Dornier Do-17 successfully raised from English Channel

A German World War II bomber has been raised from the bottom of the English Channel. The Dornier Do-17 aircraft was shot down off the Kent coast more than 70 years ago during the Battle of Britain.

 

Believed to be the only intact example of its kind in the world, it has lain in 50ft (15m) of water on the Goodwin Sands. Attempts by the RAF Museum to salvage the relic had been hit by strong winds over the last few weeks.

 

The BBC’s Nick Higham on board the salvage barge said the weather conditions for the hour-long operation were “near perfect” on Monday evening.

 

The salvage almost had to be postponed again when the rope from one of the salvage barge’s four anchors got wrapped around its propeller, but the crew were able to free it in time to take advantage of the tidal conditions, our correspondent said.

 

The aircraft was badly corroded, the fuselage twisted and held in place only by a strut inserted by the salvage team. The engines had come adrift and will not be raised until Tuesday, he added.

 

The Dornier will be restored at a site in Shropshire before eventually going on display at the RAF Museum in Hendon, north London.

 

Museum spokesman Ajay Srivastava said: “It has been lifted and is now safely on the barge and in one piece.

 

“The operation has been an absolute success, the aircraft looks great and I believe it will be towed into port tomorrow morning.”