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Description: | BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHY (ADMIRALTY) / CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED. / FLEET AIR ARM TRIUMPH IN CONVOY ACTION. / Avenger aircraft from two British Escort Carriers, H.M.S. Tracker and H.M.S Activity, escorted a signal success in April, when the convoy they were escorting to Northern Russia was attacked by German U-boats and aircraft. Six German aircraft were destroyed, and one U-boat was sent to the bottom. / Picture shows:- (taken from one the attacking Avengers) "Depth charge gone". A huge tower of spray rises alongside the U-boat as a depth charge explodes (Picture issued June 1944) 22860 X.
A view from the gun position at the aft of the Avenger 'G-George' aircraft looking back towards an attack on U-288 a German U-boat. A column of water from an exploding depth charge can be seen partially obscuring the surfaced U-boat.
The Admiralty note states that this event happened on a convoy to Russia in April 1944. This would mean that it was Convoy JW58. The only U-boat sunk by an Avenger during this convoy and time period was U-288. U-288 (commanded by Willy Meyer, aged 31) was spotted on the morning of 3 April 1944 and attacked by a Swordfish from HMS Activity's 819 Squadron, which she shot down. The remaining Swordfish called up assistance from an Avenger [FN869] (Lt. J. S. Toner) and a Wildcat/Martlet from HMS Tracker's 846 Squadron. The Wildcat strafed the U-boat and silenced the flak guns, and the Swordfish attached with rockets that missed. G-George Avenger then dropped 4 500lb depth charges and U-288 exploded and sank. There were no survivors.
Sources:
Arctic Convoys by Richard Woodman
Convoys to Russia, 1941-1945 by Ruegg & Hague
Hitler's U-boat War. The hunted, 1942-1945 by Clay Blair
Fleet Air Arm Aircraft, 1939-1945 by Ray Sturtivant, with Mick Burrow. | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Subjects: | U-288 Willy Meyer | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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