Art News

Divers to Pull World War II Plane from California Reservoir

SAN DIEGO (AP).- It was a surprising image for the fisherman hoping to find bass on his electronic fish finder: The outline of an airplane submerged 85 feet below the surface of a San Diego reservoir. Navy divers later confirmed it was a rare World War II dive bomber that crashed after its engine failed during a training exercise on May 28, 1945. The pilot and gunner aboard managed to ditch the craft and swim ashore to safety. But the plane remained at the bottom of the lake, forgotten for six decades until it turned up last year on the angler’s device. Now private salvage divers have been slowly and gently clearing away the silt and mud covering the SB2C Helldiver. They hope to pull the craft out Thursday — 65 years after it plunged into the cool waters. If it can be restored, the National Naval Aviation Museum hopes the Helldiver fills a void