Lake Michigan F6F recovery and restoration thread

[Warbirdnerd]

Great News!

LANSING, Mich., Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Weather permitting on Monday, November 30, a World War II, F6F-3 Hellcat fighter plane will be raised from the depths of Lake Michigan off the Chicago shoreline. The plane has rested on the lake bottom for more than sixty years after crashing during a training exercise.

During the war, navy pilots trained to land on aircraft carriers in Lake Michigan before seeing active duty. The "aircraft carriers" used for training were in fact old Great Lakes passenger liners modified with wooden landing decks. The vessels docked at Chicago's Navy Pier, and the pilots left from the Glenview Naval Air Station in Glenview, Illinois. This airplane, an F6F-3 Hellcat Fighter (serial number 25910), was among many that crashed in the lake during aircraft carrier qualification training. The airplane was lost in about 250 feet of water on January 5, 1945. The pilot, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Walter B. Elcock, was attempting to land aboard the USS Sable during training. Lieutenant Elcock survived the crash and presently lives in Atlanta, Georgia. More than 17,000 pilots completed the training at Glenview, including former president, and then-Lieutenant (Junior Grade) George H. W. Bush.

Prior to the activities on Lake Michigan, this particular Hellcat served with Fighter Squadron VF-38 at Guadalcanal in 1943.

The U.S. Navy is leading the recovery, which is being sponsored by Enterprise Rent-a-Car with a generous donation from CEO Andy Taylor. Taylor made the donation in honor of his father, Jack Taylor, who founded Enterprise and named it for the most decorated aircraft carrier in American history, USS Enterprise, CV-6. The National Naval Aviation Museum, in coordination with the Naval History and Heritage Command, the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, will complete the recovery portion of the effort this week using a crew from A. and T. Recovery. Following the recovery the plane will be stabilized and reworked for eventual exhibit.

Before recovery could occur much coordination and consultation took place between the Navy and the Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (MSHPO), part of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Federal law requires that state historic preservation offices review and comment on all federally funded or licensed activities to determine the activity's potential for impact on historic resources -- above-ground, underground, or underwater.

"These planes tell the relatively unknown story of the Great Lakes region's role in training pilots during WWII," stated Michigan State Historic Preservation Officer Brian Conway. "Our general preference is to preserve the plane in place on the lake bottom as part of that story. We recognize, however, that there is a public benefit to be gained from recovery, stabilization, and exhibition of this plane. This is the first time an aircraft connected with carrier training during World War II has been raised from Michigan waters. We look forward to receiving the information the recovery will provide."

The entire recovery process and assessment of the plane's condition will be documented in writing and with video by a professional archaeologist who will then turn the materials over to the Archives of Michigan. Consultation with the MSHPO will continue throughout the rework process and the eventual interpretation of the plane. Information about the plane's association with the Great Lakes area and its recovery from Lake Michigan will be made part of the presentation of the aircraft when it is exhibited.

Found it here: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases ... 13127.html

Last edited by Warbirdnerd on Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[Jack Cook]

This is so freaking cool! A VF-38 combat vet a/c.
Not based on Guadalcanal but rather Segi Point on New Georgia.
The VF-37 XO was "Oc " Chenoweth who went to VF-17 and made ace.
He was swapped for LT Lem Cooke who became the VF-38 CO due to
the former CO was sacked for being a weanie. Chenoweth and Tom
Blackburn devised this little swap which benefited all has Cooke wanted out
of VF-17.

Last edited by Jack Cook on Wed Nov 25, 2009 2:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Pathfinder]

This is the first time an aircraft connected with carrier training during World War II has been raised from Michigan waters.

What about the SBD at NMNA Pensacola?

[Matt Sharkey]

I hope someone will be taking pictures for us to see.

[bdk]

I think this should be displayed at former NAS Glenview.

[Django]

Heard the rumors, and I'm pretty excited that they are true!

It would be spectacular to see it go to the Museum at Glenview.

[Dan K]

This is the first time an aircraft connected with carrier training during World War II has been raised from Michigan waters.

What about the SBD at NMNA Pensacola?

I had always assumed they'd been raised from the Illinois side of the lake. Which SBD has been raised from Michigan waters (from the several on display and in storage at Pensacola)? Just curious.

[Chuck Gardner]

Gives new meaning to the advertising "Enterprise, We'll pick you up"

[Owen Miller]

I would like to thank those on the forum that wrote letters
and made posts here on WIX in support of the Hellcat recovery.
You may recall a post I made a few months back requesting
same. Some of you can honestly say you helped contribute
to this effort.

Some of you may remember the little "joust" I had with
Col Rohr a few years ago about his continuous bashing of
the navy in general and NNAM in particular. You may also
remember a post I made about new leadership at History &
Heritage Command (formerally NHC) and things headed in
the right direction.

Well here is the proof, that's three planes this year.
How 'bout three cheers for DeLoach, Rasmussen, and Macon
and the rest of their team. Now, let's warbirders start
working WITH the navy to achive the common goal of
getting more birds up, restored and around the country
so people can see them and learn their history!

Last edited by Owen Miller on Wed Nov 25, 2009 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[SPANNERmkV]

GO NAVY!!!

Any scrap that can be reclaimed to insure that the history of CV-6 (or the SW Pacific campaigns) are preserved is a boon!

That it is a whole airplane is outstanding.

SPANNER

Last edited by SPANNERmkV on Wed Nov 25, 2009 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[warbird1]

Awesome! I'm a big NHC fan now! Those guys have done fantastic work in the short time that the policy has changed. Now, three other aircraft they need to concentrate on in order of priority:

1) Any Devastator anywhere

2) The final Vindicator in Lake Michigan

3) The birdcage Corsair in Lake Michigan

After these 3 have happened, I will soil my pants!

[tom d. friedman]

i hope they are quick with the pictures!!

[Chris Brame]

Great news! Although with Thanksgiving coming, they could have pulled up another Turkey...

I think this should be displayed at former NAS Glenview.

I'll second that, but wasn't Glenview supposed to get the next Dauntless?

[Owen Miller]

I agree with Warbird1's "wish list" with a single addition.
I want a Hellcat for my battleship.....

In any case, what needs to happen is sponsors have to
be found. With two wars in progress the navy has no
bucks for this sort of thing. We need to find folks like
Jack and Andy Taylor who have the means and desire
to finance such undertakings.

Nuff said......

[Pat Carry]

Exciting news indeed. It will be interesting to see where the Hellcat ends up being displayed.