Date:	Thursday 13 June 1940
Time:	c.
Type:	Blackburn Skua II
Owner/operator:	803 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	L2963
MSN:	-
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	In the sea at Frøsetskjæret Byneset 14 miles west of Trondheim. -   Norway
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Ark Royal
Destination airport:	HMS Ark Royal

Narrative:
Following the bombing of the German Battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in Trondheim Harbour, early morning of 13th June 1940, the 803 Sqn. Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, Blackburn Skua, L2963 "A7-F", was shot down by 3/ZG-76 Luftwaffe, Messerschmitt Bf 110D flown by Obersleutnant, G.Gollob. The aircraft ditched In the sea at Frøsetskjæret Byneset 14 miles west of Trondheim. Pilot, Lieutenant, Cecil Howard Filmer and Air Gunner, Midshipman, Thomas Anthony McKee survived and became prisoners of war. The aircraft was subsequently recovered from the sea by the German forces. (Pictures of the recovery are on " Blackburn Skua Vagnildgrenda (tihlde.org) "

Fifteen Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy Blackburn Skuas took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal at 00:05 hrs. on 13th June 1940, (six, 800 Sqn. and nine, 803 Sqn.), to bomb the German Battleship Scharnhorst anchored in Trondheim Harbour. Eight were shot by down Messerschmitt Bf 109's & Bf 110's during the mission with only seven, (two, 800 Sqn. and five, 803 Sqn.) aircraft returning to land back on HMS Ark Royal by 03:45 hrs.
53% of the attacking aircraft were lost during the raid, inflicting only minimal damage on the Battleship Scharnhorst.

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Flying Personnel 1939 - 1947 (aircrewremembered.com)
Black Thursday – a disastrous Fleet Air Arm raid | Naval Air History
World War 2 - FAA No. 803 Squadron, January/June 1940 (epibreren.com)
Roll of Honour.jpg (1125×1113) (skua.no)
English Channel sea battles, June 1940 (naval-history.net)
Skua!: The Royal Navy's Dive-Bomber - Peter C. Smith - Google Books
Blackburn Skua Frøsetskjæret (tihlde.org)
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/803_squadron.html#0905
Blackburn Skua Frøsetskjæret (tihlde.org)
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/803_squadron.html#0905

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

14 September 1939	L2873	803 Sqn FAA RN	1	North Atlantic Ocean, Merchantman Fanad Head, located at 56-45M 15-21W		w/o
14 September 1939	L2957	803 Sqn FAA RN	1	North Atlantic Ocean, Merchantman Fanad Head, located at 56-45N 15-21W		w/o
10 April 1940	L2923	803 Sqn FAA RN	2	Bergen Fjord,		w/o
12 April 1940	L3037	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	Askoy Island, 10 miles north west of Bergen,		w/o
14 April 1940	L????	803 Sqn FAA RN	2	Bergen Fjord,		w/o
20 April 1940	L2999	800 Sqn FAA RN	2	North Sea - en route from Bergen, Norway to Orkney Islands, Scotland		w/o
22 April 1940	L????	803 Sqn FAA RN	1	Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, Scotland		w/o
25 April 1940	L3048	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	on a beach at Spillum, Namsos in Trøndelag county,		non
25 April 1940	L2881	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	Osen, Sør-Trøndelag,		w/o
26 April 1940	L2991	803 Sqn FAA RN	1	Alesund Harbour, Møre og Romsdal County,		w/o
Ditching
27 April 1940	L2940	800 Sqn FAA RN	0	lake Breidalsvatnet, Grotli, Skjåk  municipality,		w/o
Gear-up landing
1 May 1940	L????	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	North Sea, off the Central Norwegian coast,		w/o
8 May 1940	L2916	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	the sea at Tovika near Harstad, Vags-fjorden.		w/o
9 May 1940	L3055	800 Sqn FAA RN	0	south east of Grøndalsvatnet at Haugfjell, in the Norwegian mountains,		w/o
13 May 1940	L3001	800 Sqn FAA RN	0	Sandsoy, 10 miles north of Harstad,		w/o
13 May 1940	L2938	800 Sqn FAA RN	0	South of Harstad, off the north Norwegian coast,		w/o
14 May 1940	L2925	803 Sqn FAA RN	2	Off Tranoy, west of Narvik		w/o
14 May 1940	L2918	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	On the shore of Herjangsfjorden at Breivika 2 miles west of Isfjorden		w/o
21 May 1940	L3010	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	Sandsoya 13 miles north of Harstad,		unk
28 May 1940	L2878	806 Sqn FAA RN	0	English Channel off the Dunkirk coast,		w/o
28 May 1940	L2896	806 Sqn FAA RN	1	RAF Manston, Kent, England		sub
Gear-up landing
28 May 1940	????? L6-?	806 Sqn FAA RN	0	RAF Manston, Kent, England		w/o
31 May 1940	L2917	801 Sqn FAA RN	2	North of Dunkirk,		w/o
31 May 1940	L????	801 Sqn FAA RN	0	Near Dunkirk,		sub
18 June 1940	L---- "F"	801 Sqn FAA RN	0	Between Boulogne and Calais		sub
19 June 1940	L---- "P"	801 Sqn FAA RN	0	Between Boulogne and Calais		sub
3 July 1940	L2915	803 Sqn FAA RN	2	Mediterranean Sea off Oran City,		w/o
3 July 1940	L2891	803 Sqn FAA RN	0	Mediterranean Sea off Oran City,		w/o
22 September 1940	L2942	801 Sqn FAA RN	0	river Faxälven, Ramsele, Västernorrland County, 70 km north-west of So		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
12-Dec-2020 00:44	Peter Clarke	Added