Finnish Plane Shot Down During WWII Found After Eight Decades

Recently, a diving and salvage team in Estonia found well-preserved parts and debris from a Junkers Ju 52 plane, operated by Finnish airline Aero (now Finnair).

The wreck was located off the tiny island of Keri near Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, at a depth of about 70 meters.

The plane, named Kaleva, was en route from Tallinn to Helsinki when it was shot down on June 14, 1940, just three months after Finland signed a peace treaty with Moscow following the Winter War.

Nine people were said to be on board: two Finnish crewmen, two French, two Germans, an American, a Swede, and an Estonian-Finnish national. None of them survived the crash.

American diplomat Henry W. Antheil Jr., now considered one of the first U.S. casualties of World War II, was on the plane.

New video taken by underwater robots shows clear images of the Junkers’ landing gear, one of the motors, and parts of the wings.

The company has stated that they would now focus on creating 3D images of Kaleva’s debris and discuss with Estonian authorities the possibility of raising some items, including the plane’s cargo and any human remains.