A mostly intact wreck of a WWII-era German floatplane, an Arado 196, has been found off Crete by technical divers from Chania Diving Center.
Arado AR196 naval reconnaissance floatplane in the collection of the Bulgarian Air Force Museum at the airport in Plovdiv
Greek portal ScubaHellas reported that the German plane was located and identified by the technical diver and explorer Nikolas Giannoulakis, who also happens to be the owner of Chania Diving Center.
Giannoulakus had been informed about an “anomaly” on the seabed and decided to investigate, which led to the discovery of the airplane that had lain on the seabed for some 80 years.
The airplane wreck, which is understood to be in quite good condition, was found at a depth of 64m in the bay of Kalathas in northern Crete.
The Arado Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance floatplane that was much loved by its pilots, as it proved to handle well both in the air and on the water. Although it was no match for a fighter, it was considerably better than its Allied counterparts and generally considered the best of its class.
