MESSERSCHMITT BF 109-HERAKLION|HISTORIC WRECK

HISTORY. About 800m off the coast of the small village of Anissaras near Hersonissos (Chersónissos) on the Greek island of Crete lies one of the most famous dive sites in the Mediterranean Sea. At the bottom of the Aegean Sea, at a depth of 24m, lays the well-preserved wreckage of a German World War II Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter. The question is, was the German airplane shot down during "Operation Mercury" in May 1941?

The Battle for Crete.Due to its geographical location, straddling the border of Europe with Africa and Asia, the Mediterranean island of Crete has always been an important site for foreign powers throughout history. WWII was no different. After the German invasion of Greece, British troops withdrew to Crete to hold the strategic island. For the British, the possession of the island was key for the defense of Egypt and Malta. What’s more, it was also an ideal starting point for naval and air operations against the Greek mainland, the Romanian oil fields of Ploiesti, Iraq, and Italy’s crucial supply line from the Black Sea.

In the early summer of 1941, the German assault on Crete kicked off under the code name "Operation Mercury". The first step was sending a large contingent of German paratroopers to the Cretan settlements of Chania, Maleme, Rethymnon, and Iraklion.

During the invasion of Crete, the Germans employed many Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter planes. Theaircraft was the first air force fighter with retractable landing gear and the first all-metal aircraft in the world. It would become Germany’s standard fighter plane during the war.

As far as we know, the aircraft just off the coast of Crete is a Messerschmitt Bf-109G-6/U5, essentially the same as the Bf 109 G-5, except for a few different design features; a single-seater fighter with a closed cockpit without a pressurized cabin. A light fighter, 8.94m in length with a wingspan of 9.92m, was developed further to have a new tail fin and larger rudder, making it the most built version of the Bf 109 G series.

Since this type of aircraft wasn’t built until the spring of 1942, such a fighter could not have been shot down during the Battle of Crete. Therefore, it’s more likely that the famed machine that crashed at the end of the Second World War and now lies at the bottom of the Aegean is a fighter aircraft of the squadron "Jagdgeschwaders 27".

THE DIVE. The wreck of the Messerschmitt airplane was found lying upside down, broken into several pieces. The wings and fuselage are intact and, you can see inside the cockpit. One of the machine guns is visible & one of the ammunition belts lies on the sea bed. One wheel is still attached, and the other lies a few meters from the wreck. The tailplane was sheared off upon impact as it can be found some 50m, away from the fuselage at a slightly deeper depth of 30m. The exact cause of the crash is yet unknown.

Over time the wreck has gradually built up a blanket of plant life and become host to large groupers and moray eels. The area surrounding the shipwreck is a sandy bottom, but there is a small reef about 20m away, at a depth of 24m.

The dive site is located by GPS, as there is no anchoring and, the dive is the first dive of the day. Due to the depth and the difficult diving conditions (poor visibility and currents sometimes) on this dive site, it is recommended for experienced divers only!