Possible World War II Wreck Found

Canadian government divers think they may have found the wreckage of a US Army Air Forces PBY-5A Catalina seaplane that went down in rough weather in the St. Lawrence River on Nov. 2, 1942. The Associated Press reported Aug. 8 that the divers came across the wreck while doing routine work near the village of Longue-Pointe-de-Mingan in eastern Quebec. As of the AP report, the identity of the find had not been confirmed, but Canada and the US were reportedly going to salvage the wreck together. According to AP, there were nine servicemen aboard the aircraft when it capsized in rough weather during a routine flight from its base at Presque Isle, Maine. Four crew members survived, while the five others are believed to have perished inside the airplane. Their bodies have yet to be recovered. (For a description of the PBY Catalina, see Airpower Classics from the January issue of Air Force Magazine.)