News
Taking on Truk: The Betty Bomber (Watch Video)
In the second of three videos from their recent trip to Truk Lagoon, Richard and Hayley from Black Manta Photography share this incredible footage of the wreck of the Betty Bomber.
To this day, it is not known how or when this plane came to rest in 14m of water during the aerial attack on Truk Lagoon. It was apparently flying in from the North to land on the runway at Eten Island when it crashed into the sea, just 135m from the shore. The damage to the nose section and cockpit are evident of a heavy impact with the sea – so heavy in fact, that both of the wing-mounted engines were torn clean off. The force of the impact, combined with the pulling power of the still rotating propellers, incredibly resulted in the engines coming to rest 100m away from the main body of the wreckage.
The most famous of the aircraft wrecks available to dive in Truk Lagoon, the ‘Betty Bomber’ was a Japanese Mitsubishi G4M long range bomber, and was used throughout the Pacific during the Second World War.
It was the Allied Forces that named it Betty, although it also carries the moniker of the ‘Flying Cigar’, partly because of the uniform cigar shape of the fuselage, but also because the aircraft had unprotected fuel tanks, which were regularly hit and set on fire.
The main body of the wreckage shows damage to the wings where the engines were torn free, but the rest of aluminum aircraft skin appears to be damage free, except for the obvious abrupt stop it suffered when it hit the water.
Another significant observation is the fact the wreck is largely devoid of any coral colonisation due to the aluminium oxide being unsuitable for coral growth and reproduction (iron is biologically active and harmful to corals). This means that, despite the 74 years of rust, the wreckage looks in remarkably good shape.
With the front of the plane missing, it is easy for divers to gain access and swim the entire length of the fuselage to a small exit hole at the rear. The large oval shaped gun ports on either side of the wreck provide plenty of light into the wreck, and also additional means of access.
The pilot’s cockpit area is badly damaged, although some of the instrumentation is still recognisable, and scattered around the seafloor are seat frames and general plane parts.
The visibility in the area is known to be worse than the rest of the Lagoon. I suspect this is due to shallow waters and light currents heading round the edge of the island, so photography on this particular wreck is a little more difficult than some of the larger and deeper shipwrecks that can be found. However, despite this,the Betty Bomber is a must dive to tick off on your trip to Truk, and with most dives being deeper, it was a lovely change to have a little ‘bimble’ without huge consideration to dive time or depth.
For more from Richard and Hayley visit www.blackmantaphotography.com.
After a two-year tour of UK art galleries, community spaces and aquariums, the Shark Trust’s acclaimed Oceanic31 exhibition takes its final bow at the Royal Geographical Society later this month. And the unique collection of artwork, depicting 31 species of oceanic sharks and rays, donated by 31 artists, is now open for bids from art lovers and shark enthusiasts. The online auction, launched today, will close on the 7th December at 8pm (BST). The money raised will support the Shark Trust Oceanics Programme.
People can now bid on 27 of the artworks by visiting this website:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
It is a chance to own a beautiful piece of original art and to support the Shark Trust. The timing of the auction also means that these would make a very special Christmas gift for any shark-lover.
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- Bigeye Thresher Shark by Janina Rossiter
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- Carcharodon carcharias by Jimmy Higgs
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- Croc VR 2030 by Tom Mead
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- Oceanic Whitetip by ATM
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- Silky Street by ScapaJoe
The diversity of pieces mirrors that of the sharks and rays they represent. You can bid on paintings, digital creations, sculptures, mixed media and more. You can pick your favourite artist or species of shark. Or you can select the perfect artwork to make a statement in your home or office. Whichever you choose, you will be supporting the work to protect these amazing animals.
One of the pieces of art has been selected to be auctioned live by Steve Backshall at the For the Love of Sharks event at the Royal Geographical Society in London on the 29th November. In addition to this, two further pieces will be raffled at this event, giving people a chance to win an incredible piece of shark art. For the Love of Sharks is the Shark Trust’s flagship evening. A night to celebrate sharks. Steve Backshall is the headline speaker at this event that will see other prominent shark advocates join him on stage.
Tickets for the event can be snapped up here:
https://thesharktrust.org.uk/Event/flos24
Those that would like to see the Oceanic 31 exhibition have one final chance. It is being displayed at the Pavilion at the Royal Geographic Society from 26th November until the 7th December. Entry is free.
Find out more here:
https://www.rgs.org/events/upcoming-events/oceanic-31
Paul Cox, Shark Trust CEO, Said “This exhibition has given us the opportunity to reach out to a new audience. And inspire more people with the wonderful sharks and rays on which our Big Shark Pledge campaign is based. We are immensely grateful to the 31 artists who have worked so hard to create these works.”
Bid for your favourite Oceanic 31 artwork here:
https://superstars-auctions.com/sharktrustauction
Banner Image: Smooth Hammerhead by Alicia Hayden
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