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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 1798.PDF
FLIGHT SUNDERLAND AND SUBMARINE : (From left downwards). Depth charges straddle a U-Boat as "* an R.C.A.F. Sunderland attacks.—Swirls on the surface indicate where the depth charges have dropped.—The first two depth charges explode as the rear gunner's fire rakes the deck.—Continued below. —>- were the moans a£ this serious omission! From breakfast over to the operations room for briefing. Here we were told the path of our patrol and what we could expect in the way of air cover. Next came the "Met." officer with a weather map showing the biggest depression over the South Atlantic I have ever seen, and another expected to form. No wonder the fighting was held up by bad weather in Normandy. Cloud height, we were told, would vary between 2,000ft. and 5,000ft., coming down to 1,500ft. in the patrol area. The barometric pressure would be 1,014 millibars at the outset, falling to 1,008 millibars when coming off patrol. Briefing finished, we walked to the jetty. A dinghy was waiting to take the aircrew to Sunderland, U for Uncle, at No. 4 mooring. On the way we passed a number of other Sunderlands tied to their rubber buoys and with their airscrews all with one blade vertical in order to give a maximum of boat clearance under the wing. As soon as the crew were on board, collars and ties were removed, sweaters put on and tile boat prepared for flying. The Skipper, F/O. Moore, a Cornish- man, was scnjipulously careful in his infraction, going right through the ship from nose to taiy turret; then up to t]|p bfdge to test the controls after pulling out the control locking pins— even the trimming tabs were checked for operation. What a big job it is—this getting a fly ing boat off on patrol! As a final precaution, before taking off, the skipper held a last-minute briefing in the ward room. Then, as we started our en gines , (port outer, starboard outer, starboard inner, port inner—in that order) and gently slipped our moor ings, the time signal came over the radio and the wireless operator checked his watch byt it. All four engines showed 1,000 r.p.m. as we taxied to the take-off area and warmed up the Pegasus 1,000 h.p. XVIIIs at the same time. Outers and inners were run-up twice to 2,600 BEFORE A TRIP : Untold quanti ties of bacon, eggs and chips have been stowed away in Coastal Command aircrew messes. A 24-hour service is maintained. I
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