5 Still Unsolved Mysteries Involving Lost WWII Planes

World War II saw the deployment of thousands of aircraft across multiple continents and oceans. Some planes completed missions and returned to base, while others were lost in action, never to be seen again. Among these missing planes are several that continue to fascinate historians and aviation enthusiasts today. The circumstances of their disappearances remain unknown, leaving a legacy of mystery and intrigue that endures. We explore five WWII aircraft that vanished without explanation, leaving behind questions that still await answers.

1. The Lost B-24 “Lady Be Good”

In April 1943, the B-24 Liberator bomber named Lady Be Good and her nine-man crew took off from Libya on a bombing mission over Italy. After facing poor weather and high winds, the plane’s crew lost their bearings. When they tried to return to their base in Libya, they ran out of fuel and were forced to bail out. The crew’s fate and the exact location of their bomber were unknown for years, until 1958, when oil workers discovered the Lady Be Good almost intact in the Libyan desert, hundreds of miles from its intended route.

However, the story of the crew remains mysterious. After the discovery, a search team found eight of the nine crew members’ remains scattered over many miles, suggesting that they had tried to walk back to safety after landing. Yet, the ninth crew member was never located, and some of their personal effects were still inside the plane, raising more questions than answers. The exact circumstances of their tragic attempt to return remain speculative, despite detailed searches and investigations.

2. The Disappearance of Flight 19’s PBM Mariner

The story of Flight 19 is one of the most famous unsolved mysteries involving WWII planes. In December 1945, five U.S. Navy TBM Avengers from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, embarked on a routine training mission over the Atlantic. The flight, led by an experienced pilot, became disoriented over open waters due to navigational issues and poor weather. They eventually ran low on fuel and were presumed lost at sea, despite an extensive search.

To add to the mystery, a PBM Mariner seaplane sent to locate Flight 19 also disappeared without a trace. This aircraft, equipped for maritime rescue, carried a crew of 13 and was last seen departing from the Naval Air Station. A massive search operation commenced, but neither the PBM Mariner nor the Avengers of Flight 19 were found. Though various theories exist, from compass malfunctions to strong magnetic disturbances, the exact cause of the disappearances remains unexplained.

3. The “Ghost Bomber” Over the Pacific: The B-17E “Flying Fortress”

The B-17E Flying Fortress, known as The Swamp Ghost, was part of a U.S. bombing raid on Japanese positions in the Pacific in 1942. After sustaining damage from anti-aircraft fire, the pilot attempted to return to base. However, as fuel ran low, they crash-landed the aircraft in a remote swamp on New Guinea, hundreds of miles from their destination. Although the crew survived and managed to escape on foot, the exact coordinates of the plane’s resting place were unknown until decades later.

In the 1970s, explorers stumbled upon the Swamp Ghost, still partially submerged in the swamp where it had been abandoned. The bomber was well-preserved, with much of its equipment and ammunition intact. This accidental discovery, however, did little to answer the questions surrounding its mission. The reasons for the crew’s chosen landing site, which was far from safer areas, have puzzled researchers for years. The plane’s retrieval and future whereabouts remain uncertain, leaving it in a sort of “ghostly” status among WWII relics.

4. The Search for Amelia Earhart’s Electra and WWII Planes in the South Pacific

Although Amelia Earhart’s disappearance happened just before WWII, the region in which she vanished has ties to unsolved mysteries from the war. The South Pacific saw fierce battles, with numerous aircraft going down in the waters and islands of the region. Despite many search expeditions, Earhart’s plane, the Electra, has never been found. This has led to theories that some WWII planes also met a similar fate in these remote waters.

Among the theories is that the same currents and underwater geography that kept Earhart’s Electra hidden may have contributed to the loss of multiple WWII aircraft. In particular, many U.S. Navy and Marine Corps planes went missing while patrolling or delivering supplies to remote bases. The lack of concrete evidence and the vast, unexplored ocean floor make it difficult for experts to reach definitive conclusions about these aircraft, leaving open the possibility of connections between these historic disappearances.

5. The “Green Hornet” Crash and the Search for Louis Zamperini’s B-24

The B-24 bomber, known as The Green Hornet, went missing in the Pacific in 1943, with Louis Zamperini, a well-known athlete and airman, onboard. During a reconnaissance mission, the Green Hornet experienced mechanical issues that forced it into a crash landing in the ocean. Only a few crew members survived, including Zamperini, who spent 47 days at sea on a life raft before being captured.

The wreckage of The Green Hornet has never been recovered, and despite extensive searches in later years, its exact resting place remains unknown. Zamperini’s survival story became famous, but the final fate of his B-24 and the remains of several other crew members are still unknown. This mystery persists due to the Pacific’s vastness, the challenges of underwater search, and the possibility that the aircraft rests beyond known search zones.