Wulf in the Woods - The Most Incredible WW2 Relic Ever!

This is the most incredible WW2 relic find ever - find out the story of the Focke-Wulf 190 found in a Russian forest.
Dr. Mark Felton FRHistS, FRSA, is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Fe...
Visit my audio book channel 'War Stories with Mark Felton': • One Thousand Miles to ...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Bundesarchiv; Alexey Komarov; Goshimini; Miles Harris; Bobby Moretti.

[@brianb2837]

Imagine the hunters surprise when they came across this. This is really an amazing find historically

[@konstantinriumin2657]

Imagine if they were veterans of the war...

[@brianallsopp69]

I wonder if they said "What The Fokkes that over there ? " 😂 greetings from another Brian 😎👍

[@krisfrederick5001]

@@konstantinriumin2657 What if they shot it down?

[@tavish4699]

@@konstantinriumin2657 they probably were

[@geigertec5921]

Imagine the Nazi pilot was still camping out nearby, a holdout still fighting the war. Then when the Russian hunters approached a firefight ensued and the last skirmish of WWII formally ended not in 1945 but in 1989.

[@stovetopicus]

The fact that this thing flies is absolutely incredible! It flew for maybe a few months after it was manufactured, sat in a forest for 45 years, then 20+ years after that was flying again. This is the military equivalent of bringing a frozen mammoth back to life.

[@blindleader42]

The frozen mammoth metaphor is even more apt in the case of a P-38 Lightning that was lost in Greenland during the war. It was restored to flying condition after being buried under more than 200 feet of ice over a period of five decades. As I remember, the airframe had been _pressed completely flat_ under the weight of ice and snow.

[@Weshopwizard]

Well after they removed that rag!!! I bet it fired right up.

[@openbordersforisrael6169]

You can’t fly it again, it’s a Nazi plane. It should be scrapped

[@Bendwow]

German engineering 🤩🤩

[@y_ffordd]

Incredible? After spending a fat load of cash on restoring it.

[@stormykeep9213]

As a history buff, I'm always so happy when such finds are saved and restored!

[@BryonLetterman]

I'm glad that he restored it to look exactly as it did when it was in service, markings and all

[@Ben_Jones]

​@@BryonLettermanit should get an oily rag stuffed into the engine to make it really authentic.

[@andyknowles772]

As a history buff, I love swastikas.

[@frankgesuele6298]

The before & after is awesome.

[@moos5221]

@@frankgesuele6298 yeah, looks like a newly build plane...so what's the point of it being authentic, if it's completely renewed? i don't like it tbh, should have preserved the state it was found in and that's it imo.

[@dk2428]

As an aviation nerd, WWII buff and hiker i'd go out of my mind finding even a tiny part of such a relic. Imagine finding the whole thing, insane!

[@historybuff5739]

While boonie stomping on the island of Guam in 1970 I found what appeared to be part of a plane. It had bullet holes all in it. It didn't have any markings on it, so I didn't know whether it was American or Japanese.

[@indridcold8433]

Finding something like just the vertical stabilizers and rudders, with insignias, of both an allied fighter and a Nazi fighter would be an incredible experience! The holy grail would be a vertical stabilizer of an Me-109 and a P51 found within walking distance of one another! My life would be complete.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

One thing that Mark did not mention is that pilot Paul Rätz's story did not end when he passed away. He returned to Germany in 1949 and raised a family. They know about the discovery of the plane and Paul's son was very instrumental to the research because he had his dad's logbooks and other info. Paul Rätz's family has the original clock from the plane now too.

[@deejayimm]

I mean the plane's story, and his family story continued, but his story ended when he died, because he's dead.

[@DSToNe19and83]

@@deejayimmyeah, I was a little confused as well..

[@jurgschupbach3059]

​@@deejayimmnot alive can be deadly

[@ut000bs]

@@jurgschupbach3059 The only thing everyone who dies has in common is breathing. Remember that.

[@PaddyPatrone]

I might visit FHC in october.

[@monroetoolman]

The area the Eastern Front encompassed was so massive, and some of the areas so remote, I`d be amazed if there weren`t more relics like this waiting to be discovered.

[@jukkalahtinen3509]

You are right. Only the Front of Finland was almost 1400 km long with thousands of little lakes and huge forests. There are still even hundreds of wrecks still waiting for its finder in this area. One of the most famous is the Finnish Airforce Brewster Buffalo which was finded from Lake Kolejärvi in late -90s. I really hope that mr Felton could make a video about this incredible story of Brewster Buffalo finding.

[@monroetoolman]

@@jukkalahtinen3509 I have heard of the Buffalo they found. The cold waters of Finland preserved it amazingly well.

[@finnmanproductions9240]

@@jukkalahtinen3509 Yes, I second that - please do a video on the Finnish wartime plane they discovered in remarkable condition.

[@thekingsilverado3266]

There are relics still to be found in deed in those remote regions all over the world. There were several when I say several like 3 intact Corsairs found hidden on Truk Island as well as cash of parts inside a man made cave shelter. Not a word where that stuff got to either. There was also a pile of Japanese planes found not far from the intact American planes. Now one must only wonder. There is not much info on the American roles while on the Truk Atol other than the times we assaulted the little Island. Now I saw pics of the stuff from Texas Collector Bill Silvernell. He has several vintage planes including Corsairs and older P40's stuff like that. Bill said the Smithsonian got in the way of anyone claiming ownership which makes sense since the Smithsonian is famous for mucking up and hiding history rather well. Talking to Silvernell he said it is the epitome of why he keeps off of google and keeps a low profile because any govt mucky muck schmuck as he calls em could come along at any time and make him forfeit what he does have. That is not right when guys like Silvernell spend literally decades that turn into a life time to preserve this history. I met more than a few guys at air and military shows that R the same way. Keep my name off the net and TV is all they ask. Most relics by the way R owned by preservation societies which R public historical guilds controlled by the government. Unlike us private citizens with these riches we own the history and the work that went into it solely and nobody controls us and what we can & cannot do with our salvaged relics. Me I spend most of my existence restoring old things the other half of my life when not sleeping I walking fighting my way thru salvage yards. That is called hard work as it is for me at my age now.

[@steveleopard6761]

@@monroetoolmanI’m sure there’s lost relics all over North Africa

[@petermitchell421]

Close your eyes and just imagine finding this by chance. My skin shivers at the thought, all that history just there in front of you. History at its best!

[@rocknewtonfilsterwilly7364]

I'd be on the phone lining up a truck and running my chainsaw before the Sun went down!!

[@timpatrick2109]

Seeing that swastika way up on that tail as you get closer to a crashed German WW2 fighter deep in the woods. Incredible!

[@rocknewtonfilsterwilly7364]

@@timpatrick2109 Didn't bring him "Good Fortune"..

[@ihatehandleupdate]

I always loved these historical relics. I live in a town that was consisted of 2 roman military camps and a smaller village about 2000 years ago. I always hear about farmers finding roman coins or pottery shards. A part of my town is literally translated as "money digging" because people would find so many old coins there. Not to mention the constant news of finding world war military equipment like grenades and ammunition in the river nearby.

[@1970cutlassS]

​@@timpatrick2109survived the crash. I'd say that's pretty good.

[@barryjames3747]

I have no doubt there are still plenty of relics from that era, yet to be discovered. Great video, thank you.

[@alanb6866]

I wonder how many bunkers were simply grown over and are still waiting to be found... so much history under our feet!

[@LyrischerLucas]

Where i live, there are rumors, that an old plane is lying in the lake in our village.

[@salak750]

lm sure there is hundred of these under the water+warships

[@sharhune2735]

When my father was stationed at Clark AFB, in the Philippines, in the early 1960's. They found a Japanese Zero in the jungle, the pilots body still strapped into the cockpit. No one knew it was there for twenty years. At least the German pilot survived the war. Great job, Dr Felton.

[@djzrobzombie2813]

Do you have a link to that story ?

[@EternamDoov]

1960s ** You may be thinking of the apostrophe in '60s

[@chriskortan1530]

​@@EternamDoovif you're going to be a pedant, you should at least try to be correct. Both forms are acceptable. Using the apostrophe is common in different countries and was a common form until about thirty years ago.

[@kidpagronprimsank05]

Did they recovered it or left it there (and potentially buried by ash from Pinatubo)?

[@RCAvhstape]

The Philippine jungle is super dense, I can totally imagine a plane going unfound for decades out there.

[@davidlogansr8007]

I remember hearing about this plane in the past. I never knew Paul Allen had had it restored to flying condition!

[@roddydykes7053]

Very nice…

[@ziepex7009]

Why isnt it possible...Its just not...

[@jontheno3213]

Now let's see Paul Allen's FW190

[@SuzuranMajere]

@@jontheno3213 You can't. He died and his daughter cancelled his trusts and has shut down and is selling off all of his museums.

[@RaoulThomas007]

Paul Allen had vision that most never attain. This plane tells so many stories about the war. A forced laborer (most likely) courageously risks his life to take war machinery of the enemy, out of the fight. He strategically starves the replacement engine of its life blood, just as he’s being starved, in a similar manner. His act of heroism works and the “Wulf” is neutered for the duration.

[@user-fi2ix7mr6i]

Amazing! The history,the pilot,the cause of engine failure, recovery, restoration, flying again after long lost and forgotten decades in dark winters howling winds waiting,waiting. Just amazing!!?

[@liwyngradius]

Glad to see an interesting piece of history actually restored and preserved instead of just being scrapped

[@jeffreybrunken556]

What a great story! I always enjoy your videos. A somewhat off topic anecdote: My Dad served with the US 325th Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy. They were assigned in long-term support of Montgomery’s forces. At one point, his squadron shot down an FW190 quite close to their base. The a/c crashed under control and suffered relatively minor damage. A team from the 325th restored the FW to flying condition and it was used by the pilots to familiarize themselves with its characteristics. They painted it in a garish red, white and blue, “stars & bars” paint scheme to ensure that it was not mistaken for a hostile aircraft. 😆 My Dad carried a picture of that FW in his wallet for years after the war.

[@Mediaevalist]

I was fully prepared to hear Mr Felton mourn the disappearance of the plane in the uncertain years after the Soviet Union's demise. To hear that it is not only preserved, but actually flying again is simply astounding.

[@grego15]

Completely unexpected and very remarkable!.

[@TDL-xg5nn]

Hopefully whoever rebuilt the engine remembered the war is over and didn't sabotage it again.

[@SirAntoniousBlock]

The Wulf that wouldn't die.

[@NetworkXIII]

Paul Allen level money can work miracles

[@RCAvhstape]

Now they just need to protect it from hot dog pilots like that guy who had a midair with a B-17 at an airshow a while back.

[@thebuss3204]

And it flew again! Incredible.

[@ragnargrabson1287]

I saw this plane flying during the Eastern Front days on the Paine Field, near Everett, WA. The sound of FW-190 engine is incredible.

[@luapnosboh7421]

Doesn't beat the sound of a merlin 😏

[@slavabtomat]

@@luapnosboh7421 The only other engine that sounds as smooth as a Merlin is the DB-605. Both are fantastic pieces of engineering.

[@scotsmanofnewengland7713]

While stationed near Nuremberg, West Germany with the US Army back in the early 70s while hiking in a forest near there with a fellow serviceman we came across a German half track all shot up. Amazing to see it was still in pretty decent condition. After coming across a German man who was also hiking he warned us not to venture off the trails for there were unexploded munitions in the forest as well as ghosts of dead German soldiers. We never hiked that forest again after that.

[@djzrobzombie2813]

Greetings from Nürnberg Germany....

[@obsidianjane4413]

Europe has such deep history that you pretty much can't go anywhere where something didn't happen sometime.

[@chewy99.]

@@obsidianjane4413I guess that somewhat makes up for its lack of very unique wildlife

[@obsidianjane4413]

@@chewy99. They ate them all a long time ago. lol

[@steffenrosmus9177]

So you never could hike on the civil war battlefields either 😂😂😂

[@thelocalpissbaby8866]

Almost daily uploads from Mark Felton is all I could’ve ever asked for 💜

[@andrewmacdonald8076]

As an avid Airfix kitset fan, i applaud your films🥝🇳🇿😊

[@ayarnold9523]

Thanks to Paul Allen for restoring this piece of history.

[@dbix11]

It's great he decided to keep the swastika on it. Imagine the looks the plane gets during shows lol

[@matthewrupp5526]

​@@dbix11I mean, it is history lol. Plus the symbol is thousands of years old and meant many different things before Nazi Germany used it.

[@matthewrupp5526]

@@aj7470 Idk I definitely would have brought the plane home and put it in my backyard with the other 5 cars and other projects lol

[@idar101]

The Walton Family bought Allen’s collection, and the Museum was just re-opened.

[@colintraveller]

​@@idar101 Because Paul Allen died from Cancer so his family sold off what they didn't need including one of his 3 Yacht's Octopus .which he used before building RV Petrel finding Wrecks in the Pacific ...

[@optimusprinceps3526]

Utterly fascinating, thank you once again Dr Felton 👍

[@flitsertheo]

The irony is that the worker who unknowingly tried to destroy this airplane actually contributed to its survival 80 years later.

[@HunterShows]

Take that, slave!

[@iangarrett741]

Since the aircraft crashed and the pilot taken prisoner I would say that’s a win-win!

[@L30B055]

​@@iangarrett741I like to think he was punished accordingly for his reckless actions.

[@connycontainer9459]

@@L30B055 Nah, I think you missed a crucial detail. Trust me, at least publicly you do wanna side with the saboteur.

[@louisavondart9178]

..I'm sure he knew exactly what he was doing, at the risk of summary execution if he got caught. Sabotage by slave labourers was almost as effective as shoddy German quality control.

[@x66Hawk66x]

I remember watching the raw footage on this plane years ago. I never knew it was restored to flying condition, that only makes an incredible find, even more incredible.

[@Mangeol]

Reminds me about 15 years ago while hiking in the northern part of Norway, coming down from the mountain along a small completely overgrown path me and my brother found the remnant of what I (with pretty limited knowledge) believe was a German Panzer II. Very cool find!. Didn't seem like people had been there in decades. Sadly the years had not been kind to it..

[@Future183]

So you found it first and told nobody about it?

[@Mangeol]

@Future183 Well we did send a message to the Norwegian Historical Museum telling them about it and gave them a rough position of were it was located. But as I mentioned it was not in good shape being under constant assault from north Atlantic weather. It was basically completely covered in rust, with chunks of it falling off.. The remoteness of the place in addition to the condition probably meant it was not worth the effort to do anything about.

[@R.Lennartz]

@@chairmanmeow2413 What? "Years out of service"? The invasion of Norway happened in 1940, but during Barbarossa in 1941 the German army still employed a total of 746 Panzer 2s , and even 180 Panzer 1s. And also, there is at least one French Renault FT in Norway, captured by the Germans, it was used for patrolling the occupied territory, this is a WWI tank, yet it was still used. It was highly likely that he saw a Panzer 2 or even 1.

[@bernardthefourth]

It is well worth the trip the Paul Allen's museum. This plane is a real beauty!

[@michaelarmbruster586]

Only reason to go to Seattle

[@idoobbberz_tv6676]

Impressive. Very nice. Lets see Mr Bateman's private museum.

[@tracywilkinson1820]

Not for long. The collection was bought by the Waltons and is moving to Arkansas in the near future, pending construction of a facility there to house it.

[@bernardthefourth]

@@tracywilkinson1820 Oh wow.

[@vumba1331]

​@@tracywilkinson1820As in the 'Walmart' Waltons?

[@KS-hj6xn]

Paul Allen's collection is outstanding! Definitely worth a visit!! I saw his P51 flying low over the water.. that plane tipped over on its port wing almost straight down and whipped a super tight dogfighting u-turn without losing altitude, tipped the wings level and just flew away flat.. And the plane was probably under 300' altitude... Unbelievable! I had no idea WW2 era planes could do that! It was tight like a motorcycle in a ball cage!

[@lorenzcassidy3960]

That's "Upupa Epops". Her black and yellow checkered nose is a sight to behold! 🤩 Another amazing exhibit in the collection is the Fw 190D-13, a rare sub-variant of the famous "long nosed Dora". She was thoroughfully restored as well and theortically she would be airworthy, but she won't be flown again because she's the only one of its type left in the world.

[@joycekoch5746]

Only Mark can come up with stories like this. I use to think I knew everything about WW2 until Mark Felton came along.

[@Johnjohn-dt6hw]

I know I wish I was as smart as Mark Fulton

[@casperreininga3253]

My family and me did a long hiking trek through the entirety of France over 12 years (GR5 for anyone in the know) and during that trek we also passed the Vosges mountain range. The Vosges were the site of brutal combat during WW1, and when we first entered the region me and my little brother were already fantasizing about finding relics. Lo and behold, my brother indeed found some relics during our treks there. First he stumbled on what we later found out used to be a barbers shaving knife, pretty well preserved for its size and having been in the ground for so long. And then a mere week later, he found a German bayonet, broken at the hilt. Very brown from rust but no holes or gaps anywhere, and of course very dull too. As I'm typing this both pieces are located but a metre away from me, currently stored away in a cabinet untill we find them a better place in our home. Sadly I can only imagine the stories of the people who once wielded these items in life.... During that trek through the Vosges, we didn't just find relics though. The route itself takes one past some of the most haunting places that remind of that terrible war. From overgrown trenches (That might still contain mines, never enter them) in the lower woodlands, to rebuild trenchlines high up on the mountaintops. A visit to Verdun takes only a 2 hour drive by car or 2.5-3 by train and you directly pass the war grave at the Hartmannswillerkopf. That place left me silent for the rest of the day walking. I could go on and on about what one will find about WW1 whilst walking the GR5, but I think I've already rambled enough. A warm thank you to whomever got this far.

[@muskokamike127]

It is my understanding that french farmers still constantly find unexploded munitions and shrapnel and stuff pushed up by the frost each spring. The sheer number of shells and materials used was mind boggling. Then it was repeated 30 yrs later.

[@Thatguy-cb4qs]

@@muskokamike127and they are itching to repeat it 110 years later.

[@danialeatherman8934]

Thank you for sharing your story

[@fra9873]

Grazie a te del tuo racconto molto interessante, io non ho reperti ma continuo ha tenere con cura oggetti che appartenevano a mio nonno tra cui una Mauser prodotta nel 1920 con custodia originale e stiletto con manico in legno rigorosamente intaglio a mano

[@antibrotha]

Thank you for all you do Mark❤️‍🩹

[@northmaineguy5896]

I live in Greenville, Maine and in 1963, a B-52 crashed on a training mission near Elephant Mountain (It is known as "The Elephant Mountain Crash") and I believe only two crew members survived. Anyway, about three years ago, a warden walking in the woods in the middle of nowhere and he found an ejection seat from the Elephant Mountain crash, which obviously had sat there untouched for almost 60 years. It's well documented if you go look for it if you are interested...

[@dhart8451]

Get lost. No one cares about an ejection seat.

[@johnvoorhees7881]

I've heard about that, and want to visit that site, since I moved to Maine. Unfortunately, I can't afford a car to get there.

[@northmaineguy5896]

@@johnvoorhees7881 Is that a Cav hat? What part of ME you from?

[@johnvoorhees7881]

@@northmaineguy5896 I'm in Waterville

[@steveperry1344]

i live down in massachusetts and remember hearing of that crash when i was a kid. i had a job when i was in the airforce that maintained radio communications with the B-52s out of loring when they flew over europe in the early 70's

[@mikes8948]

Amazing! Glad to see that it was fully restored and returned to flight.

[@TheSaltydog07]

I'm glad it was resurrected it. It's a piece of history. They did a beautiful job. Thank-you, Dr. Felton.

[@tracywilkinson1820]

I’ve seen it fly. It’s absolutely gorgeous. I worked on the Boeing flight line and on “fly days” this beauty would swoop and bank and roar by making it impossible to do any work. We’d all crowd onto stands and lifts and watch.

[@chrishensley6745]

Glad she is back to her glory days for people to see in the future....Nice story!

[@martin7955]

Glad it's being saved some still appreciate history

[@rognvaldrasbjrn3972]

My favourite aircraft out of all the second world war. Especially the BMW powered ones. Closely followed by the BF109 and its variants. Thank you so much Dr Felton for the fantastic videos you obviously take a lot of time patience and dedication in producing. Much respect from South Africa 🇿🇦

[@ibbylancaster8981]

As the grandson of a former airplane mechanic, I love planes. The area I live in is next to Ft Bragg in North Carolina,USA. About 20 minutes south of me is Maxton NC where, during WW2 was a glider training area. My dad said that he could vaguely remember seeing the old C47’s towing them up to altitude. Both my grandfathers were in Europe during the war one a truck mechanic and the other field artillery. Such an iconic find and another wonderful video. Thank you sir!

[@elenwinl9786]

Cool! My great grandpa flew C47s carries paratroopers and supplies during the war. Was shot down a little more than a month before the war ended.

[@dellalderman8011]

Right outside Simmons Army Airfield is where I live. I noticed you used the correct name. FT. BRAGG

[@ibbylancaster8981]

@@dellalderman8011 we’re off Plank Rd near Raeford and it’s the main drag for choppers. And at 52 , all I’ve known is Ft Bragg and that’s what I’ll call it until my last breath.

[@zogzog1063]

As the grandson of a former tennis player whose cousin witnessed the recovery of a wing fragment in Belarus I can verify your claim

[@alexanderbrown4250]

​​​@@zogzog1063thought you were the grandson of the ex-husband of the wife of the coach of the former tennis player.... whose cousin's dog witnessed the recovery of a paint chip from a wing fragment of a replica of....

[@snsllytle1]

Love to see history restored. Congratulations to all who worked on this project. Thank you

[@rescuepetsrule6842]

Thank you for sharing this amazing story. I hope many people will see it- I'll recommend it to friends!

[@jrmckim]

Aw man it sucks that the pilot passed before they found his aircraft. I was glad to hear he survived the crash and soviet pow camps though. Rip 🙏🏻

[@FifaFrancesco]

I'm not sure why you're happy the pilot survived. He was a literal Nazi.

[@flankerpraha]

My mind is rather with the man who sabotaged the plane. His story would deserve more sympathies as he was probably tormented physically, threatened or starved to death by the men with the same insignia on their uniforms as the pilot. and yet he was able to harm nazi within his small possibilities.

[@mxplk]

@flankerpraha. Yes, that unnamed forced laborer was braver, and did more good in the world than the German pilot of this plane.

[@urmum3773]

@@flankerpraha Soy

[@PeteMacmovies]

Amazing story. Once again a fantastic video Mark.

[@utpalbasu3353]

Another excellent video from Dr Felton. Thank you very much sir

[@jeffbettez4355]

That sabotage part of the story made me smile!

[@TroyDowVanZandt]

During WWII, Davis-Monthan outside of Tucson was a major training base for bomber crews. The mountains in southern Arizona are quite high. Mount Lemmon in the Santa Catalinas is over 9000 feet, and Mount Graham near Safford is close to 11,000. During inclement weather, several military aircraft flew into the sides of different mountains in the area. One pilot was an RAF exchange officer who perished on 28 December 1942 in a North American AT-6 Texan/Harvard. I know of one instance in which the Pima Air and Space Museum salvaged parts from one of these crashes to reconstruct an aircraft. The terrain in these mountain ranges is immensely difficult, and retrieving the bodies arduous in the extreme. As a boy, my father had a neighbor named Woody Hillman. Woody was a muleskinner, and had a contract with the Army Air Corps to retrieve the bodies. My father also mentioned that Woody had an impressive collection of wristwatches. ADDENDUM I have never been involved in anything online that remotely resembles a controversy, but I will attempt to put the wristwatch uproar into perspective. (1) The events in question took place around 80 years ago, and the individual involved has been dead almost 30. To get worked up over the matter is utterly useless, unless, of course, one's aim is chest beating and virtue signalling. (2) To those who wish to make this a question of national character, noting that nothing even remotely similar would take place in their respective countries, I am sure that even an in-depth examination of your homelands would fail to produce evidence of the existence of any sort of penal institution. (3) Everyone has so far assumed that Mr. Hillman stole the watches. It very well could have been the case that upon recovering the first batch of bodies, the Army told him to keep the wristwatches because the timepieces would have only added to its bureaucratic burden. I once mentioned Mr. Hillman's name in an historical group on Facebook, and he was remembered fondly. But then again, scoundrels can be quite adept at disguising themselves.

[@whitebeardedgnu]

"Bomber Mountain" in the Cloud Peak Wilderness Area of the Bighorn Mountains of northern Wyoming is so named because of a B-17 Flying Fortress that slammed into it during WWII in poor weather, killing all aboard. RIP to all.

[@donaldcarlson-dr8tw]

yep lived in Tucson late 70s and spent time on Davis/Monthan looking at the rows of aircraft in their 'scrapyard " as far as you could see ... LITERALLY !

[@PhilipKerry]

Robbing from the dead ....... That's a criminal offence in the UK .......

[@TroyDowVanZandt]

@@PhilipKerry In the Common Law system that the United States shares with the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, larceny is the trespassory taking and asportation of another's property with the intent to deprive permanently. The problem with dead people is that they are no longer people under the law. Technically, Woody committed larceny against the estates of the decedents. The mountains in question aren't like Ben Nevis. There are cliffs that drop off thousands of feet. Loose rocks make the going slow and treacherous. Rattlesnakes abound. Had the bodies been left there too long, the bears, wolves and coyotes would have torn them apart. Though I can't condone the sticky fingers of some long-dead shitkicker (slang for cowboy), considering the circumstances, I don't think the executor of anyone's estate was going to quibble over a wristwatch. And, yes, I am a lawyer.

[@sladeb6036]

@@PhilipKerry or does it just belong to the king? Lol. But yeah not cool unless there was no body at the time of finding.

[@paulkirkland3263]

I remember when this happened. Many people thought it was faked! Thank goodness it was kept safe and eventually restored.

[@josephj5161]

What an incredible story

[@joerussell9574]

Man Dr Felton always has the best little stories from the war and sometimes its aftermath! Bravo sir....Bravo!!

[@TheKulu42]

Several years ago, I spoke with a World War II veteran who was in Europe when the war ended. He showed me a pair of Luger pistols he had brought home, and then some photos. To my amazement, he was standing on a Focke-Wulf! Two others could be seen the background. I hike a lot in the local forest, but I've never sound anything even close to that crashed Focke-Wulf. If I had seen such a relic and then saw Bigfoot, the cryptid would take second place to that plane!

[@larryjohnson1966]

It is so great that someone put this plane back into flying condition. Thank You Mark for brightening up my day.

[@grismor1884]

A random plane resurrection lighted your day up? Thats weird in my opinion and i dont care about your opinion and i dont care if you dont care about my opinion

[@dewmirage]

@@grismor1884 👍

[@brianmaloney45]

Wow, what a story!

[@alanluscombe8a553]

Could you imagine stumbling upon something like this??? Wow

[@user-co7dr3rl8b]

I am totally blown away by the condition of the plane.

[@andrewwaller5913]

The cold has preserved it

[@sputzelein]

cant say that about the video material quality.😂

[@pac1fic055]

What a joy to know that this irreplaceable piece of history doesn’t only still exist, but it flies! 😊

[@KirkLee1983]

What a beautiful machine

[@chrisrodgers4950]

I get so hyped every single time I hear the intro music

[@tihzho]

Serial number 151227 - Fw 190 A-5 airworthy at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum in Everett, Washington. This airframe was being flown by Paul Rätz of JG 54 when it crash landed in a forest in Voibakala near Saint Petersburg on 9 July 1943 due to sabotage of the oil lines. It was discovered in the same location in 1988 or 1989 and was recovered in 1990 or 1991. Its first post restoration flight was on 1 or 2 December 2010. It is currently the only airworthy Fw 190 with an original BMW 801 engine.

[@wilburfinnigan2142]

There'svideo here on you tube of it flying !!! !

[@edgein3299]

And the engine only has a few hours on it.

[@lawrencerolls3643]

@@edgein3299, you sound like a used car salesman with that comment. 😎

[@milferdjones2573]

What was not made clear was the rag could not be blocking the oil line fully when placed otherwise the engine not pass final test nor make it to the front. And of course the saboteur would not want it failing fast so they could pin it on them easy. It was placed so it would vibrate into clogging later.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+@tihzho It was 19-July-1943 and Rätz was just flying a 15-minute hop to bomb a Russian train and come back, then the engine quit. He tried to get back the German lines but the Russians captured him.

[@Getpojke]

Ex forester here, believe me some of the woods are full of old "Fockers". 😆 Seriously though its a fantastic find & I love that its been restored to flying condition.🐺

[@nordicson2835]

Amazingly in good shape.

[@Vejinx]

What an amazing story!

[@david_W5QDF]

I found a 1952 Chevrolet Pickup with a wooden bed in the North Carolina woods while fishing one weekend in 1979. I found the owner of the land and he gave me the truck. I wish I still had that truck.

[@choppergirl]

It's probably back in some woods now.

[@paultapner2769]

You have to admire the dedication of those who work twenty years to restore something.

[@insideoutsideupsidedown2218]

Deep pockets did not hurt either...

[@MattinLapland]

Here in Northern Finland in the forests you find old German engine parts, old oil lamps, all sorts. There’s many camps and the old food tins are still there. Even signs nailed on trees. Old vehicle parts are also found.

[@watersipper1116]

Such a short documentary with so many "Oh, Wow" revelations.

[@Spitfiresammons]

It’s good to see the world’s only original fw-190 with the actual engine still flying today since having be found in the forest of Russia. Great story Dr Felton.

[@noahway13]

It is crazy how much war supplies were around, and how few were preserved.

[@docholliday6285]

I believe there's one at Duxford, UK

[@alfnoakes392]

Interesting to see the slow footage of the inductor/cooling fan behind the prop, lovely engineering.

[@30AndHatingIt]

Wow, that slave laborer literally took a German plane and pilot completely out of the war, not to mention a few others from any other sabotaged engines. Those are huge contributions to the war effort!

[@goldenfiberwheat238]

This and his video about those k98s used by Israel got me thinking. He said that Israel using k98s is the ultimate irony but I thought of something else: in the slave camp, a laborer sabotages a bolt or something. The k98 is sent to a warehouse and the war ends before it is issued. Then the Czechs get a hold of it and sell it to Israel. Then the idf soldier who gets it is pinned down and tries to return fire, only for the gun to blow up in his hands, be disoriented, and in the confusion gets shot and killed. THAT is the ultimate irony

[@davidvaughn7752]

​@@GNMi79and of course, if Paul Allen wasn't Jewish you'd have an easier time believing the story... there weren't just the Jews in labor camps.

[@milferdjones2573]

@@GNMi79 For the sabotage to work the rag had to be put so that in final testing the Engine would work and it would work several times more until it was vibrated into blocking the flow. Now it could have been just an accident forgotten there even by a German worker who failed to clean up correctly and should have not temporarily leave it there. Thing was examined well before it was acquired and did not show signs of being shot down.

[@jimjamauto]

@@GNMi79Also there are so many subtle ways to sabotage an engine that could just appear as poor assembly.

[@EarthenDam]

It took out the pilot too since he was captured.

[@peterpiper_203]

Its amazing that trees hadn't grown through it

[@halcyonzenith4411]

My dad owned a series of collector plates, one of which depicted this relic.

[@BillHalliwell]

G'day Mark, What a wonderful find. This will help many people involved in various types of history preservation. Way down on that list is the, not insignificant, number of scale model builders who now have a completely accurate example of a Focke-Wulf 190 wartime livery. In my spare time I like to model aircraft of WW2 and the Korean war. Many kit makers skim over the minute detail of these old aircraft. No excuse now for model companies to get a FW 190's structure and livery wrong. The best part of this story is not that it's back in flying condition; even better is the confirmation that some poor soul, who was probably fully aware he was going to be worked to death by the Nazis, decided to take action to ensure this particular aircraft would not have a long career of destroying Allied planes and ground targets. I can't think of a better, truly anonymous, act of courage. The saboteur would have also known that to be discovered doing this would mean instant execution. He, obviously, was a person with extensive mechanical knowledge of aircraft systems. The fact that he got away with one act of sabotage is a sad tale with a totally worthwhile outcome, yet, who knows; this unknown hero may have done this on multiple occasions. It could be he discovered a way to do this sabotage near, or soon after, final assembly checks at the factory had been done. Thank you, Mark for this amazing tale of total selflessness in the face of certain death. Cheers, Bill H.

[@jamestaylor7710]

Yes more history ❤

[@kristofferrnning1475]

I'm so happy they didn't destroy the plane, but are preserving it and keeping it original with the same design and paint.

[@user-ky6fe4ku5g]

Surely the original paint should have been preserved ...

[@KrazyGoodMods]

I love stories like this with a happy ending. So many times, these old pieces of history are scrapped or left to rot.

[@royboy9361]

Drop everything and watch this!

[@mbl1154]

„found a Tiger in my garden, with it‘s crew“ best regards from Buenos Aires

[@williamstricko2594]

Love seeing history like this,this was amazing.Plane was in exceptional condition too!!!

[@captainsergeant]

This collection is literally just down the road from where I live. They recently re opened the museum, and if you ever get a chance to visit, I highly recommend it. The museum is located next to the brand new Paine Field airport.

[@louislopez55]

Is that the museum that has a Sherman tank on display?

[@captainsergeant]

@@louislopez55 They've got one of everything. The museum had just finished up a ME262 before covid and the owner's death. They were closed for some time, but have re opened.

[@bobgasm1471]

@@captainsergeant they have a Stuka that is being returned to flying condition

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Considering the sheer scale of WW2 it makes you wonder what else is out there to be found. Hey, here in the US relic hunters still dig up cannonballs, shells, bullets, and other detritus from the Civil War of the 1860's. Some of the older locals here in in Virginia tell of relics turning up during spring ploughing on a regular basis.

[@asimian8500]

Indeed, a friend of mine was at the Gettysburg battlefield and kicked some dirt and found a Minié ball around the site of PIckett's Charge. No idea what side used it as it was used by both Union and Confederate forces along with their rifled muskets. There are still relics to be found on US Civil War battlefields. I would say that it likely was a miss as it was not deformed if it had hit a soldier. However, it's also possible that it penetrated soft flesh and wasn't deformed. We will never know. My friend believed it was fired by the Union forces, killing one of the Confederate soldiers during Pickett's Charge. I like that story.

[@ianwilkinson5069]

@@asimian8500 very well could have been dropped, if it looked black on the inside of the bottom those are powder stains and it was dropped. They did that pretty often and through away the wet ones or dropped there extra ammo if they had to move fast.

[@asimian8500]

​ @ianwilkinson5069 To clarify it was found on the Confederate side of Pickett's Charge, which it was likely fired by Union forces. It wasn't dropped as it was split at the end, indicating it was fired. Not a pristine bullet but one that was used. That's why I mentioned that it may have passed through soft tissue or perhaps even missed and fell to Earth.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@asimian8500 OK, you didn't say in the earlier post it was split in the base, so yes I agree with you, it was certainly fired!

[@xiaoka]

I heard from a former classmate who had emigrated from Belarus in the 80s that they had found abandoned bunkers in the deep woods full of abandoned guns and equipment. (He mentioned light machine guns and motorbikes).

[@lt.petemaverickmitchell7113]

FANTASTIC story Dr. Felton! Thank you

[@leepeel7129]

I live in Seattle and I've seen it at the museum! Seen it flying around! The Flying Heritage Museum is actually north of Seattle, next to Paine Field and the Boeing Everett plant. I used to work close to Paine Field and got to see some of those old warbirds fly by.

[@jamesmetzler2031]

Wow! What a find! I was so happy to see that this beautiful aircraft was restored and amazed to hear that it was restored to flying condition!

[@tjdstudios.559]

I've seen links to this story on Facebook but this is the first decent summary of what happened I have found.

[@michaelcalland801]

How cool is that ! Amazing how well it was preserved .

[@getit9066]

I lived for awhile in Bellingham, WA, north of Paine Field in Everett where this incredible aircraft resides, and escaped from there about 5 years ago shortly after the communists turned that most beautiful of American cities into an Eastern Bloc rathole of drug abuse, violence and homelessness. My ten year old son and I raced down to the field one day to catch the end of "Luftwaffe Days," and pulled into the parking lot right as the inimitable Steve Hinton raced right over us in the only fully authentic Fw-190 flying with the original BMW 801 engine. It's a sight and sound you never forget Side story: I lived in Arizona before the People's Republic of Washington, and had the great good fortune of receiving a tour of the Champlin Fighter Museum in Mesa by Mr Doug Champlin himself, shortly before he sold his aircraft to Paul Allen. Of all the amazing samples of planes he owned, from WWI to the Jet Age, the most special was his Fw-190D-13, and he walked me through the wild story of how it came to the USA after the war and how he came to own it and restore it with the personal help of Dr Kurt Tank himself, the designer. This aircraft now resides as well at the Flying Heritage Museum in Everett, and is an incredible site to behold. Amazing still is that the museum survived the loss of Mr Allen, as well as the COVID disaster made much much worse by the mental idiots running this state from Olympia. Easily worth the ticket price to visit this one of a kind museum!

[@johnkoral888]

Was fortunate to live in Bellingham before the marxist takeover. Great town then.

[@clintonreisig]

Another great true story 🙂

[@canocohen4218]

You have the perfect voice for this kind of content😂🫡

[@joshuajgrillot]

It's amazing that it was able to be fully restored to flying condition.

[@wm565]

I have visited the Flying Heritage Museum here in Everett, WA many times, as I only live 1-1/2 miles from it. I've seen this aircraft up close, seen it start up and taxi, and even seen it fly. Managed to touch the right wingtip once. Knew of it's history, but never seen footage of it sitting in the forest where it was found until now.

[@GAXALAYCOR31]

Wow. It amazing that the plane still runs let alone air worthy. That right there is really amazing.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

+@GAXALAYCOR31 The final rebuild was a multi-million dollar project. They located six core engines for enough parts to build a working one.

[@christophertaylor4722]

It's great to see a flying example. So very rare. I put together a plastic model of one as a kid. Hung it from my bedroom ceiling.

[@jonfranklin4583]

I have seen this plane in the museum, great to know the backstory on this beautiful aircraft!

[@josephosheavideos3992]

As usual, your attention to detail is extraordinary. For example, you noted that the plane was found in 1989 in the woods near Leningrad; this event occurred just before the city officially reverted to its pre-Soviet name, "St. Petersburg."

[@marty8535]

It was formerly known as Petrograd in the immediate pre-revolutionary period.

[@borninthewoods4482]

@@marty8535 you beat me to it lol!

[@DawidKov]

@@marty8535 That was its WWI name, meant to remove the German associations. Although it had been unofficially used as a sort of nickname for a while before WWI.

[@methylene5]

I'm a simple bloke, I see a Mark Felton vid, I click.

[@YouriCarma]

WWII keeps entertaining me :) Nice to have a flying FW-190 around.

[@gaius_enceladus]

*Wonderful* story! It's awesome to hear the full story behind this aircraft - the fact that someone successfully sabotaged the engine makes the plane even more special because of that interesting bit of history behind it!

[@On-Our-Radar-24News]

I loved my Opa's stories of being shot down in his He-111 outside of Leningrad. I wondered if anyone would ever find pieces of his aircraft or perhaps the entire plane. He landed it on a road after sustaining flak damage and he and his crew hid for a day until they found a German Tank unit that had pushed into the area.

[@rb3058]

Ich liebe diese alten Geschichten. Sie waren alle Helden.

[@paulleigh7792]

@@rb3058: Not all!

[@rb3058]

@@paulleigh7792 nagut, 99%.

[@K.Marx48]

Klar, Nazi Helden lol

[@edwardbenkert6394]

That is awesome piece of History

[@manuelroca5289]

Wow! Mark Felton has done it again. Another worthwhile video that doesn't disappoint. It tells of events hidden from history. Great research and very informative for us WW2 buffs. Looking forward for the next one!

[@codyking4848]

There was nothing hidden about this. It's a well known find, having been taken out and restored to flying condition. Felton just capitalizes on people like you that had no idea in order to get likes and shares.

[@jasondalton6182]

Amazing. I’ve seen this plane (and the whole collection). It’s a fantastic collection and a wealth of flying history.

[@Bradydog-in7ut]

Mr. Allen was a good and great benefactor of this plane during his life. He, without consideration of cost, brought one of the greatest fighter aircraft back to life in its original condition. It remains the only Folke-Wulf in existence with its original BMW engine and it’s complicated flight controls (only 1 of approximately 20,000 produced in various forms). The plane is still flown a couple times a year. If you want to see it in all its glory, call the museum ahead of time for scheduled flights.

[@projektkobra2247]

Almost original....the paint scheme is totally wrong from the original...if the photos are accurate anyway.

[@chriscarbaugh3936]

@@projektkobra2247I thought that as well watching the film of the find. Still JG54 flew 190s in that very unique scheme…

[@projektkobra2247]

@@chriscarbaugh3936 -Im not familiar with that unit's history, I only noticed that the swamp photo and the restored photo's schemes are not the same...if the restored photo is in fact the same plane.

[@FiveCentsPlease]

@@projektkobra2247 The paint is correct and was documented when it was cleaned by the first owners in the UK, and there are photos on some modelling websites. JG54 was using those forest camouflage colors on the Eastern Front and this Fw-190 was with 4./JG54 in July 1943.

[@projektkobra2247]

@@FiveCentsPlease -1:44 no yellow stripe around the cross. -4:22 yellow stripe.