Recovering P-47 Thunderbolt: The Adriatic Wreck With No Name

P-47 Thunderbolt wreckage emerged from the Adriatic in May 2009 when the Italian fishing boat Padre Pio accidentally caught a World War II fighter in its trawling gear. Instead of cutting the net loose, fisherman Filippo Salvagno chose to tow the massive wreckage back to Chioggia, turning an ordinary fishing trip into an unexpected aircraft recovery operation. The P-47 Thunderbolt had already been known to local divers since 1993, when they found the fighter upside down about 22 meters beneath the surface near Jesolo. Using lifting bags, divers gained access to the cockpit but found no human remains and no readable serial number. The aircraft’s engine, turbo-supercharger, propeller, ammunition, landing gear, and other components were scattered around the site. When Padre Pio encountered the wreck sixteen years later, much of the P-47 Thunderbolt was pulled from the seabed. The accidental wreckage recovery brought sections of cockpit, fuselage, right wing, landing gear, and part of the left wing ashore without the controlled survey or planned hoist normally associated with a professional salvage operation. Specialists hoped surviving structure might reveal a serial number and finally identify the P-47 Thunderbolt, its squadron, and its pilot. No confirmed public identification has emerged. The P-47 Thunderbolt returned from the Adriatic—but its wartime identity remains unknown. Subscribe for more aviation recovery, rescue, and investigation documentaries.