The Junkers JU52 aircraft was a German made transport used in the second world war to transfer equipment and personnel. In Greece, this particular type of aircraft was used to support the operations of the German army during World War II. These aircraft participated in the Battle of Crete in 1941 and the Battle of Leros in 1943.

This wreck was discovered by Antonis Grafas and his team in 2013 after receiving information from local fishermen in the area. Subsequent research from fellow diver and researcher of first and second world war wrecks, Dimitris Galon, indicated this aircraft could the one with production number 7098, which crash landed in the wider area of Faliro bay immediately after takeoff on the 28th of November 1943. Unfortunately, the wreck has suffered significant damage from fishing nets, making it difficult to locate the serial identification number needed for a definitive identification. Despite this, it remains a fascinating window into history beneath the waves.

Our team found remnants of another Junkers aicraft situated at 60 meters depth approximately 400 meters from this wreck on 27th of December in 2023. We srongly believe, looking at the pieces of wreck we discovered, rear fuselage, left wing, and other objects scattered on the seabed, our find could be the missing parts of this wreck (production number 7098), which were pulled by a trawler or scattered during impact. It remains to be confirmed as we conduct further reasearch. 

The wreck lies upside down at a depth of 50 meters and is missing half of its tail section, its left wing, one engine, and a large segment of its cockpit. Unfortunately, the wreck is severely degraded after suffering damage from fish trawlers in the past. Visibility in the area is known to be poor at best which is also evident from the video our team captured from the dive.

Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke A.G was founded in 1895 by Hugo Junkers. The company that originally made water heaters, began producing warplanes in 1930. It built and modernized some of the Luftwaffe’s most successful aircraft such as the Ju87 which became known as the STUKA. Junkers Flugzeug und Motorenwerke A.G was also the first German company to manufacture modern engines suitable for aviation use. The company’s first engine was the JUMO 211. After the war, the company merged with Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB).