The Lake Garda once again takes center stage in historical memory with the remembrance of Allen Truman, a U.S. pilot who was killed in action on April 26, 1945. During a flight, his powerful Thunderbolt P-47 was hit by German anti-aircraft fire while flying over the eastern shore of the lake. Witnesses recount that around 2 PM, Truman lost altitude and crashed into the lake, leaving behind a trail of black smoke. Fellow pilot Bradley A. Muhl described the incident in his report, emphasizing that there were no signs of survivors after the aircraft’s fall.
In the years that followed, the Deep Explorers association, led by video reporter Angelo Modina, dedicated efforts to locating the wreckage of the Thunderbolt P-47. Through sonar and underwater searches, a silhouette was identified on the lakebed at a depth of about 200 meters, corresponding to the dimensions of the downed aircraft. The remains of Allen Truman may still be inside the cockpit of the plane, keeping alive the memory of a hero who fell during World War II.
