European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 14, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 14, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 9over Here a amps Gary Millers amps Gary Miller ischia diver Franco Baiocco shows the propeller he and another diver recovered after Fisherman Bernardo Pascale describes How two bombers crashed into the sea Dur. A pm i n a a a m a a i a pc a i Quot finding the underwater wreckage of a possible b-17 flying fortress. Ing a storm in september 1943 a there was no time for anyone to  bomber believed found off italian Isle by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau Isle of ischia Italy a italian divers exploring the Depths near Naples believe they have found an american bomber lost during world War ii. A it is a four engine plane and from what we can determine it is a b-17 flying fortress a said Franco Baiocco a Veteran scuba diver and ischia resident. Baiocco located the wreckage in 278 feet of water approximately one half mile off ischia a Northern coast. Ischia a resort Island near the Bay of Naples is about an hours boat ride from Naples. A naval spokesman in Naples said the Navy is aware of the planets discovery. A we Are informed of the site and at this Point the nationality of the aircraft is not certain a it. Paul Weishaupt said. A we Are considering the feasibility and available options for researching the aircraft a identity and the circumstances surrounding its  during the War few b-17s were used in the Mediterranean theater. Most of the american four engine bombers flown there were twin tailed b-24s. Baiocco and another italian diver Julio Garonne made the find March 31. They were directed to the site by local fishermen who had asked them to find out what kind of obstruction was fouling their fishing gear. A the areas very Strong currents and Fine Sandy Bottom made visibility extremely limited a Baiocco said. The two divers spotted a Large propeller lying at a depth of 256 feet and then came upon a drop off. A we started Down the Steep incline and there was the air plane a Baiocco said. A it was facing us with its nose pointing up the slope. It is More than half buried in Sand but appears to be in nearly perfect  because of the extreme depth at which they were diving Baiocco and Garonne could explore the wreckage for Only a few minutes and did not glimpse any numbers on the plane. They returned to the wreckage the following Day and managed to raise the 880-Pound propeller to the surface with the help of an inflatable lifting bag and a fishing boats powerful Winch. The prop was taken briefly to a nearby police station and is on exhibit in the Island Community of ischia Ponte. Although one of its Blades is badly Bent the propeller is in otherwise Good condition. Barnacles thickly coat it in most places but the props Black paint can be seen Here and there. Baiocco who owns a shop in ischia Ponte specializing in Coral and jewelry said Only two propellers remain on the plane. He said another of the planets props was recovered from the area several years ago. The 39-year-old Baiocco a former Oil Tanker Captain is no stranger to diving at great Depths. He has been Down As deep As 312 feet Hunting for fire Coral. He and Garonne made their dives on the aircraft using two bottles of com finessed air apiece. Extra tanks suspended irom their dive boat were used during the final stage of the ascent. Baiocco and other locals know the exact location of two other Large warplanes lying on the Ocean Bottom within a half mile of the wrecked plane. Bernardo Pascale a 78-year-old commercial Fisherman remembers the Day the plane came Down. According to Pascale two planes crashed into the sea at the same time. A it was sometime around the Middle of september in 1943,�?� he said. A we were having a very bad storm and two planes came flying very Low Over the sea from the direction of Naples. They were about 20 to 30 meters above the sea. A we thought that was very unusual because we Nad never seen them Fly so Low before. Usually they flew very High above the  at the time the allies had recently landed at Salerno and were trying to drive on northward to Naples. Bombers flew regularly Over ischia a ruggedly Beautiful volcanic Island. A a number of us All fishermen were standing on the Beach that Day. We could t fish because the sea was too rough a Pascale said. A was we a amps map watched the planes approach a waterspout a Tornado Over the sea formed. The planes flew into the waterspout and then crashed into the sea. A there were no parachutes a he continued. A there was no time for anyone to jump from the planes. It was All Over in seconds. Six of us jumped into a boat and rowed out to where the planes had crashed. There was nothing to be found when we got  to the Best of his knowledge no bodies have been recovered from the  offers Bill to allow competitive pay for nurses Washington apr the veterans affairs department is moving to head off a loss of registered nurses with egts lation that would bring their pay in line with what nurses elsewhere receive. By introducing its Bill the a also is moving the Bush administration closer to embracing competitive pay for All government employees. Federal agencies have been looking at competitive or locality pay As a Means of recruiting and keeping workers. Competitive pay bases salaries on cur rent rates paid in a Community for comparable positions. The Federal office of personnel management has proposed a system that includes adjustments for local pay but also for certain employees links pay raises to Job performance. The House and Senate veterans affairs committees have separate proposals for raising nursing pay As Well. Under the new Bill a a Hospital nursing Home or other facility would be Able to use pay data from non a facilities in an area to establish a Community  the Community rates would be paid Only if those local rates exceed the National pay scale for a nurses. The a employs 35,000 registered nurses at its hospitals clinics and nursing Homes making it the largest such employer in the country. The nationally set base pay for a a registered nurse is s18,174. The american nurses association says the National average starting pay for a registered nurse is $25,261. The a already has been Able to adjust pay to meet local rates but the process is so slow that the Agency s salary Levels still fall behind those of private employers. The department was paying special rates at 130 of its 172 medical centers a year ago veterans affairs Secretary Edward j. Derwinski said in a letter accompanying his legislative proposal. A even with the special rates a has not been Able to offer competitive salaries at certain geographic locations such As Boston Southern California and new York City Derwinski said