During the Blitz in 1940, a German Dornier 17 bomber was shot down over the English Channel near Kent. Now, some 73 years later, it has been brought up from its watery grave. It's considered the most significant surviving artifact from the Battle of Britain.
Experts working for the RAF Museum were able to hoist the wreckage from the Channel where it lay in an area known as Goodwin Sands. Some pieces fell off the aircraft during the lift, but a dive crew will collect them in the coming days.
The plane crash-landed in a sandbank where it was enveloped by the seabed. It became exposed about five years ago and was discovered by divers who spotted it sitting on a chalk bed at a depth of around 50 feet (15 meters).
The wreckage will be sent to to the RAF museum's base at Cosford, Shropshire, for two years where experts will work to "conserve and stabilise" the remains.
Image: battleofbritain.devhub.com.
A light bomber, the Dornier Do 17 was dubbed the "flying pencil" on account of its elegant, thin design. It was one of three bombers used by the Germans during the Battle of Britain.
[Source: Guardian; images: Getty]