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In early October, experts will begin recovering the Hungarian Messerschmitt fighter plane that crashed into Lake Balaton in the Balatonakarattya area during World War II, reports Honvedelem.hu.
On July 2, 1944, the U.S. Army launched an air strike against targets in Hungary. One of the Hungarian fighter planes that was fighting against a huge superior force, crashed into the water after a hit near Balatonakarattya (eastern shore of the lake). The body of the pilot, squadron leader Sándor Beregszászi, was recovered and the plane was swallowed by Lake Balaton.
Based on the research of Ensign Károly Magó, military historian, divers from a special operations brigade of the Hungarian Defense Forces conducted practice dives near the wreckage in September 2020. The brigade’s technical subunit, specializing in detecting underwater obstacles and sunken equipment, found the fighter plane under 70-80 centimeters of mud. Despite the low visibility, some wreckage was recovered. Experts determined that the soldiers had found the remains of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 (Me 109), manufactured in Hungary as part of the German-Hungarian aircraft construction program during World War II.
The aircraft has been at the bottom of the water for nearly 80 years, and is the only remaining Hungarian-made Messerschmitt fighter plane in the world.
“The wreckage of the aircraft, manufactured under license at ‘Magyar Waggon and Gépgyár’ in Győr (northwestern Hungary), is invaluable not only from the point of view of military history, but also from the point of view of industrial history,” they wrote.
In June 2023, the General Staff of the Hungarian Defense Forces, on the initiative of the Military History Institute and Museum, prepared the removal of the wreckage. The operation is being coordinated by Defense Forces Training Group Headquarters, involving several units of the Defense Forces.
As a first step of the project, the 40-ton pontoon of the Hungarian Defense Forces, serving as a diving base and work station, was placed in Lake Balaton on October 7, announced Honvedelem.hu.
Via Ungarn Heute, Featured photo via Fortepan /Magyar Műszaki és Közlekedési Múzeum / Archívum / Negatívtár / Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum Történeti Képcsarnok gyűjteménye