Junkers Ju 52/3m, WNr. 6590
History
The aircraft displayed here, bearing construction number (Werknummer) 6590, has a unique connection to Greece. In September 1943, while serving with the First Group of Transport Wing 4 (I./TG 4), the aircraft encountered fuel-supply problems during a flight over the Aegean Sea. The crew was forced to ditch northwest of the island of Kea. Most of the occupants survived and were rescued, although one person lost his life and two others were injured.
The Ju 52 sank to a depth of approximately 65 metres, where it remained undisturbed for more than sixty years. Because the aircraft settled gently on the seabed and remained largely intact, it became one of the best-preserved Second World War aircraft wrecks ever discovered in Greek waters. Investigations revealed that the propellers were undamaged, supporting the conclusion that the engines had stopped operating before the emergency sea landing.
The wreck was identified through historical research and archival records relating to German air-sea rescue operations in the Aegean. Its recovery and preservation became an important project for the Hellenic Air Force, highlighting both Greece's aviation heritage and the dramatic air operations that took place over the Aegean during World War II.
Today, Werknummer 6590 stands as a rare surviving witness to the air war in the Mediterranean. Its preservation allows visitors to appreciate the technology of one of history's most famous transport aircraft while remembering the men who flew and maintained these machines during a period of intense conflict.