B-24 LIBERATOR LE PETITE FLEUR
The wreckage of the sunken World War II US bomber Le Petite Fleur is located to the west of Sućuraj on the island of Hvar at a depth of 41 to 44 meters. The plane was 20 meters long, had a wingspan of 33 meters, weighed 25 tons and featured four 1217 horsepower Pratt & Whittney engines with a top speed of 467 km/h. Along with the equally famous B-17 Flying Fortresses, the B-24 Liberators made up the backbone of the US strategic bomber forces which, during 1944 and 1945, carried out daily bombardments of German and German-occupied targets in Europe. It was produced in 1942 at the Ford factory in Willow Run, Michigan and it arrived in Italy on September 7th 1944 where it was assigned to the 727th Squadron of the 451st Bombardment Group. The plane crashed on November 20th 1944 but the entire crew survived the ordeal. The wreck lies upside down on the sea floor split into two parts in close proximity to one another (the front part with the wings, engines, propellers, cockpit and part of the hull, and the rear part with the vertical stabilizers).
Diving is currently not permitted
The wreck will be opened to divers in the near future, but diving will only be permitted through licensed diving centers.
Visibility: moderately good, sometimes very good
Depth: 41-44 meters
Sea currents: mostly weak
Site dimensions: 33 x 20 meters