July 10th, 2005
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| two cases of air to air combat spring to mind, both involving the same aircraft....the shorts sunderland flying boat  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shorts_Sunderland Quote: |
On 3 April 1940, a Sunderland operating off Norway was attacked by six German Junkers Ju 88 fighters, and managed to shoot one down, damage another enough to send it off to a forced landing, and drive off the rest. The Germans were supposed to have nicknamed the Sunderland the "Fliegende Stachelschweine" (Flying Porcupine).
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This reputation was enhanced by a savage air battle between eight Ju 88C long-range heavy fighters and a single RAAF Sunderland Mark III on June 2, 1943. There were eleven crewmen on board the Sunderland, including nine Australians and two British. The crew was on an antisubmarine patrol and also searching for remains of an airliner that had left Gibraltar the day before, to be shot down over the Bay of Biscay with the loss of all crew and passengers, including British film star Leslie Howard, known for his starring role in The Scarlet Pimpernel and supporting work in Gone with the Wind.
In the late afternoon, one of the crew spotted the eight Ju 88s. Bombs and depth charges were dumped while Walker redlined the engines. Two Ju 88s made passes at the flying boat, one from each side, scoring hits while the Sunderland went through wild "corkscrew" evasive maneuvers. The fighters managed to knock out one engine. On the third pass of the fighters, the top-turret gunner managed to shoot one down. Another Ju 88 disabled the tail turret, but the next fighter that made a pass was bracketed by the top and nose turrets and shot down as well.
Still another fighter attacked, smashing the Sunderland's radio gear, wounding most of the crew in varying degrees and mortally wounding one of the side gunners. A Ju 88 tried to attack from the rear, but the tail turret gunner had managed to regain some control over the turret and shot down the German fighter. The surviving fighters pressed home their attacks, despite the losses. The nose gunner chewed up one of the fighters and set one of its engines on fire. Two more of the attackers were thoroughly shot up, and the other two finally decided they'd had enough and departed. Luftwaffe records indicate these were the only two that made it back to base.
The Sunderland was a wreck. The crew threw everything they could overboard and nursed the aircraft back to the Cornish coast, where Walker managed to land and beach it. The crew waded ashore, carrying their dead comrade, while the surf broke up the Sunderland. The pilot, Walker, received the Distinguished Service Order, and several of the other crew received medals as well. Walker went on to a ground job, while the rest of the crew were given a new Sunderland. That Sunderland and its crew disappeared without a trace over the Bay of Biscay two months later, after reporting by radio that they were under attack by six Ju 88s.
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