Aviators Down! The Search for Tuskegee and Free French World War II Aircraft in Lake Huron

Nearly 200 military aircraft were lost in the Great Lakes during World War II (WWII). The vast majority of losses occurred in lower Lake Michigan where Navy aviators attempted to qualify for carrier takeoffs and landings. The Army also lost pilots and aircraft in Lake St. Clair and Lake Huron. Dozens of foreign pilots including French and Norwegian exiles training in North America were also lost over waters in the Great Lakes. Although many of the WWII aircrafts wrecked in the Great Lakes have been recovered, the majority have not yet been found. The goals for this project were to emphasize the importance of WWII-related cultural heritage within and adjacent to Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary; develop archaeological survey methodologies to locate and characterize small, disarticulated aircraft sites; and create and develop new partnerships between NOAA and other academic and governmental agencies that will facilitate the exploration and characterization of Lake Huron's maritime and aviation heritage. Funding for this project was provided by NOAA Ocean Exploration via its Ocean Exploration Fiscal Year 2017 Funding Opportunity. Data contains multibeam, side scan sonar, and field images collected between 27 June and 26 September, 2018 in Alpena, Oscoda, and Iosco counties, Michigan. Fieldwork was conducted during daylight hours out of Alpena, Harrisville, and Tawas City, Michigan.