Hi mhuxt, there is no mention of Sunderlands in 330 Squadron, have you made a mistake? U-668 was sighted after midnight by the 333 Squadron CATALINA and attacked.
U-423 was attacked and sunk by FP183 of 333 Squadron on the 17/6/44 with the use of a 6 depthcharge attack. Maybe this is a better subject for Chris?
Ray.

Hiya Super Sioux:

Confusion definitely, no mistake though I think. The 330 Squadron ORB and the 333 Squadron ORB are both available here:

http://presentations.uib.no/pls/portal/NAFA.DYN_OPERASJONSDAGBOK.show

The 330 Squadron ORB seems pretty clear about Sunderlands – on page 76 (Adobe page number) of the pdf file, it says:

“330(N) Squadron, Sullom Voe
16 May 1944
Sunderland III JM667
S/Lt. Johnsen, C. Captain”

It then goes on to describe an attack carried out on U-Boat at 17.25 on the 16th in position 63 05’N 03 10’E. On the second pass, four depth charges were dropped from 50 feet. Four were seen to explode close to the port side of the U-Boat. Thirty seconds after the attack, the bows were seen to be at a very steep angle – they then settled and the boat submerged stern first about one minute after the attack.

The account in the 333 Squadron ORB describes, as you say, an attack on a boat just after midnight, with results unclear.

Where I’m getting confused is – the Experten over at the uboat website, who track the fates of the various subs, seem to feel that the Sunderland attacked U-668, which went on its way undamaged. They apparently changed their minds after earlier having listed the Sunderland as having sunk U-240. Not sure why they made this decision, especially in light of your note of Hartmann having met von Eickstedt post-war.

They may not be aware of the ‘Flying Cats’ book. I’m going to make a pest of myself and copy your information across to them.

Hmmm:

Best I can do on the “burn out” is (are?) a couple of T.IIIs. Air Britain has “Lost power and forcelanded 1 1/2m NNW of Royston Cambs. 21.2.52, damaged beyond repair”, for HJ972. This is the closest 204AFS loss to Sywell (still around 35 miles away) that I can find, most of the rest being up around Nottingham & Scunthorpe.

The other (longshot) possibility is LR571 – “Damaged in accident 19.11.51 to 6988M 10.6.52”, though it’s only a chance due to no location being specified. Not sure you could get much use out of the remains as a maintenance training airframe, either.

All this assumes that the crashed Mossie is the same one as in the “before” pic, and that I’ve got the markings for 204AFS correct.

Hi:

Not sure about markings – I’m assuming you’re referring to the on-again, off-again KK markings, correct? Will have a look, think I saved a thread sometime in the distant past on this subject.

The guys over at uboat.net have something to say about U-668 – they mention the attack by V-330, but say the boat was undamaged. There’s nothing about a subsequent attack:

http://www.uboat.net/boats/u240.htm

Their forum might be worth a query. Maybe this was U-240 after all? The ORB says the boat attacked seemed to be disabled after the attack.

I also had a look at the 333 Sqn ORB – it says the aircraft involved in the attack that day was C, JV933.

Something’s wrong? Not my area of “expertise” by any means.

Arrrgh!

What a sad sight! Any chance of a close-up scan of the underside of the port wing? Looks like there are some markings there, might help…

The only reference to Sywell in this file (transcribed, I think, from Air Britain):

http://www.dehavilland.ukf.net/_DH98%20prodn%20list.txt

is NT298 – “Swung on take-off and u/c collapsed Sywell 24.5.51” whilst with 15MU. As NT298 was an NF.30, this could well be the aircraft in question, given the large radome, two-stage superchargers and the appropriate flame suppressors.

Weather looks right for May, too.

No worries – try http://www.uboat.net/ for the German side of the incident.

No worries.