RAAF Pilots U-Boat Sinkings

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RAAF Pilots U-Boat Sinkings
This site shows the RAAF pilot kills and also others where RAAF crew were involved. These sinkings were credited to Britain as they were RAF squadrons.

u461.jpg

uboat.net - Fighting the U-boats - Aircraft - The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)

'Caught on the Surface'. The sinking of U-461 by an RAAF Sunderland, 461/U, in the Bay of Biscay in July 1943, as depicted by aviation artist Robert Taylor.

INTRODUCTION

Despite the fact that Australia is situated quite literally at the other end of the Earth from the North Atlantic Ocean, Australian airmen were intensively involved in fighting the U-boats throughout WW2. The participation of Australians in the Battle of the Atlantic arose from two decisions made early in the war. In September 1939, the RAAF happened to have two squadrons of Short Sunderland flying boats under construction in the UK. When war broke out, Australia supported Britain by committing the flying boats and their Australian crews to anti-U-boat patrols in British waters.
At about the same time, the British 'Dominion' countries (such as Australia and Canada) were organised into a massive 'Empire' aircrew training scheme. Under this scheme, individual RAAF aircrew could find themselves receiving basic training in Australia, followed by advanced training in Canada and operational conversion with RAF units in Britain. This system produced a sustained flow of Australians into Europe even after the Japanese attack in the Pacific in 1941.
It was originally expected that Australian aircrew arriving in Britain would be used to form wholly 'Australian' squadrons. This did indeed happen for around half of the RAAF manpower supplied to Europe. The other half were randomly allocated as replacements throughout the British RAF. As a result, many RAAF airmen played important roles in U-boat sinkings which have historically been classified as 'British' successes.
The chronology below lists 29 U-boat sinkings and eight other significant actions where RAAF airmen made a major contribution. In many cases, references are listed for relevant photos held by the Australian War Memorial in Canberra (AWM). The photos can easily be viewed at Collection Databases.

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30 July 1943
U 461, a type IV supply submarine, commanded by Korvettenkapitan Wolf-Harro Stiebler.

Sunderland III U/461 Squadron RAAF. Serial No. W6077.

Crew.
F/L. D. Marrows RAAF Captain
P/O. P C. Leigh RAAF 1st pilot.
F/S. P E. Taplin RAAF 2nd pilot.
F/O. J S. Rolland RAAF. Nav.
Sgt. G M. Watson RAAF Eng
Sgt. A N. Pierce RAAF Fitter.
P/O. P T. Jenson RAAF 1st WOP
F/S. H H. Morgan RAAF 2nd WOP.
Sgt. D C. Sydney RAFF AG
Sgt. R L. Webster RAAF 3rd WOP.
Sgt. F Bamber RAFF Rigger.
J. Tainer u/t

Air patrols this day caught three surfaced U-boats heading out across the Bay of Biscay. Dudley Marrows and his crew sighted them at 1148 hrs, with a Halifax and a US Liberator circling nearby. Combined fire from the U-boats was keeping the aircraft at bay, but then as the Liberator tried an attack and took the attention of the German gunners, Marrows attacked and straddled one of the boats with seven D/Cs and the boat disappeared under plumes and scum. Heavy fire from the other boats was returned by nose and tail gunners, and when the area cleared, survivors could be seen in the water. The Sunderland flew over taking pictures and a dinghy was dropped, some of the Germans being seen ti climb into it. One D/C remained, but an attempt to attack a second boat was driven off by heavy flak. The Sunderland had been hit and a fire did break out, but it was put out by an extinguisher. On the flight home another U-boat was seen, but although an attack was made, the final D/C still could not be released. They landed and refuelled at the Scilly Isles before flying back to base.
U 461 went down at five minutes to midday. This had been her sixth patrol, having sailed from Bordeaux three days earlier for the Atlantic to supply Wolf Packs. It was a strange twist of fate that led Sunderland U/461 to attack and sink U 461.

[Antipodean Andy]

I recently (probably six months ago) attended a talk by a former Lib pilot who flew for Coastal COmmand. Can't remember if he was an Aussie or a Pom. Aussie, I think. Anyhoo, he gave a great, if brief, talk on hunting U-boats over the North Atlantic, finding them on radar and attacking with the four-cannon pack etc. Must find out who he was. Actually, I can get a video of the talk so that'll help.