A Ghost No More... Salvage of Swamp Ghost
In late April - early May 2006, B-17E 41-2446 was salvaged. The salvage was funded by Alfred
Hagen, with Robert
Greinert acting on his behalf as 'Recovery coordinator'. According to news articles, participants were: Salvage team: Alfred Hagen, Robert Greinert, Joe Krzeminski (MARC) Sponsors: Alfred Hagen, Billy Hansfield, Paul Adams, Robert Reinhartz
Alfred Hagen has not responded to an interview request (May 2006), but did submit comments in the past to PacificWreck.com. Also, he made statments in a March 27, 2007 news article: salvage firm denies illegal shipping cliam. 'Recovery coordinator' Robert Greinert wrote an article in Classic Wings Magazine about his role in the salvage.
The salvagers removed the wings, engines and tail stabilizers, and found the two Bendix turret machine guns in place. Each piece of the wreck was lifted with an MI-8 helicopter to the coast and then loaded on a barge for Lae. When news of the salvage became known, the bomber was impounded at Lae, and the Public Accounts Committed Found the salvage illegal.
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