Underwater German WWII bomber to be salvaged

A famous German WWII bomber has spent decades submerged in the English Channel — but that's about to change.

British officials on Friday announced a complex salvage operation to rescue the only known surviving example of the German Dornier Do 17 bomber, an aircraft nicknamed "the flying pencil" because of its narrow fuselage.

The wreck is located just off the Kent coast in southeast England in about 60 feet (20 meters) of water. The plane had been shot down during the 1940 Battle of Britain, a monthslong struggle over the skies of Britain that saw RAF fighters engaged in a colossal life-or-death struggle with the German Luftwaffe.

Experts said the bomber, discovered by divers five years ago, is remarkably undamaged despite the passage of time.

Officials at the RAF Museum in London said the challenging salvage will be the biggest recovery of its kind and they hope to one day display the bomber at the museum.

Museum director Peter Dye said the bomber will be exhibited next to a Hawker Hurricane fighter that had also been shot down during the Battle of Britain.

"We feel it's important that they be exhibited side by side," he said, pointing out that two German airmen died in the Dornier. "With time, we recognize that young men died on both sides, which is why we don't intend to restore it. We will conserve it and place it on exhibition alongside the wreck of a Hurricane shot down at much the same time in which a British pilot died."

Plans call for the plane to be lifted out of the water in three or four weeks if preparations go well. But Dye cautioned that the recovery would be dangerous — divers will only be able to work for 45 minutes at a time, among other challenges.

"We are not guaranteed success," he said. "There have been previous aircraft recovery projects that didn't go so well, cases where the structure has disintegrated on retrieval. When it breaks the surface, gravity and the laws of mechanics come into play, so we very much hope the frame we've constructed will support that structure."

Corrosion is another obstacle that could spoil the procedure, he said.

Dye said the German government was aware of the recovery operation.

Kate Middleton Speaks in First-Ever Recorded Broadcast Message

Kate Middleton is lending her voice to support Children's Hospice Week. The Duchess of Cambridge, who is expecting her first child with husband Prince William in July, released her first broadcast message as part of a campaign for UK's Together For Short Lives charity.

Wearing a black top with a white collar, the 31-year-old mom-to-be delivered the touching message with grace. "I have been fortunate to see first hand the remarkable work that they do for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, and their families. It is simply transformational," she shares in the video, posted on Saturday, Apr. 27. "Children's Hospice Week is a time to recognize, celebrate and support the inspirational work of these hospices, and those who provide palliative care to these children and families. Children's hospices provide lifelines to families at a time of unimaginable pain. The support they give is vital."

As patron of East Anglia Children's Hospice, Middleton asks viewers in the touching broadcast to support the charity.

"In order to carry out this wonderful work, our help is needed. With our support, those providing children's palliative care can continue to offer these extraordinary service," she says. "It does not bear thinking about what these families would do without this. With your support, we can help ensure that these children and their families can make the most of the precious time they have together."

Simon Cowell Hates Democracy

"Do you know, I've never voted, I never have… I can't be bothered."

- Simon Cowell shares controversial thoughts on civic duty at aBritain's Got Talent launch event.