Stuka aircraft cathodic protection pilot project

During October and November of 2024, the ICUA Zadar team of conservators and archaeologists successfully conducted a pilot project to test in-situ underwater protection for the wreck of the Junkers Ju 87 aircraft, known as Stuka. This dive bomber aircraft crashed near the island of Žirje in the Adriatic Sea during World War II.

Previously, it was believed there was no effective way to preserve underwater aircraft wrecks and that their complete deterioration and destruction would occur within the period of approximately ten to fifteen years due to material corrosion. In May 2024, the ICUA Zadar gathered a team of experts who conducted corrosion measurements on the Stuka wreck to perform a conservation analysis. The results showed that the cathodic protection could be achieved using sacrificial anodes.

In October, the ICUA Zadar team installed two test anodes to assess their effectiveness. Subsequent measurements indicated that the connection of the anodes effectively passivated the wreck, halting further deterioration. This achievement showed that it is possible to permanently protect an aircraft wreck under the sea, making the Stuka the first wreck of its kind where the deterioration process was successfully stopped.

The trial installation of smaller anodes on the Stuka wreck will continue to provide protection in the coming months. In 2025, a comprehensive project will be implemented to protect the Stuka for the next fifteen years using this economically viable method.