Bristol Beaufighter

It is located at a depth of 34m and approximately half a nautical mile from Alyko beach, Naxos. Bristol Beaufighter was shot down in 1943 and divers found it in 2007.

Experience: Advanced divers.

The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter, called the Beau, is a multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company in the UK. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bomber.

Based on testimonies of fishermen and inhabitants who had seen the events, this specific Beaufighter was shot down after destroying a German Airplane type Arado Ar 196 during an anti-shipping mission in November 1943.

Now it is located at a depth of 34 meters off the coast of Naxos, approximately half a nautical mile from the coast. The aircraft is in almost undamaged condition and it looks like it landed there with care and skill. A piece of the rudder over the tail fins is missing, and some bullet holes in the side of the aircraft suffered by anti-aircraft fire vividly demonstrate what caused the twin-engined aircraft to ditch at sea. The cone at the airplane’s nose, made of thin metal, has eroded and is now close to the aircraft.