Date:	Wednesday 4 September 1940
Time:	Early mornin
Type:	Fairey Swordfish Mk I
Owner/operator:	813 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	????? 'E4-?'
MSN:	-
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / 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, operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, ditched in Mediterranean Sea on 4th September 1940, following combat with Italian Fiat CR.46 fighters during a bombing attack on Maritza Airfield, Rhodes Island, Greece, the three aircrew, Pilot, Lieutenant,D. N. Collins; Observer, Petty Officer, A. H. Marsh and Air Gunner, Naval Airman, Arthur Wilson were picked up by an Italian submarine and became prisoners of war.

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.

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)
Royal Navy (RN) Officers 1939-1945  --  C (unithistories.com)

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

12 April 1940	????? U3-L	818 Sqn FAA RN	0	Ofotfjorden to the west of Narvik,		w/o
13 April 1940	????? U4-G	816 Sqn FAA RN	0	Narvik Harbour,		sub
25 April 1940	????? A4-A	820 Sqn FAA RN	0	North Sea, off the Central Norwegian coast,		w/o
16 May 1940	????? H3-G	814 Sqn FAA RN	2	Atlantic Ocean, 25 miles west of Freetown, Sierra Leone,		w/o
18 May 1940	?????	823 Sqn FAA RN	2	North Sea, off the Norwegian coast		w/o
18 May 1940	?????	823 Sqn FAA RN	0	North Sea off the Isle of Eday, Orkney Islands, Scotland		w/o
21 June 1940	????? G4-?	823 Sqn FAA RN	2	Trondheim Harbour,		w/o
21 June 1940	L???? G4-?	823 Sqn FAA RN	2	Trondheim Harbour,		w/o
21 July 1940	?????	813 Sqn FAA RN	1	Mediterranean Sea		w/o
27 August 1940	?????	824 Sqn FAA RN	1	Dekheila Airfield (RNAS Grebe from September 1940) Alexandria		w/o
31 August 1940	G3-B	812 Sqn FAA RN	0	English Channel		w/o
1 September 1940	?????	813 Sqn FAA RN	0	Mediterranean Sea		w/o
24 September 1940	'A2-?'	810 Sqn FAA RN	0	at Sea, off West Africa,		w/o
6 October 1940	F4-?	826 Sqn FAA RN	1	North Sea, off Clacton-on-Sea, Essex,		w/o
20 February 1942	????? 'E4-?'	813 Sqn FAA RN	0	North Atlantic,		w/o
14 April 1943	DK750	818 Sqn FAA RN	0	'HMS Unicorn', the Irish Sea,		sub
28 April 1943	HS226	824 Sqn FAA RN	0	'HMS Unicorn', the Irish Sea,		sub
8 June 1943	HS346	818 Sqn FAA RN	0	'HMS Unicorn', the Irish Sea,		sub
8 June 1943	HS543	818 Sqn FAA RN	0	'HMS Unicorn', the Irish Sea,		w/o
16 June 1943	HS549	818 Sqn FAA RN	0	'HMS Unicorn', the Irish Sea,		sub
4 May 1945	NS134	705 Sqn FAA RN	2	Irish Sea, off the Isle of Man,		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
08-Feb-2021 19:08	Peter Clarke	Added
09-Feb-2021 14:02	Peter Clarke	Updated [Source, Narrative]
09-Feb-2021 18:26	Peter Clarke	Updated [Date, Time, Registration, Cn, Narrative]
13-Feb-2021 21:51	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Location, Country, Operator]