During the allied campaign to seize the Japanese strongholds north of Lae during 1943, Japanese anti-aircraft guns around the Madang coastline shot down many allied aircraft. Most famous of these, in diving circles is the B25 Mitchell Bomber, which lies in 60 feet of water near Wongat Island. The bomber lost its port engine on impact, but apart from this, it is virtually intact. Several of the crew survived and swam to nearby Wongat Island before being captured by the Japanese and later executed. Friendly villages hid the pilot, however, and he was kept out of Japanese hands for several days. He was eventually captured and transferred to a prisoner of war camp in Rabaul, but survived the war. Several years ago he revisited Madang to take a look at his old bird.

Penetrating through the cockpit of the aircraft you can peer down into the bomb bay, the doors of which were open on impact, and you can take a look at the rack of bombs still wired up and ready to offload as they were in 1943. The gaps between the bombs are home to a collection of enormous cray fish.

Many visiting divers pose for photographs by sitting in the cockpit of the bomber or by pretending to man one of the 50 cal. machine guns protruding from its turrets.