On the nights of 26 and 27 November 1942, Airport Bruon in France was under German control. The Navigation School Number 4 of the 3rd Air Fleet was housed there. Young students were trained on the Focke-Wulf Fw 58C aircraft to become radio operators of the bomb squadron of the air force. The Focke-Wulf was used in WWII for the connection between the air bases in Bruon on Lac du Bourget and Lyon, and for monitoring the surrounding area.

The dive

Oliver and I descended along the shotline. The visibility was good but it grew dark quickly. At a depth of 95m (312ft), we reached the tail of the aircraft. I got a shiver down my spine when I saw the swastika symbol, which was lit up by my torch. It looked like it had been painted on the airplane only yesterday.

It is an insider’s tip that found this location where tourism has grown very slowly. There is barely any industry, and there are no congested roads, no large concrete tourist centers and just one small supermarket. Quiet and contemplative, the area is characterized by traditional crafts, agriculture and tourism. The region is frequented by scientists and mountaineers, hikers, base jumpers, speleologists, bat researchers and cave divers.

One small side street away from the old port in Golfe-Juan is Diamond Diving. In operation since 2006 and catering to holiday groups, local divers and running instruction courses, the centre’s two dive RIBs (rigid-inflatable boats) take divers to sites primarily between Cap d’Antibes and Les Îles de Lérins—the islands to the south (Île Sainte-Marguerite and Île Saint-Honorat).

Wind the clock back to 1937, and we will find a young man from Austria by the name of Hans Hass spending his holiday after graduating from high school in the little town of Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera. It was here he observed an Englishman hunting for fish underwater which seeded the inspiration that would later make him one of the greatest diving pioneers.

There were intense preparations, including materials testing conducted by a few members of the Flemisch cave exploration group, Science Explorers, and the diving club, Technical Diving Antwerp.In addition to myself, our dive expedition team included Ronny Breeur, Sannie Versweyfelt, Kenny and Angie Vandoorne, and Fréderic Vandenplas.

 

The cave system is comprised of a series of siphons or sumps with dry parts in between. Only a limited number of people have dived beyond the first siphons.

Near the diving center, a guideline was stretched and positioned between some trees. Following a classroom explanation of methods and emergency procedures, the techniques are performed on a land drill prior to their underwater implementation. The exercises enable students to master techniques, correcting and commenting on them right during the exercise. These are often treated in the ludic fashion, allowing time to joke and relax. Zero visibility is simulated by bandages that can be easily removed, providing a very interesting learning instrument.

From Roman times to the Middle Ages, open quarries provided the necessary building materials for the construction of the city. During the 12th and 13th centuries, Philippe Auguste (1180-1223) expanded the capital considerably. The Notre Dame Cathedral was built in 1163, the rampart and castle of the Louvers in 1180. This boom in construction created a surge in demand for building materials and the quarrying intensified. Paris kept on growing, becoming bigger and bigger as the centuries passed.

Our case story will be a recent actual exploration where the dive profile posed a few challenges: