Salvaging a plane wreck

The wreckage of this aircraft still lies deep underground. That the remains are being recovered now is because it is suspected that the remains of the missing pilot are still present in the wreckage.

At the time, the Messerschmitt B-109 was the most produced fighter aircraft ever. The 9-meter-long aircraft was enormously maneuverable, flew at a speed of 698 km/h and had a range of 850 km. On the day of the crash in Veessen, the Germans lost remarkably many BF-109 aircraft. In a few hours as many as 25 of these fighters perished.

That so many were shot down in one day had a reason. Because the German bombers were easy prey for British fighters, the German fighter pilots were ordered that day to defend their own bombers at close range instead of hunting themselves. In doing so, they forfeited their important assets, namely: speed, altitude and maneuverability. Much to the frustration of the pilots, they now had to watch with sorrow as they themselves were attacked by this ‘tactic’ and subsequently crashed. So did the pilot near Veessen, on the banks of the lJssel.

NATURE

The plane wreck lies on the edge of a Natura 2000 area, which adds to the complexity of the salvage operation. During the preparations, ecologists conducted studies on the bird populations that fly in and out of the area and also on the presence of possible nests, which, incidentally, were not found. A beaver family near the wreck was also taken into account.

In order to reach the plane wreck on the other side of the small water “de Hank”, Van Schie built a temporary bridge construction from the IJsseldijk on 6 tubular piles and heavy overlay beams (from HP Staal), among other things necessary for the 80-ton crawler crane that had to place the sheet pile tub around the wreck. For this, the dike had to be built out first. The dam wall construction also had to be extra high, in connection with possible high water levels in the river. For the safety and accessibility of the wreck to be excavated, Van Schie built a sturdy scaffolding structure around the sheet pile pit. For the 7,000 m2 work site a little further on, which also houses the screening plant, Van Schie supplied all the driving plates. Incidentally, this is not the first time that the company from Mijdrecht has been deployed in the salvaging of aircraft wrecks.
The good cooperation with the Ministry of Defense and client Bodac is partly to blame.

There is another nice story to tell about the village of Veessen. At the spot where the plane wreckage is now found, at the beginning of the nineteenth century a regiment of Cossacks crossed the river IJssel to help free our country from Napoleon and his troops. Veessen is therefore still known as “the Cossack village.