WIX Archives

Just a short walk from the hotel? (Tony)

Posted by bdk on Fri Jan 31, 2003 04:19:53 PM

In reply top Mission to Balikpapan - possible Lib survivor? posted by george on Fri Jan 31, 2003 01:35:44 PM

I don't think that I could convince my wife that i wanted to go there without some ulterior motive! :-)

The aircraft is the "Liberty Bell". "Liberty Bell II" was the replacement aircraft.

Batudaka Island (part of the Togian [Togean] Islands): http://www.indostreets.com/maps/sulawesi/ (found between Tomini Gulf and the Maluku Sea).

Maybe Tony can get a satellite photo of the area?

Batudaka [658]
Group: Togian Islands, Archipelago: Sulawesi
Country: Indonesia - Sulawesi: Pacific
Lat: 0.47? SLong: 121.80? E Region: Tomini Bay
Area: 242.2 sq. km Altitude: 305 m Shoreline: 108.6 km (scale 1:1000000)

Here is another B-24 that has been dived upon in the area (crashed May 3rd, 1945?): http://www.bodeweb.de/togiansengl.htm#a2




http://users.bart.nl/~edcolijn/togian.html



==========================================
http://www.aerothentic.com/art/b-24/b24LibertyBellII.htm
==========================================
The National Parks and other Wild Places of Indonesia Text by Janet Cochrane, Photographs by Gerald Cubitt. Published by New Holland Publishers (UK) Ltd. 2000
==========================================
Number: 21
Name: Togian Islands

Location: Central sulawesi

Area: 1,000 Square/Island 400 Square miles

Closest City: Wakai

When to Go: Any time. The waters are sheltered because of being in a large bay and seas are never very rough. Visits will need to be a minimum of 2-3 days because of the distance to get there.

Access: By plane to Palu, overland to Poso and then to Ampana, on the north coast of Central Sulawesi, then charter a boat. Alternatively, take the weekly ferry running between Poso and Gorontalo (North Sulawesi), stopping off at the Togians.

Permits: None required.

Facilities: The best accommodation is on Batudaka Island, where there is a small hotel. Several other islands have homestays.

Visitor Activities: Diving and snorkelling: safe because of lack of strong currents. Sun-bathing on idyllic island. Short forest hikes and cave exploration are possible. People in the traditional fishing villages may have seen few tourists.
=======================================

:I don't know if this has already been covered, but the Feb
: . issue of FLIGHT JOURNAL gives a harrowing account of a r
: unning gun battle over Balikpapan between a B-24 and many
: Japanese fighters. The pilot was able to put the Lib down
: on a tiny island called Batudaka off the coast of Celebes
: , and all survived and were rescued. The plane was still
: together. I would not think that scrappers would go after
: a single aircraft in such a remote location, so my questi
: on would be: does the Lib still sit where it was bellied i
: n? Any further info on the B-24 Liberty Belle II would be
: very interesting.
:
: George

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