Divers Discover Wreckage of Finnish WWII Plane Downed by Soviet Forces

The mystery of what happened to a Finnish passenger plane shot down during World War II seems to be finally solved. This plane, carrying important diplomatic passengers, was downed over the Baltic Sea by Soviet bombers more than 80 years ago.

In June 1940, the plane was carrying American and French diplomatic couriers when it was shot down, just days before Moscow annexed the Baltic states. The incident resulted in the deaths of all nine people on board, including the two Finnish crew members and seven passengers, who were an American diplomat, two French nationals, two Germans, a Swede, and a person holding both Estonian and Finnish citizenship.

Discovery of the Junkers Ju 52 Plane Wreckage

A diving and salvage team in Estonia recently announced that they had found parts and debris from the Junkers Ju 52 plane, which was operated by the Finnish airline Aero, now known as Finnair. The plane’s remains were discovered near the tiny island of Keri, close to Estonia’s capital, Tallinn, at a depth of 70 meters (230 feet).

Kaido Peremees, a spokesperson for the Estonian diving and underwater survey company Tuukritoode OU, explained the team’s process in finding the plane. He said they employed a different approach to the search, starting from scratch and using new techniques.

The plane, named Kaleva, was en route from Tallinn to Helsinki on June 14, 1940, just three months after Finland signed a peace treaty with Moscow following the Winter War of 1939-40. News of the plane’s downing shocked and angered authorities in Helsinki, who were informed that it was shot down by Soviet bombers 10 minutes after taking off from Tallinn’s Ulemiste airport.

Historical Significance and Intrigue of the Downed Plane

Finnish aviation historian Carl-Fredrik Geust, who has studied the case since the 1980s, noted the unusual circumstances. He pointed out that it was rare for a civilian passenger plane to be shot down during peacetime while on a scheduled flight. For years, Finland officially kept quiet about the details of the incident to avoid provoking Moscow. Publicly, it was only stated that a “mysterious crash” had occurred over the Baltic Sea.

This incident has intrigued Finns because it is a significant part of Finland’s World War II history. It also highlights the troubled relationship Finland had with Moscow. The downing of this plane happened at a crucial time, just days before the Soviet Union annexed the three Baltic states, which included Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. These countries remained under Soviet control until they regained independence in 1991.

American diplomat Henry W. Antheil Jr., 27 years old at the time, was on board the plane. He was on a rushed mission to evacuate sensitive diplomatic pouches from U.S. missions in Tallinn and Riga, Latvia. As the Soviet Union prepared to take control of the Baltic region, the plane was carrying 227 kilograms (500 pounds) of diplomatic post, including materials from two French diplomatic couriers, Paul Longuet and Frederic Marty.

Eyewitness Accounts and the Search for the Wreckage

Witnesses, like Estonian fishermen and the lighthouse operator on Keri, later recounted that a Soviet submarine surfaced near the crash site shortly after the downing. The crew retrieved floating debris and document pouches that had been collected by the fishermen. This event has led to various conspiracy theories over the years regarding the contents of the pouches and the Soviet Union’s decision to shoot down a civilian plane. However, the exact reason for the plane’s downing remains unclear. Some believe it could have been an attempt by Moscow to prevent sensitive information from leaving Estonia, while others think it might have simply been a tragic mistake by the bomber pilots.

Despite many attempts over the years to locate the wreckage, the remains of Kaleva were not found until now. The seabed in the area, with its challenging terrain of rock formations, valleys, and hills, made the search difficult. Peremees explained that the wreckage was in pieces and could easily be missed. Advances in technology ultimately helped the current team succeed in their search.

Video footage taken by underwater robots from Peremees’ company showed clear images of the plane’s landing gear, one of the motors, and parts of the wings. Jaakko Schildt, the chief operations officer of Finnair, described the downing of Kaleva as “a tragic and profoundly sad event for the young airline.” He noted that finding the wreckage of Kaleva brings a sense of closure, even though it cannot undo the loss of lives. The interest in locating Kaleva speaks to the importance of this event in the region’s aviation history.