Status

2019

After visiting the area:

Huge parts of the ice cap are covered by water. Lakes. Ponds. No way to reach the recovery site by land- or snow-vehicle. Maybe with an amphibious craft. Or by helicopter. Even landing with a snow-plane seems to be almost impossible. A float-plane might do…
The average temperature has to drop as soon as possible to turn Greenland’s surface back from water to ice and snow.

Very bad news after promising talks with a possible sponsor.

2016

The requests from potential sponsors and the media are piling up again. Companies who are willing to support the salvage turn up. If financial security for the project is found, Dieter Herrmann is once again ready to take over the management of LSR. First talks take place.

2010 – 2015

Work on the “Lost Squadron Recovery” project (LSR) has to be temporarily suspended. Dieter Herrmann and other “heads” of the rescue project have to turn to other, urgent work. The supporting foundation to LSR is no longer active and de facto dissolves. Dieter Herrmann successfully continues to maintain constructive contact with the authorities in Greenland.

2009

January / February 2009: A total of around 200 participants are taking part in the first and second WinterCamp at Schönhagen Airport (www.edaz.de). It is bitterly cold, a few centimetres of snow on the ground. Exactly right fror training purposes. People sleep in tents, the catering has been announced as “very simple”, but finally turns out to be quite nice. Participation in a winter camp like this is a requirement for all those who want to work in Greenland.

March 2009: The supporting foundation (association for the recovery of historical vehicles, etc.) is given a new board. The Annual General Meeting is at Kassel Airport. Elected are Frieder Weisse, Willi Horka and Sebastian Rothammel. The resigned club directors have thereby their hands free to manage the project “Lost Squadron Recovery”.

April 2009: The AERO in Friedrichshafen is one of the most important trade fairs for general aviation. With the support of the federal states of Brandenburg and Berlin, our project runs a stall to provide informations on the project “Lost Squadron Recovery”.

August 2009: At the end of August members of the supporting foundation met for an extraordinary meeting. After a series of setbacks in project planning, not all members of the board elected in March 2009 have been re-elected. The new association consists of Martin Franke, Oliver Buß and Willi Horka (in alphabetical order). After the changing at the top of the board, one of our sponsors joines in again and would like to be part of the rescue project again.

September 2009: On September 26, two employees of our planning group give a lecture on our project at the invitation of the Technik-Museum in Speyer (www.technik-museum.de). Local media reports that the interest seems to be great. If we can inspire listeners in Speyer, we are certainly able to win more supporters for our rescue project.

2008

March 2008: Safety first! The world leading company for safety equipment, a company named DRÄGER (www.draeger.com) will support the recovery project with safety products and services.

December 2008: Visit in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland. In Nuuk a brief meeting with the Prime Minister, a visit to the Chamber ‘s plenary chamber and long talks in the Ministry of the Environment. Shortly afterwards the document is handed out to us, which defines how and under which conditions we’re allowed to recover the aircraft. A few days later, the so-called area allotment is issued, which precisely specifies the area in which we have the right to do our work.

2007

February 2007: Another trip to Tasiilaq/Greenland. Travellers this time: Marion Althaus, Kay Andersson and Dieter Herrmann. Means of transport are evaluated, hotels contacted. Officials renew their guarantee for supporting the project.

March 2007: Two members of the foundation (Manuel Brux and Oliver Buss) travel to the west coast of Greenland. They check transport routes for equipment and contact authorities.

September 2007: Hellgeth engineering (www.hellgeth.de) is a company that refits and overhauls track vehicles of the type „Hägglunds BV 206″. Hellgeth will support the recovery project with Hägglunds at very special conditions.

September 2007: Third meeting at Schönhagen airfield. This time „our” chefs take care of catering. A significant test for their work in Greenland. And it works perfectly. The project groups work on their plans for the various tasks lying ahead: recovery, conservation, transport, maintenance, provisioning the camp.

2006

February 2006: The equipment needed to melt the cavern around the buried planes will be provided by KÄRCHER (www.kaercher.com). They will support the project with know-how and technology.

April 2006: The company for equipment for outdoor activities, VAUDE (www.vaude.de), will provide tents, clothes and other gear at very special conditions.

May 2006: „Lost Squadron Recovery” is represented with a counter at the ILA (Internationale Luftfahrt Ausstellung / International Air Fair) in Berlin. The stand is supported by Motorpresse Stuttgart. (www.motorpresse.de). Thousands of visitors gain information on the recovery project.

September 2006: Second meeting of Members of the association on the airfield of Schönhagen, again with strong support by the operating company. Meanwhile the association counts about 400 members.

September 2006: The working clothes for the actual recovery will come from Sweden. FRISTAD (www.fristads.se) will supply us with overalls made especially for Arctic regions.

2005

March 2005: An information evening with press in attendance with financial help and the staff of „Berliner Flughäfen” (Berlin airports) (www.airport-berlin.de) attracts 200 visitors at the airport of Berlin-Schönefeld (SXF).

September 2005: Meanwhile the association has 250 members. The first annual plenary meeting takes place at the airfield of Schönhagen (EDAZ), south of Berlin. Members set up project groups that start planning the different tasks to be tackled in Greenland.

October 2005: Meeting with the CEO of the Swiss watch maker FORTIS (www.fortis-watch.com) in their German branch. FORTIS will support the recovery works. Conditions will be agreed on later.

2004

February 2004: Realising that a salvation project of that size needs a legal platform, nine people meet to set up a registered association. The „Verein zur Bergung historischer Fahrzeuge e.V.” (Association for recovering historical craft) is founded. The association is recognised and legalised by the German authorities. The group of founders decides to name the salvage project „Lost Squadron Recovery”.

May 2004: First journey to Tasiilaq/Greenland for research. Allan Greisen, Kay Andersson (later a member of the association’s board) and Dieter Herrmann have talks with he chief of the county, mayor and leading members of the tourism organisation (www.eastgreenland.com). All these meetings are absolutely positive. The people of East Greenland will support the project. Their hope is that media interest will boost and support tourism.

June 2004: First possible sponsors are contacted. A company named GESAT (www.gesat.de) is among the first to support the recovery project. GESAT will take care of the satellite communication to and from the recovery site in Greenland. Kässbohrer Ltd. In Laupheim/Germany is visited. The promise is made to provide a PistenBully (www.pistenbully.com) at very special conditions.

2003

Autumn 2003: Lasse suggests a meeting with Allan Greisen. Allan lives not far away in Odense/Denmark, is a professional scuba diver, did a lot of work in Greenland, worked on the recovery of the first P-38 and localised the planes again in 1999. The meeting takes place half way between Lasse and Dieter in Flensburg/Germany.

Spring 2003: First meeting with Lasse Rungholm. Dieter Herrmann and Marion Althaus meet at Lasse’s house near Aarhus in Denmark. Lasse confirms he didn’t succeed in building a recovery project, passes all the available documents to Dieter and wants to lead his recovery crew from now on. He provides a lot of information concerning the aircraft, their position and the situation in Greenland.

1992 – 2003

1999: Rumours say that the Danish group gave up. Reason for that: Lasse Rungholm could not manage to find sufficient funding for the project.

1995: First phone call between Lasse Rungholm and Dieter Herrmann. Lasse confirms his plans to get the planes out and recommends to gain more information from his Internet site (www.lost.dk). (Page not existing any more) Dieter is still planning to produce a TV documentary. Lasse explains: „The highest bidder gets the rights to do TV work at the recovery site.” Dieter is not amused at all, temporarily gives up the TV project but watches the planned recovery from a distance.

1994: First contact between Dieter Herrmann and members of the recovery crew from two years ago.

1992. Dieter plans a TV documentary on further possible recoveries. The Americans suggest to get in touch with Lasse Rungholm. Lasse is a Danish lawyer, pilot and adventurer. He is planning to recover the remaining Lightnings.

1992: After a long effort and many disappointments a group of Americans make it: The first Lockheed P-38 „Lightning” is recovered from the ice of Greenland.