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Description: | BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH (ADMIRALTY) CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED. / OUT WITH U-BOAT KILLER NO. 1: SECOND ESCORT GROUP'S SUCCESSES. / This is one of dramatic series of photographs in action sequence taken by a Naval photographer, who accompanied Captain F.J. Walker, C.B., D.S.O and 2 bars, R.N. (Commanding the 2nd Escort Group) in the sloop HMS STARLING, on his most recent and most successful anti-U-boat patrol. Three of the group's six U-boat "kills" were made within 16 hours - a record. The First Lord Mr. A.V. Alexander, welcomed home the group on their return. Its total U-boat bag now raised to 17. / H.M.S. Kite, joins in the depth charge attack and is dwarfed by the column of water which rises six-times her own height as she seals a deadly blow to one of the six U-boats. (Picture issued MARCH: 1944). 21989 PAR.36.
A view taken from the Escort Sloop HMS Starling (1942) of the column of water from depth charge explosions. Nearby can be seen a port stern view of HMS Kite (1942), a modified Black Swan class Sloop, which is dwarfed by the water column. This photograph was taken during one of the many depth charge attacks on U-boats of the 'Igel' (Hedgehog) group in early February 1944 off the west coast of Britain.
The Admiralty note refers to this as one of a series taken during a successful anti-U-boat patrol during which Captain F. J. Walker's Second Escort Group sank six U-boats within 28 days. This particular period was between 31 January and 19 February, when the Group was sent to intercept a new U-boat group to be deployed from bases in Biscay. The five sloops had a successful time, although HMS Woodpecker (1942) was damaged and capsized and sank while under tow.
Sources:
Hitler's U-boat War. The hunted, 1942-1945 by Clay Blair | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Subjects: | Kite (1942) | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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