jpg

tinypic.com/dwb8ns.jpg

ByteTheBullet (-:

Great photos, ByteTheBullet!

Other than the obvious crash damage, the plane does not look bad for having been submerged
for the last 62 years. I bet it would look a lot different if it were pulled from salt water.

Thanks for sharing!

Posted: 9/20/2005 8:06:39 PM EDT

[#16]

B-25s arent that scarce... Jeez that thing needs alot of work. the airframe isnt even whole.

Posted: 9/20/2005 8:09:42 PM EDT

[#17]

How did it end up there?

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:12:50 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
B-25s arent that scarce...

Neither are T-34 tanks, but it's always cool seeing some Russian farmer discover one submerged in a swamp somewhere on his back forty.

Party pooper.

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:15:08 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
How did it end up there?

Jimmy Doolittle's squadron did bombing runs on islands in the middle of the lake. A few of them got too close to the water practicing low-level attacks and kersplashed.

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:16:18 PM EDT

[#20]

There is one of those on the bottom of Lake Meade (or maybe it's not a B-25, I don't know)

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:23:46 PM EDT

[#21]

I saw a show were the crew melted through like 200 feet of ice in Greenland? to scavenge a P-38 I think. It was pretty interesting. That plane when restored would be the only one in existance today.

Posted: 9/20/2005 9:57:53 PM EDT

[#22]

Glad to see they finally got it up (I used to live a couple of coves over from the SCE&G landing where those pictures were taken).

The P38 that you are refering to was restored and is now flown- it's named the "Glacier Girl". Absolutely beautiful plane.

Posted: 9/20/2005 10:02:01 PM EDT

[#23]

The truly sad part is the 5 machine guns pulled from the wreckage that will most likely be destroyed.

Posted: 9/20/2005 11:23:33 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
The truly sad part is the 5 machine guns pulled from the wreckage that will most likely be destroyed.

Machine guns? I didn't see any machine guns...

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - B25 Mitchell Bomber raised from Lake Murray

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