or bring on the sub. in which we are introduced to the boys of the Air.Sea.Rescue.
The Walrus was just completing its last sweep of the night. It had been totally uneventful, unless the crew counted being vectored in by Malta Radar to attack a small convoy, which turned out to be a chain of islands. Lt. Cdr. John Cowley was about to call it when his Navigator Sub Lt. John Askwith drew his attention to a darker grey streak with an iridescent tail in the water below them.
Banking the aircraft, and approaching out of the dawn sky, Cowley soon made it out to be a surfaced submarine ploughing its way towards the Gozo Chanel. Without more ado he instructed his Navigator to prepare for a Depth Charge run.
As they moved in to attack, the enemy showed that they were not unready by putting up a barrage from the forrard deck gun followed by machine gun fire from the Bridge.
Too late to dive, they were then straddled by four depth charges, which succeeded in damaging the hydroplanes sufficiently to prevent the sub from submerging.
Swinging away, Cowley's radio operator radioed in a message to "Hot dog" informing them of the position of the sub, before heading back to the island as they were getting low on fuel.
It was not long before 852 Sq. Swordfish A flight were in the vicinity and receiving long range fire from the Italian sub now moving towards open water in an attempt to return to Sicily.
Leading his Flight in an arc around the sub to get the best angle of attack. Lt. Cdr. John Cunningham switched on his R.T.
"Dean, John, swing into line astern of me for the run in."
"Wilco that sir." was the response from Lt. John Hawkmoore, and PMs Dean Reynolds,
With no more ado, Cunningham banked and dived towards the submarine, followed closely by his two wingmen.
As they dived both fore and aft deck guns now opened up on the slow moving Stringbags, but without any initial success.
Levelling out Cunningham steadied his aircraft despite the hail of incoming machine gun bullets which were now peppering his wings.
"Torps away pilot." came the voice of Lt. Brian Woodward over the intercom.
no need for that info, as the Swordfish rose upward as the weight was released.
"Torps running true" came the voice of the Navigator a minute later.
Followed by the gleeful cry "A hit." as they banked away from the frenzied AA and small arms fire of the sub, which had damaged his ailerons.
The AA now concentrated on "Hawkmoore" as he made his run.
Not as lucky as his leader, he took a near miss to the port wing which damaged his upper wing as a piece of shrapnel tore through the fabric, before he even reached the target.
Undeterred he got his own Torpedo away.
As he banked to follow Cunningham, Another round from the forrard gun exploded close by and this time did much more serious damage to his rudder. John found his steering almost impossible to control.
To add insult to injury the torpedo failed to explode.
He now took a direct hit in his engine which slowed down his escape.
Fire was now split between him and "Deano" as he made his run in.
Releasing his torp, "Deano" immediately came under fire, taking a slight hit to his wing struts from shrapnel.
Before he could bank away another near miss damaged his engine causing it to smoke furiously.
Nevertheless, his torpedo was dead on course.
As he finally managed to bank away his torpedo struck the submarine amidships just abaft the conning tower sending a geyser of spray into the sky and holing one of the ballast tanks.
Even with the fire continuing to burn on the after deck, this was not enough to sink the sub, and if anything its return fire got even more furious.
Slipping away between two more AA bursts, "Deno" followed his wingmen away from the damaged Italian vessel.
As the Swordfish ran for home "Deno" was the only machine still in range of the sub.
His smoke damage got worse but before it could turn to fire, another burst of fire from the Subs Forrard deck gun exploded under his tail section.
Without any control remaining the Stringbag flopped onto the surface of the sea, aquaplaned for several yards, and then settled by the stern.
As the crews dinghy inflated, the Cavalry arrived on the scene in the form of a Short Sunderland Flying boat.
Watching the sub continue to burn,
the Sunderland homed in on the Stricken submarine, at a height which shrugged off their attempts to damage it.
The Sunderland then delivered its full load of bombs.
As it swept overhead the aft deck gun scored a lucky hit, doing a moderate amount of damage to the Sunderland's belly.
In return the Flyingboat's bombs bracketed the sub, breaking its back in the concussive pressure wave generated.
Now dead in the water, and with fires breaking out throughout the ship, the gunners stuck to their task.
Another explosion hammered the port wing, as the Sunderland tried to escape the flack being directed against it.
As the submarine continued to burn, the Forrard gun crew were finally forced to abandon their position due to the encroaching flames.
This did not however prevent the aft gunners setting fire to the Sunderland with their very last shot.
Even as the Sunderland's Observer turned his extinguisher onto the fire,
The Italian vessel gave a last shudder and turned turtle. Filling rapidly with water, its stern rose up in what seemed like a last gesture of defiance, before disappearing forever amid a widening slick of oil into the deeps of the Mediterranean sea.
Half an hour later when the R.A.F. Air Sea Rescue Launch arrived from Kalafrana no sign of the sub was left save an abundance of flotsam and a life raft with the crew members in it.
Thus it was that the Fleet Air Arm struck the first offensive blow in the siege of Malta.
The Butcher's Bill.
852 Sq. F.A.A. The Bulldogs.
Lt Cdr. John Cunningham R.T.B.
Lt. John Hawkmoore. R.T.B.
PO. Dean Reynolds SD.S.
Ms. George Farmer SD.S.
Sub Lt. Brian Woodward. SD.S.
Lt Cdr John Cowley and crew. of the Walrus. RTB. No damage.
Lt Cdr, James Nasmith, Lt. Richard Makepeace And crew of the Sunderland RTB.
Fire extinguished.
Regia Marina.
One submarine sunk, many of the crew rescued by Air Sea Rescue Launch and interned.
Rob.
Note to Neil. I will send you the full crew rosta for the Sunderland and Walrus as soon as I get the chance.
R.
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