Approximately
two miles from Babeldaob and about 200 yards inside Aiyasu Reef (the outer
barrier reef), sits the remains of a Corsair in less than 3 feet of water
(at low tide). This aircraft was lying, wheels up, in a southerly direction.
The tail section of the plane, from the rear of the cockpit back, was
completely missing but the forward elements of the cockpit, the wings,
engine and propeller were still present in one piece with the exception
that the propeller, a three-bladed Hamilton Standard, appeared to have
been ripped out, probably on contact (Pictures 19 and 20). Both wings
were intact, and right over where the three .50 caliber machine guns would
be, on each wing, grew bright orange corals (due to rust from the guns?);
perhaps nature put the machine guns to good use.
The
canopy was missing and the cockpit area was heavily encrusted with coral.
Attempts to find an identification plate were unsuccessful due to the
coral overgrowth. Amazingly, despite over fifty years of pounding surf,
the control stick and the rudder pedals remained intact. The control stick
appeared to be fixed in a rearward position, suggesting that the aviator
may have flared just before landing to make a wheels-up landing. Because
of the proximity of the Corsair to the outer barrier reef and its southerly
heading (in the direction of the US airstrip on Peleliu at that time),
the aviator appears to have had sufficient time/altitude to get the plane
down near the outer reef edge, where US Navy amphibian aircraft (called
"Dumbos") could and did routinely land in the nearby deep water (even
under continued enemy fire) to pick up aviators shot down over Babeldaob.
This Corsair has not yet been identified. My review of all after action reports of Corsairs shot down over the Palaus during World War II limits the number of possibilities to five candidates. I am currently interviewing surviving Marine aviators to determine if the list can be further narrowed. Although difficult to see, there may be residuum of a white band around the forward edge of the cowling, which would identify the plane as belonging to VMF-114 which narrows the list even further. Work remains in progress.