ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 314710
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| Date: | Monday 7 June 1943 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Shorts Sunderland Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 461 RAAF |
| Registration: | DV692 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | On Station. RAF Pembroke Dock (Hanger) -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Calibration/Inspection |
| Departure airport: | RAF Pembroke Dock |
| N.A. |
Mission: Maintenance.
Details:
No. 461 Squadron was a Royal Australian Air Force maritime patrol squadron which operated under the command of the Royal Air Force in Europe and over the Atlantic. The squadron was formed in 1942 and was disbanded in mid-1945, just after the end of the war in Europe. Personnel were drawn from many countries of the British Empire, although the majority were Australians. Throughout the war, the squadron was credited with destroying a total of six German U-boats and operated mainly in the Bay of Biscay and the Atlantic.
During 1943, No. 461 Squadron mainly conducted daylight anti-submarine patrols over the Bay of Biscay, having moved to a new base at Pembroke Dock (Known by crews there as PD) in April 1943. These patrols exposed the squadron's aircraft to frequent attacks by German fighters. The Sunderland aircraft were fitted with a heavy defensive armament, however, and were often successful in beating off fighter attacks. During 1943 squadron sank a total of three U-boats. By May 1943, No. 461 Squadron was fully equipped with the more advanced Mark III Sunderland. This aircraft allowed the Squadron to operate at night. Equipped with these improved aircraft the squadron continued to fly anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic.
Dv962 was the 7th of 25 aircraft manufactured in the serial range DV956-DV980 by Short Bros in their factory at Rochester, Kent. Powered by 4 x 1,065hp Bristol Pegasus air cooled radial engines driving De Havilland three blade, two-pitch airscrews. These aircraft were finished in the temperate sea scheme of Dark Sea Grey over Slate Grey upper surfaces with an all-White lower surface.
Defensive armament consisted of seven .303 machine guns mounted in Frasier Nash Turrets; one in a FN.11 nose turret (on rails to ease mooring), two in a FN.7 dorsal turret, four in a FN.4A tail turret.
Offensive armament consisted of up to 2,ooolbs of bombs, mines or depth charges that hung on traversing rails under the wing centre section which ran through two doors on both sides from the interior of the fuselage.
Fitted with Air to Surface Vessel (ASV) Mark III radar utilising a row of four vertical dipole antennae along the spine and eight horizontal antennae mounted beneath each wing tip, outboard of the floats and angled outward.
DV962 was received by an RAF MU for acceptance checks and tests during July 1942. She was taken on squadron strength with No.202 squadron who were stationed at RAF Gibraltar. Her next posting was with 119 squadron during September at RAF Loch Erne, Northern Ireland.
DV692 finally came to 461 squadron on the 6th of April 1943 and allocated the radio code ‘UT-R’ (Robert). On the 22nd of that month she underwent mods for three weeks with her first flight being an air test on the 15th of May. Between the 15th, and the 31st, she flew 15 training missions.
On the 7th of June ‘R’ Robert was undergoing a scheduled major inspection in the maintenance hanger (No.2 Hanger) when a fire broke out. The cause was suspected to be connected with the use of an electric starting trolly. It damaged the skin on the hull and a large section of the port mainplane. Repairs were assessed as Cat.B and were beyond the unit’s capability. The fire was one of three which took place during the month, the other was started by lighting a blow lamp during work in the armoury section of the other hanger (No.1), the only casualties, only a number of overalls. But the volume of smoke, gave reason for the base fire crews to be called to attend. As for DV692, she was sent to 43 group for repair. On the 9th of June she was re-assessed and recategorized as Cat.E and struck off.
Crew:
Not crewed.
Wreckage:
Nothing remains.
Additional Information:
On 2 June 1943, Sunderland EJ134 ‘N’ for Nuts of No 461 Squadron (11 Crew, 9 Australian, 2 British) was attacked whilst on an ASR patrol over the Bay of Biscay by 8 Junkers Ju-88. The Sunderland had been searching the Bay of Biscay area for a downed BOAC aircraft that had been shot down over that area the previous day (and included amongst its passenger manifest the actor Leslie Howard) when it was attacked by the Luftwaffe. The crew of Nuts, managed to down three of the enemy aircraft, but limped home with an airframe like a colander due to the strafing bullet runs that the Junkers 88s had taken against it. The aircraft was landed hard at Praa Sands in Cornwall and whilst most of the crew were injured, there was only one fatality. The tide destroyed the airframe the next day.
Sources:
www.aircrewremmembered.com
www.awm.gov.au
www.vwma.org.au
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Jun-2023 05:25 | Davies 62 | Added |
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