B-17F Black Jack
Milne Bay · Papua New Guinea
A Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress that ditched on the reef off Boga Boga village in July 1943, returning from a bombing run to Rabaul with two engines out and almost no fuel. The bomber sank upright onto sand at 46 m and was rediscovered by Rod Pearce in 1986. Cockpit windows still stand open, machine guns sit in their turrets, twin tail guns pivot freely in their mounts, and rounds line the ammunition tracks. A permanent guideline runs from the 15 m reef top down the slope to the wreck.
Conditions
Depth
15 to 50 m
Advanced depths
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
30 to 40 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
Tropical wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 25 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 20 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Schooling barracuda
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 65 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Bigeye trevally
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Soft coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Glassfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Tiger Cowrie
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Orangefin Anemonefish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear
Basic kit
For this site
- Trimix and stage tanks · Bottom at 46 m to 50 m puts the wreck beyond recreational air limits; mandatory decompression on every dive.
- Dive light · Cockpit, bomb bay, and turret interiors are dim even when visibility above is 40 m.
- Reel · Strong current sweeps the slope; the permanent guideline is the only reliable navigation back to the ascent line.