F4U Corsair: Der versunkene Schatz am Grund des Lake Michigan
Video from the channel Vergessene Flugzeuge about Vought F4U Corsair, linked on its Above Ten Thousand entry. Duration: 17:23. Language: German. Video type: Documentary.
What it's about
The documentary reconstructs the history of the US Navy Vought F4U Corsairs that sank in Lake Michigan during World War II, and tells how they were recovered and restored decades later.
Historical background
To train carrier pilots away from the enemy submarines lurking in the Atlantic and Pacific, the US Navy converted two passenger paddle steamers, the USS Wolverine and the USS Sable, into training carriers on the lake. Their decks were shorter and lower than those of fleet carriers and generated barely any wind over the deck. The Corsair made things even harder for trainees: its long nose limited forward visibility on approach, and its stiff landing gear made it bounce. A single failed arrestment was enough to send the aircraft into the water.
Key facts
According to the video, more than 100 aircraft of various types sank between 1942 and 1945, including dozens of Corsairs, and more than 15,000 pilots qualified aboard the two ships. The cold, fresh, oxygen-poor water preserved the wrecks. Since the 1980s, several teams have located the aircraft using side-scan sonar and raised them with flotation bags. Some examples were restored at centers such as the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. The US Navy still considers these aircraft its property, so every recovery requires strict permits. Hellcats and Dauntlesses also remain at the bottom of the lake.