Wreckage of mysterious missing bomber found after 80 years

Beaufort bomber found at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean after going missing in 1943 with a crew of four.

Researchers have discovered a plane that went missing nearly 80 years ago in the Pacific Ocean. The Beaufort bomber was sent to attack airfields near the Italian city of Foggia in 1943 during World War II. The plane, carrying four crew members, has been missing since then. The wreckage has now been found in the waters off Gasmata, Papua New Guinea . Discovered late last year, the plane was identified as a Beaufort A9-374 bomber of No. 100 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Interesting Engineering reported on October 2.

Bristol Beaufort bomber-reconnaissance aircraft. (Photo: Wikimedia).

Developed by the Bristol Aerospace Company, the twin-engine bomber was one of 1,380 produced at the time. Some were built in Australia and flown by the RAAF. "The wreckage of A9-374 is scattered over a large area in waters 16 metres deep, so identification after 80 years will require time, effort and teamwork," said the Australian Air Force's chief of staff, Lieutenant General Stephen Chappell.

Chappell said the mission involved several professional divers and marine archaeologists working at the complex site containing the heavily damaged wreckage, which was covered in layers of mud and marine life. This was the second discovery by the Ocean Ecology dive team.

Designed to serve a dual role as a reconnaissance and torpedo bomber, the first prototype of the Bristol Beaufort flew on 15 October 1938. These bombers also performed a mine-laying role. In the spring of 1940, they began dropping magnetic mines on enemy coastal areas, which continued until mid-1943.

During their coastal service, Beauforts were deployed in the North Sea, the English Channel, and the Atlantic. In 1942, all Beaufort squadrons were deployed in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean to counter the enemy threat. According to the Royal Air Force Museum, 700 Beauforts were built in Australia.