24 March 1943 

He could hear the aircraft from far away. Peder Blikø had become very accustomed to military aircraft flying along the coast north of Trøndelag. But he was still vigilant. 

Norway was occupied by Nazi-Germany who had control on land but the war in the air and at sea was not over. Along the coast, German air supremacy was constantly challenged by British planes.

Peder Blikø closely watched the group of aircraft that approached. In an interview with diver Lasse Iversen 66 years later, the then 91-year-old Peder explained what happened [1]:

The pilot ended up in the water. He was rescued by Peder Blikø’s mother and brother who went out in a boat. We will be telling you more about what happened to the pilot later.

[1] Iversen, Lasse: Nytt flyvrak funnet. Messerschmitt Bf-109. Dykking, 6/2009 p. 5. 

Yellow 3  

The aircraft that went down was Yellow 3 – Gelbe 3 in German. The 3 was painted on the fuselage in yellow. The Bf 109 and the Focke-Wulf 190 were the Germans’ most important fighter aircraft in Norway.

Little is known about Yellow 3 but we do know the plane was manufactured by Wiener Neustädter Flugzeugwerke in Austria in 1942. It was armed with three machine guns and two machine canons and could take a light bomb.

In Norway, Gul 3 became part of Jagdgeschwader 5, also called Eismeer. As the name Eismeer (Ice Sea) implies, this was a fighter wing of the German Luftwaffe that was located in the far North of Europe. The fighter wing operated in Norway and northern Finland from 1942 until the end of the war. 

The main task was to defend the airspace over German-occupied Norway and the coast beyond. It involved fighting for life and death in the air with Allied planes.
Bf 109 aircraft from Eismeer also attacked targets at sea and on the ground. From Finnmark, they took part in attacks on Murmansk in the Soviet Union.

Yellow 3 was mostly stationed at Lade Airport in Trondheim but toured to Ørlandet and other airports in the area. What mission the plane was on, the day of its demise is unclear. In a book about Eismeer, it is stated that the aircraft were out to practice with cement bombs. The pilots were going to be able to sink smaller ships. It may also have been a transfer flight from Trondheim to Bodø [2].

[2] Mombeek Eric: Eismeerjäger. Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 5. Bind 2, s. 301.

The first dives

At the beginning of September, the divers reached the wreckage for the first time. The task was challenging. A depth of 60 metres required mixed gas and long decompression times. Diver Lasse Iversen takes up the story [3]:

[3] Iversen, Lasse: Nytt flyvrak funnet. Messerschmitt Bf-109. Dykking, 6/2009 p. 8. 

Look what we have found!  

Many of the instruments were still intact. The undercarriage and the rubber tyres were undamaged. A technical manual for the aircraft was found behind the pilot’s seat, and it was still possible to read it! A signal pistol, ammunition and a complete set of tools were also found on board.

Restoration – and transformation

When Yellow 3 was recovered from the ocean, it was the beginning of its ‘second life’. The aircraft was restored and is today thought to be one of the most complete Bf109 aircraft preserved from World War 2. 

But much has changed on the aircraft that went down in 1943. Restoration and reconstruction have considerably changed the object as found. Assemblages have been made using parts from other aircraft of the same type and some completely new parts have been constructed. 

The work of rebuilding Yellow 3 lasted more than ten years. Volunteers are estimated to have contributed 30,000 hours of work. The wings have been restored, and the rear fuselage was reconstructed at an aircraft repair facility outside Norway. 

In this drawing, volunteers from Bodø Aviation Historical Society have used different colours to indicate where the different parts come from. 

Videos

Air Battel

This German propaganda film shows Bf 109 in air battles over German-occupied France in 1941. Mechanics work on a Bf 109. They are installing a gun camera that is able to film while the plane is airborne. Several British Spitfires and a Westland Lysander cooperation and liaison aircraft are attacked.  

Source: CriticalPast

SLIDESHOW ABOUT THE RESTORATION OF YELLOW 3

Narrated by the Norwegian Aviation Museum in collaboration with Bodø Aviation Historical Society (BLHF) and the Norwegian Armed Forces Museum. Duration: Approx. 12 minutes

MESSERSCHMITT BF 109/ME 109

The Bf 109 was Nazi Germany’s most important fighter aircraft – both in terms of numbers and operational significance. It is the second most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,000 produced from 1936 to April 1945. The aircraft became a symbol of pride for the recovering German nation, led by Adolf Hitler. 

The development of the Bf 109 began in the mid-1930s under the management of Willy Messerschmitt. The prototype was ready in 1935. Two years later, the plane was first used in combat during the Spanish Civil War. 

By the outbreak of World War 2, the Bf 109 was the principal fighter of the German Luftwaffe. The main task was to gain control in the air by shooting down or denying the enemy aircraft access. Gaining air supremacy, in turn, was critical to allow bomber aircraft to drop incendiary and explosive devices. 

The Bf 109 saw combat actions in Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa, the East front, and the West front. The plane played a vital role in the air during the invasion of Europe. As the Allies gained the upper hand, the aircraft took on a more defensive role. In the end, many were drawn home in defence of Germany.

The Bf 109 saw active service in many air forces, both during and after the World War 2. It was in service in Spain until the mid-1960s. The Bf 109 is perhaps best remembered from the Battle of Great Britain in 1940, where it came up against the British Spitfire.