Drone Spots Enormous Object in Forest – Researchers Left Speechless by its Discovery
Since these huge and peculiar objects were filmed by a drone, scientists have been determined to determine their nature. No one had ever seen anything like it before.
The fact that they had never been spotted before was a real mystery. After all, they certainly did not go unnoticed. But when the scientists managed to enter these objects, everything quickly became clearer…
Penetrating the Object
Finding a way to enter these strange things was easier said than done. The researchers on-site concluded that the exterior was rather solid, but there was no obvious entrance.
There weren’t even any windows they could use. The outer surface was smooth. It took them two hours to circle around the objects and they found nothing resembling a door.
Avoiding Damage
The researchers didn’t want to damage or destroy any parts of the objects before making sure they knew what they were dealing with. Who knows what consequences that could cause?
Even though the exterior appeared fairly solid, the researchers weren’t certain if they could fully trust it. But they knew they wouldn’t make any progress by just standing at the entrance. They had to go inside?!
No Alternative Choice
Fortunately, they were prepared for this scenario. They brought the appropriate tools to force their way into the objects while being cautious not to cause too much damage.
They chose a random spot and brought out the laser cutter. It wasn’t an easy task, but they managed to penetrate the outer layer of the object. They were going to create an opening?
Ample Space Inside
Approximately two hours later, the team had successfully created a large enough hole for a person to crawl through the object. The scientists illuminated the hole with their flashlights, but it didn’t provide many new clues.
The flashlights provided enough light, but the concern was what lay at the other end of the tunnel… All they could see from their position was that there was a lot of space beyond that wall.
Dare to Venture Inside??
However, not all members of the research team were eager to crawl through the hole. Who knows what could be lurking behind it? They didn’t want to take unnecessary risks.
At this point, they hadn’t ruled out the possibility that extraterrestrials were responsible for the presence of these things in the area… It was a rather far-fetched theory for scientists, but the mystery was too thick to ignore.
Has Waited Long Enough
But for most of the researchers, the feeling of curiosity outweighed the potential dangers. Especially for one of them who was tired of waiting any longer.
The drone video had been circulating for weeks, long before they were granted permission to investigate these objects. He wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip away.
Government Doesn’t Want Them in the Area
The government apparently did its best to keep people away from these objects for reasons that the researchers couldn’t understand at all. At least, not for now.
The authorities had finally given the team of scientists permission because the public was making it known that they wanted answers to their questions. The pressure had worked…
Under Observation
But that’s also why the team didn’t come alone to the site. Two government representatives had joined them to report their findings to the higher-ups.
But more likely, they were there to keep a close eye on the scientists. And creating a hole in the object had already pushed the limits of what they wanted to allow. There wasn’t much leeway left for the researchers…
Neglecting Personal Safety
The most curious researcher, James, decided to take the plunge and crawled through the hole headfirst. If this was how he was going to meet his Maker, he was willing to accept it in the name of science.
But fortunately, that day hadn’t arrived for James yet. His colleagues called out his name, anxious to know if he was safe and if the other side was clear. They were also ready to venture through the tunnel…
This Colossus Has Been Hidden in the Jungle for 30 Years. Then the Military Made a Groundbreaking Discovery
Mystery Finally Solved?
It’s 1972, and a group of soldiers is aboard a Royal Australian Air Force helicopter. But as the military flies over this remote part of Papua New Guinea – filled with swamps and jungle – they spot something truly incredible.
On the ground below them lies a huge partially submerged vehicle that has been missing for three decades. Have the soldiers finally solved a mystery that has captivated people for 30 years? It certainly looks like it.
A Diverse Ecosystem
Knowing exactly where the vehicle was located, it’s clear why it remained hidden for all those years. After all, Papua New Guinea is home to some of the most exotic wilderness areas in the world.
Its diverse ecosystems include lush tropical forests, rugged mountain ranges, volcanoes, savannahs, and even swamps.
A Well-Hidden and Dangerous Place
The object spotted by the Australian soldiers was in a particularly secluded and crocodile-infested swamp called Agaimbo. That partly explains why the discovery was so well-preserved.
To put it simply, the object was in a very inaccessible place – not somewhere you stumble upon by chance. Dealing with crocodiles wouldn’t have been pleasant either. But what was this mysterious object?
It Was a Bomber
Well, surprisingly, it was a World War II bomber that is now known as the “Swamp Ghost.” And over the years, the aircraft has been considered somewhat of a Holy Grail in military aviation history.
“It was generally thought that saving this plane was impossible,” said aviation archaeologist Fred Hagen in a 2010 interview with Southern California Public Radio.
David Tallichet Jr.
Enter David Tallichet Jr, a World War II veteran and Dallas-born entrepreneur. In addition to building dozens of aviation-themed restaurants, Tallichet had a side business of collecting and restoring military aircraft.
In fact, at one point, he owned over 120 planes, including a B-25 Mitchell bomber and a P-40 Tomahawk. Coincidentally, in his military career, Tallichet had flown as a co-pilot in the same type of four-engine bomber as the one discovered in Papua New Guinea.
A Rescue Operation
That’s when Hagen and Tallichet embarked on a rescue operation in the 1980s that would take decades. “It was our grandest dream,” said Hagen to Southern California Public Radio.
“Because for one reason or another, it captured the imagination of people around the world…” The behemoth was actually a B-17E Flying Fortress of the US Air Force. According to tradition, its name was chosen by Boeing after remarks made by a journalist from The Seattle Times on the day of its maiden test flight in July 1935.
The One and Only
“It’s a flying fortress,” he reportedly said. The Pacific Aviation Museum in Hawaii later described it as “the only intact and unrestored B-17E bomber from World War II, a unique example of an aircraft that played an indispensable role in the victory of World War II. And it’s the only B-17 in the world that still bears its combat scars.”
The history of the B-17 dates back to the early 1930s. President Roosevelt’s desire to modernize the US military included ordering a new generation of bombers capable of carrying significant payloads and servicing remote bases in Hawaii, Panama, and Alaska.
Designed for a Competition
As a result, the prototype of the B-17 was designed by Boeing for a competition in 1935. Over the years, the aircraft’s design evolved to incorporate technical improvements.
Eventually, in September 1941, the first B-17Es became operational. And by the end of the war, a total of approximately 12,731 B-17 aircraft had served, with 8,600 of them being the final B-17G model.
Pearl Harbor
Swamp Ghost had been assigned to arrive at Pearl Harbor from San Francisco just one day before the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. But fate had it that the plane didn’t fly with the Kangaroo Squadron that day.
Instead, it served in some of the early American bombing missions of World War II. Then disaster struck. On January 23, 1942, the Japanese invaded Rabaul, a town on the island of New Britain in Papua New Guinea, threatening Allied bases in the region.
Plane Troubles
A month later, on February 23, Swamp Ghost was sent to bomb Japanese ships in the port of Rabaul. However, things did not go as planned.
Piloted by Captain Frederick “Fred” C. Eaton Jr., the plane started experiencing problems when the crew attempted to open the bomb bay doors. The doors remained stuck, and Eaton was forced to circle the massive Japanese cargo ship that was their target.
The Need to Land
They managed to drop the bombs on the second pass, but they had already attracted the fire of Japanese fighter planes and missile batteries. A skirmish ensued in which the Flying Fortress shot down three enemy fighters out of a dozen.
However, its left wing was then pierced by anti-aircraft fire. Thankfully, the projectile did not explode, but the plane was already leaking fuel and had to make an emergency landing.
Successful Landing!
Unable to reach the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Eaton was approaching the Owen Stanley Mountains when he saw what he thought was a large wheat field in the lowlands of Oro Province.
In reality, the “wheat” was just three-meter-tall swamp grass. Miraculously, the plane landed without the crew suffering serious injuries. However, they were now stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Hungry and tired
So, for days they wandered, hungry and exhausted, in the wild regions of Papua New Guinea, ravaged by mosquitoes and baked by the sun. They all ended up contracting malaria. Fortunately, a helpful indigenous person guided them to the safety of his village.
All crew members were treated and recovered, and after being reunited with the American forces, they were almost immediately sent on a new mission.
Everyone had forgotten about it
Meanwhile, the downed Flying Fortress was forgotten… until it was spotted during a helicopter overflight in 1972. Hagen’s rescue operation finally concluded in 2006.
Four years later, permission was finally granted to allow the Swamp Ghost to return to the United States. It was then displayed to the public for the first time in Long Beach, California, and among the guests were members of the original crew’s family.
The plane is now in a museum
Since 2013, the aircraft has been in the hands of the Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The museum plans to restore the bomber and display it in a hangar on Ford Island, an islet located in the harbor.
And while the costs may exceed 5 million dollars, it’s a modest price to preserve a national treasure. However, it seems that even today, World War II relics are scattered in different parts of the world.
A hike far from everything
For example, when this explorer and his wife went on a hike in one of the most remote regions of the world, they also stumbled upon a haunting reminder of that not-so-distant past.
Imgur user CanadaSpeedoMan and his wife were hiking in the backcountry of Greenland. For days, they traversed fjords, getting farther and farther away from anything resembling civilization.
An incredible discovery
That’s when they came across stacks of old barrels and the twisted roofs of long-abandoned buildings. Eastern Greenland is an isolated part of the world.
Its landscape is composed of mountains and lakes, and for much of the year, it is locked in ice. But in this vast wilderness, the hikers discovered the rusty remains of a facility, dating back to a time when the region played a very important strategic role.
An airstrip
Amidst the rocky peaks, on a plateau near an Inuit settlement called Ikateq, the United States had built an airstrip. It had been designed to serve as a refueling station for military aircraft flying from America to Europe during World War II.
And it’s still there, slowly crumbling into dust. Construction began on the airstrip, known as Bluie East Two, in 1942. A year earlier, America had taken over the defense of Greenland and started scouting for sites to place a 5,000-foot runway.
The Perfect Location
They eventually found the perfect location, 35 miles northeast of Tasiilaq. That’s when a supply fleet arrived on July 26, 1942, and construction work began.
The airfield remained open from 1942 to 1947. However, after the end of the war in 1945, the importance of Bluie East Two started to decline. In fact, like other American bases in Greenland, it was evacuated two years later.
An inaccessible place
But the inaccessibility of the site is largely responsible for its legacy remaining visible to anyone fortunate enough to find it. Indeed, everything the Americans used to build Bluie East Two had to be shipped in.
Trees are rare, if not nonexistent, in eastern Greenland, so wood had to be transported by ferry. But that also meant that when it was time to leave, nothing was wanted to be taken from the site.
It’s not just the buildings that were left behind. Almost everything was abandoned. And now, hundreds of barrels litter the ground. These containers were used to refuel the planes, and some of them still contain fuel in their rusted shells.
All in all, it’s definitely a strange sight to find in the middle of nowhere. Today, alongside the barrels, huge pieces of machinery can be found. They would have been used to construct the airstrip, which was the heart of Bluie East Two.
Old photos
Completed in 1943, the airstrip was made of gravel, and you can still see it dug into the cold earth today. Most of the useful items left at Bluie East Two, however, have been taken away over the past 70 years by the Inuit people.
However, anything that couldn’t be carried by foot or in small fishing boats remains where it was left. It’s also worth noting that old photos from the time of the facility’s construction show that it wasn’t just machinery needed to create the airstrip.
Explosives
Huge crates of explosives were also used. After all, eastern Greenland isn’t the kind of place where it’s easy to build or maintain large complexes.
In its time, each season, when possible, the base was replenished by the US Coast Guard. And when the region was covered in winter and snow couldn’t be cleared from the runway, supplies were air-dropped.
Bluie East Two lost interest
Then, once the Americans left, the Danish government lost interest in Bluie East Two. Yet, if the Americans were no longer using Bluie East Two, it still provided occasional advantage.
In 1958, the facility played a vital supply role during the construction of an early warning radar system farther south in Kulusk. However, once the war was over, the site never regained its former importance.
Memories of the past
Today, amidst the twisted metal, other interesting objects left behind by the Americans after their departure can be found. Glass shards marked with the Coca-Cola company logo litter the ground – a clear reminder of the aviators’ brief occupation of the airfield.
Alongside the excavation machinery, other static pieces remain. The boilers and ovens that once heated and fueled the base are largely intact.
One of them even bears the mark of the New York company that built it. The surrounding buildings, however, have long since collapsed. Other pieces of equipment are also visible.
A radio mast has collapsed, its structure pointing towards a stretch of water where icebergs ominously drift. And the radios themselves are still there too. But they are nothing but decaying metal boxes, lying in the middle of an icy plain.
It’s Not Just That…
And it’s not just the metal that remains either. Thick black tires are among the debris. Some of them are still wrapped in snow chains that would have helped them during the coldest times of the year. The tires are marked “United States Rubber Company”.
So the site remained abandoned for over half a century, and yet, it may not be there for much longer. For a while, the cleanup of Bluie East Two was a point of political contention between the governments of Greenland and Denmark.
Clearing the area
But it seems that the two countries have finally agreed on the way forward. In 2017, both governments concluded that it was time to get rid of all the trash left on the abandoned airstrip.
Efforts were therefore made to clear the area of this strange, rusty relic from World War II. The cleanup operation began in 2018. CanadaSpeedoMan and his wife were surely the last people to visually document the remains of the airstrip.
Photos worth keeping
Once the major cleanup was completed, there was nothing left of the American base. The wild nature of eastern Greenland is now empty again. This, of course, makes these photos all the more important.
Bluie East Two played a role in one of the greatest conflicts in human history. And even though it was left to fade into oblivion and ruin, it remains an intriguing and bizarre place, made even stranger by its incredible surroundings.