{"id":9671,"date":"2021-08-31T10:58:19","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T08:58:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.underwatertales.net\/2021\/08\/31\/lo-junkers-52-di-isola-delle-femmine\/"},"modified":"2022-11-04T13:14:09","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T12:14:09","slug":"the-junkers-52-of-isola-delle-femmine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.underwatertales.net\/en\/2021\/08\/31\/the-junkers-52-of-isola-delle-femmine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Junkers-52 of Isola delle Femmine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Junkers-52 of Isola delle Femmine lies placid at a depth of 46 meters. But its story begins on a beautiful sunny day in 1942. It continues in the late 1980s. Its legend still lives on, also thanks to Beniamino, the real owner.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

A beautiful sunny day in the summer of 1942<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sferracavallo, a seaside village of Palermo. Capo Gallo<\/strong> and the islet of Isola delle Femmine<\/strong> set this little gem. It is a beautiful sunny afternoon in the summer of 1942<\/strong>. Europe is in the midst of an unprecedented conflict.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Michele and Carlo Reina<\/strong> are two kids who were playing on the terrace. At one point a hum of engines breaks the silence and monotony of that hot afternoon. A squadron of Junkers-52 <\/strong>appears from the sea, in perfect formation. They were headed for the old Boccadifalco airfield. The planes flew at a height of about three hundred meters above the heads of the two children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only one of them traveled at a lower height<\/strong>. It trudged, its engines emitting irregular noises, interrupted by pops and dangerous power failures. To see it better, Michele and Carlo went up to the roof. The plane turned suddenly<\/strong> and dropped further in altitude. It passed over their heads forcing them to flatten themselves against the tiles. They noted the lower body painted in yellow, the black crosses edged in white under the wings and the swastika on the tail rudder.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

They stood up observing the strange trajectory of the plane. It was heading towards the sea<\/strong>. After having covered almost the entire bay of Sferracavallo, it went against the surface of the sea, raising a wall of water. The engine inexorably began to sink as the crewmen launched themselves from the tailgate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the small port of the town the fishermen got on board their rowing boats and reached the castaways. The two boys run madly towards the sea. The German soldiers had already been brought ashore, to safety. With clothes under their arms there were those who tried to dry banknotes in the sun and those who tried to save the contents of a briefcase brought to safety. They smoked cigarettes offered by their rescuers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They were taken to Palermo and nothing more was heard of them. The Junkers-52 of Isola delle Femmine remained down there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aunt JU, the Junkers-52<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both the Germans and the allies called it nicely “Tante Ju<\/strong>“, or “Aunt Ju<\/strong>“. It was a three-engine aircraft produced since the 1930s by the German company Junkers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First used for civilian purposes, it was hired by the Luftwaffe<\/strong> as a transporter plane and as a bomber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was an aircraft that did not excel in stylistic lines and aerodynamics. It was rather clumsy a bit edgy. But it was sturdy and reliable in flight. Almost three thousand units were produced during the Second World War.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, it was a slow and poorly armed aircraft compared to fighters. The German air force suffered many losses, especially in the Mediterranean<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Late 1980s: the Tecnomare group<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the 1980s<\/strong>, a group of Palermo divers, already reported for the recovery of some Hellenic-Roman anchors, identified the area of \u200b\u200bthe wreck of a German plane of the Second World War. It is the wreck of the Junkers-52 of Isola delle Femmine. They were the guys from the Tecnomare Group<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They made use of the knowledge and suggestions of an experienced local fisherman<\/strong> who lead them with surgical precision to the point. They descended in the midst of clouds of anthias, to finally arrive in front of the plane. They were at a depth of 46 meters<\/strong>. They took some black and white photographs of the engines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, suddenly, a large conger stood in front of them and looked at them directly in the eyes. It was two meters long and weighs about thirty kilos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They found it every time they went back. It is the real owner of Isola delle Femmine’s Junkers-52. Beniamino<\/strong> baptized him.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lo<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

June 2021<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small seaside village of Isola delle Femmine is preparing for the summer season. The boys celebrate the end of the school year while the first heat begins to warm the skin of the first bathers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the main road there is a diving center called Diving Center Saracen<\/a><\/strong>. There is a bustle of divers and equipment. They are technical divers and are participating in a training camp, the XRCamp<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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XR Camp 2021: tutto ci\u00f2 che volete sapere<\/a><\/blockquote>