The Crashed WWII Plane Hidden In A Coral Reef | Search For The Mystery Bomber | Timeline

More than 200 Allied planes crashed in Australia's north during World War Two. Some are still missing, their exact whereabouts still unknown - all the crew died in the crashes. No survivors, no witnesses, no position to report. Now, Australian marine explorer Ben Cropp is lifting the veil on at least one of these lost warbirds.
He's found the sunken wing of a four-engine WWII bomber lying beside a coral reef. His team will return to the site, armed with all the knowledge they can gather to correctly identify it and perhaps lay to rest the aircrew that died in the crash. The team will return to the site, armed with all the knowledge they can gather to correctly identify it and perhaps lay to rest the aircrew that died in the crash.
📺 It's like Netflix for history... Sign up to History Hit, the world's best history documentary service and get 50% off using the code 'TIMELINE' bit.ly/3a7ambu
You can find more from us on:
/ timelinewh
/ timelineworldhistory
/ timelinewh
This channel is part of the History Hit Network. Any queries, please contact [e-mail]

[@alderfek]

Oh good grief. This was more of self proclaimed archeologist summer vacation than anything else. Sorry.

[@v.britton4445]

Say a prayer for the heroes that flew in the war.

[@tobi-pp7vj]

@Syd McCreath shut up

[@SQTierHog]

Amen 🙏 Love and respect them, for they gave all for our freedom. Thank you for such a kind comment!

[@nagjrcjasonbower]

Amen. A number of whom were my best friends...

[@WillyEckaslike]

maybe they wouldnt have had to be heroes if the USA hadnt forced the Jpknees into a conflict..still the bankers made lots of money

[@elyjane8316]

Amen

[@TheJapanChannelDcom]

Ben's 1970's style fake "chat's" are just too cringey.

[@d.1.a_mayby18]

I am so thrilled that people are investigating and finding answers to questions that were written down so long ago. We should all care that humans/people were lost with little or no explanation. One side or the other doesn't matter, we are all loved by someone.

[@jleechadwick]

It will mean a lot to the families to have the remains of their loved ones laid to rest. My mother's first husband was killed in a plane crash back in 1953 that happened in Newfoundland in Canada. The Canadians got there quickly and all the remains were returned to the families quickly and the wreckage is still there, but the Canadians made a memorial plaque listing the 25 that died in that crash, including a general. One of the general's sons was invited to the ceremony when the memorial was ready and the son ended up getting some property there and often goes to the crash site while there--I think he feels his father's presence there.

[@mickden3155]

No academy awards for best acting here folks but i did enjoy the plane footage it was good cheers

[@drfranks1158]

this is some weird content. I came to see a crashed WW2 plane, got a nature/swimming/fishing show. WTF

[@TheRainblossoms]

With cringe re-enacting to go with it

[@alastairbarkley6572]

A very competent and understated medium bomber of WW2 - like the British Vickers Wellington.

[@mhdhaswad6958]

Terima kasih perkongsian video nya sahabat 👍👍👍.

[@joaoalbertodosanjosgomes1536]

Excellent.

[@pedenmk]

What a great episode. Many thanks from western North Carolina

[@CottonFist]

Excellent channel 👍

[@planespeaking]

This was good but definite Steve Zissou vibes on the filming 😂

[@jwdundon]

16:00 in, the powder in a .50bmg is still dry. Just crazy.

[@wendigo53]

Maybe you can find my frisbee,, it sank in shallow water at a little beach at Longpoint on Lake Erie in 2001.

[@hunterventures2101]

Wow just painful.

[@119jle]

We can pull the motor up off the floor, sandblast it and have the serial and ID engine numbers and identify the plane

[@jaredquinney204]

Talk about some of the most interesting story

[@theemporersnewclothes]

Wait what,he wears a wet suit But she is wearing a bikini?

[@jasongreen6842]

I think she looks better in a bikini than he would personally But each to their own my friend 🤣

[@johannwallette8959]

Every thing in this video is bad.

[@hydrashieldbasementservice8453]

this video would be watchable if they let her go down.

[@claytonbarrington89]

What year was this made?

[@katherinecollins4685]

This was interesting

[@joebombero1]

I really think they should be able to find Amelia Earhart's lost plane, at least the engines.

[@stulynn2005]

I was able to dive around lots of wrecks and airplane in the pacific during the sixties They seem hardly recognizable any more

[@diddlethepoodle4812]

Yeah I'd be a little more careful with them rounds bud. 😬

[@tracytron7162]

I hate the fishing parts... I came here for history, not animal cruelty...

[@jonglewongle3438]

But this is what the stupid old whacker thought was required to have the ' winds of adventure ' motif. You know, like he brings along all the best modern gear ever available, but he cannot include preserved and tinned food from shops and supermarkets in the most state-of-the-art fridges, shelves, and freezers which his boat would invariably have. No, he's gotta do the live-off-the-land survivalism in order to exhibit his outback ' credentials '..

[@kontrolledkhaos4853]

If you look harder you’ll find two more

[@voivode2591]

The only data plate that determines what an aircraft actually is would be on the left side rear empennage . Engine data plates are almost worthless. Other than to determine nationality. The same engines were used on too many different aircraft types.

[@nagjrcjasonbower]

B-24: laminar airflow wing that is shoulder mounted, modern “I beam” spars, completely stressed skin, etc... B-17: non laminar airfoil with tubular main spar and a huge visible planform size and shape difference with a low mounted wing. Japanese plane... IDK...

[@leong108]

Japan didn't send 4 engine bombers to the attack the enemy. They had built a total of 10 airfframes , 6 G5N fitted out as transports in 1941, and 4 G8N prototypes in 1945 ...so no heavy bombers ready for the war.

[@Blackpheonix99]

So did they find cap?

[@johnp2730]

Wonder what Bush Barbi would say about the moment tgat pistol.waa found and brought up from the sunken plane.

[@franks9759]

It annoys me how these people just rip out artifacts without proper recording or permission to remove the artifacts for their own personal enjoyment. It was obvious they didn't know much about anything of munition's or weapons. The sons must have been home schooled by their father because they seem to know very little about the subject matter they are reporting on. It is not gun powder in 50 caliber ammunition, the propellant is primarily nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine with added stabilizer, ballistic moderants and flash suppressant. There should be laws to protect sites like these and left to professional archaeologist or specialist to remove such items. In my opinion, the Cropps in this video are no better than thieves, taking things for their own pleasure. I wish the Cropps would just stick to their diving and fishing adventures instead of trying to pretend they are experts in other fields. The boiling pots are probably for beche de mer or trepang not mining. Yes they contributed a lot to our knowledge of marine life in years gone past, I'll give them that. But otherwise what they give in this video is pure speculation.

[@DaraM73]

Are you aloud to loot wrecks in Oz?

[@shaneingram2389]

Sorry no rock art is worth the risk of a croc attack. If you had of seen a dark shadow it would have been all over.

[@WillyEckaslike]

waste of an hour

[@Pavewy]

15°08'18.5"S 145°19'12.9"E

[@TheCosmicGuy0111]

Cool

[@sueaddison9958]

I've been brought up to know, that you never keep and eat a female crab! 🤔🙄😲

[@75impalaca91]

Why if the crew died are you disturbing the site? That is a war grave you should be ashamed of ur self and should be prosecuted.

[@TheGoldbaxter]

The whole world is a grave!

[@jwdundon]

I bet RIGHT where you sitting NOW, within 100' someone is buried. This is an old planet. There is death everywhere. Grow up a little. This is also a historical sight.

[@markdecorte2638]

Half cool ships and planes. Half lame boring land showing

[@andrewfeltz9445]

Click bait

[@jwdundon]

A little. It's still part of an WW2 airplane, how many you found?

[@nouhaarnautovic2251]

✌🙏😻🇲🇦

[@Kris0437]

It is no longer a story that the world is experiencing a global economic recession, I am very happy that I received $30,000 of my investment of $13,000 every 24 days. Crypto investment is really profitable.

[@timhaley3459]

The finding of a B-17 US bomber north of Australia in the Pacific Ocean only proves what human warfare does, bring destruction and death. How wonderful it will be when what is spoken of in the Bible at Psalms 46 is fulfilled: "Come and witness the activities of Jehovah (God's name, see Isa 12:2, KJV), how he has done astonishing things on the earth. He is bringing an end to wars throughout the earth (at Armageddon, "the war of the great day of God the Almighty", Rev 16:14, 16). He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the military wagons with fire."(Ps 46: 8, 9)

[@JohnDoe-bk5hf]

I don't think the b17's had radial engines

[@ervinthompson6598]

Oh yes - 9 cylinder Wright Cyclone, R-1820, 1200 hp each. 4 of them.

[@michaelmorrison3414]

These past few days watching my portfolio decline is very disheartening. Holding doesn't really profit much, any idea how on how to earn better on the short run?

[@harrisonzayn7858]

Thanks for the recommendation,many traders are having this issue as well, please how can I connect with her

[@maryharrishorne419]

Wow! I’m really surprised Chloe Levi is being mentioned here. I initially started off with her last year with 5k and now my portfolio is worth over a 100k

[@raquelwarriner3010]

Thats her username above on Telegram

[@raquelwarriner3010]

Alicd Jayden mentioned it already 👆👆👆

[@CMillz884]

History Hit & Timeline, what more does a history enthusiast need! Uploading hours and hours of outstanding footage every week, thanks to everyone who had a hand in getting this to air. Sometimes, just sometimes, I’m reminded of what KZbin should be. We’re the first generation to have so much accesible history/education in the palm of our hands. Baffles me that this is free content!

[@12w0]

Not free at all.

[@CMillz884]

@@12w0 did you pay to watch this then? I think not (after going through your comment history on this channel, no further explanation is needed.)

[@jonglewongle3438]

" History Hit " ? More like ' history hit and miss '.

[@stevenmartin3848]

I understand that there's still doubt over the true identity of this wreck. Are there any plans to try to salvage the "loose" engine in order to get the serial numbers off of it?

[@markgarin6355]

Strange the little image for the video shows a full aircraft...then they talk about one wing two engine aircraft.

[@lilac_lilah_3026]

and fishing

[@michaeldean1289]

Another great documentary guys, and good to see that Ben is still actively pursuing his fantastic work! An Aussie fan 😊❤

[@Felale]

I hear Captain America is in that plane.

[@sueaddison9958]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@SolarityTechnology]

Apparently this wreck isn't a B-17, but a C-47/DC-3 variant.

[@bingosunnoon9341]

A four engine DC-3 is quite a variant

[@leong108]

@@bingosunnoon9341 well they did put wrights onto a C47 , but that only two, because they could produce the same power !, the benefit being the 9 cylinder wright is lighter than the 14 cylinder twin wasp, but produces the same power. ( in practice, many many more twin-wasp engines were built, wright never ... "took off".. )

[@bingosunnoon9341]

​@@leong108Mr. G you are so wright. I worked on both of those engines in tech school so many years ago at Scott AFB along with the Wasp Jr in the twin Beech. The school also had F-84s and a V2 rocket cutaway. You seem to know a bit about these recips, did you ever wrench on them? The jets are infinitely easier.

[@daveroche6522]

"If it flies, it can crash; if it floats, it can sink; if it's electrical, it'll try to kill you (nothing personal)" - respect Mother Nature.

[@c2jones]

Came to watch a history documentary and saw gaffing, spearing and trapping marinelife. 👎

[@andyr3322]

nice vacation video, nothing new discovered, guy knew exactly where to anchor at all the sites,

[@gazza124561]

So you don't worry about distributing a ww2 grave site

[@jwdundon]

So we don't exume the pharows tomb? There is a balance...

[@119jle]

And Generation Z can’t figure out what restroom to use

[@jwdundon]

Only the ones in liberal cities, you take a gen Z who knows how to milk a cow. Or buck 120 pound bails of hay.... They know, they know. We have a "heart land" full of them.

[@leong108]

Three conclusions ? one conclusion, its the B17 bomber Pluto. Three evidences that differentiate it from any other - round cowling, landing gear (wheel) folded up under wing, 9 cylinder engine.

[@GenaF]

Fantastic informative video as always from the Cropp family and friends. Thanks

[@mwayenthingsrelevantthiswo3799]

Well looking at the past circumstances I can have worse company

[@bobbyb.6644]

Big Ocean - Lots of wrecks - Every One would have a story if they could speak ? 👍

[@rock3times]

All wrecks are still properties of the US if indeed an US plane.. The Aussies should notify the US all the war graves before exploring and attempting to recover them

[@cosmos7492]

ALWAYS ONE LOL

[@michaelhart7569]

I think they say nobody died in the crash. It is not a grave.

[@MaryGatdula]

@@michaelhart7569 No. They said in the beginning that the where-abouts were never recorded because the occupants died.

[@michaelhart7569]

​@@MaryGatdula I think they said they didn't really know what planes they had found at the beginning. My comment was based on the commentary at 5:50 forwards, talking about all the survivors of that particular crash. But I accept your general point. Some of the wrecks they visited must, in all likelihood, have been graves. Never the less, superb camera work. I hope some one comes to film my grave, wherever that may be.

[@MaryGatdula]

@@michaelhart7569 Yes, I was commenting in the very first wreck they filmed. I hadn't watched any more of the video and so didn't realize that they were exploring multiple wrecks. Guess that what I get for commenting before I've finished the video. I'm sure you are correct that some were indeed graves.

[@stevewheatley243]

Great video.👍

[@lukehorning3404]

So cool

[@hamish5214]

Inspirering to see a WW2 bomber plane now being a reef...

[@kiwibryntoo]

So refreshing not to see a slick staged American style doco with "perfect" scripting.. Just matter of fact, no hyperbole.