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Date: | Wednesday 4 September 1940 |
Time: | Early mornin |
Type: | Fairey Swordfish Mk I |
Owner/operator: | 813 Sqn FAA RN |
Registration: | K8398 |
MSN: | F2580 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | Mediterranean Sea, off Rhodes Island, Greece. -
Greece
|
Phase: | Combat |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | HMS Eagle |
Destination airport: | HMS Eagle |
Narrative:813 Sqn. FAA Royal Navy, Fairy Swordfish K8398 'E4-C', operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, crashed into Mediterranean Sea on 4th September 1940, following combat with Italian Fiat fighters during a bombing attack on Maritza Airfield, Rhodes Island, Greece, killing the three aircrew, Pilot, Lieutenant, David Robert Henry Drummond; Observer, Sub-Lieutenant, Alan Macfarlane Todd and Air Gunner, Leading Airman, Gordon Emmett Derwent.
Twenty one Swordfish aircraft from the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle, stationed off Rhodes Island, Greece, were launched on an early morning attack on the Rhodes Island airfields on the 4th September 1940.
Four Swordfish from 813 Squadron, HMS Eagle were lost in combat with Italian Fiat fighters in the attack on Maritza Airfield, three ditching in the Mediterranean Sea and one force landing on Scarpanto Island, Greece.
Sources:
U-boats in Atlantic, September 1940 (naval-history.net)
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Flying Personnel 1939 - 1947 (aircrewremembered.com)
RAFCommands Forums
This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning | Page 58 | Aircraft of World War II - WW2Aircraft.net Forums
4 September 1940 (etherit.co.uk)
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
08-Feb-2021 18:39 |
Peter Clarke |
Added |
13-Feb-2021 21:49 |
Nepa |
Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Operator] |