Fly Past

ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH WHITLEY 100 YEARS OF THE ROYAL AIR FORCE

BOMBERS RAF CENTENARY CELEBRATION 35

More DCs were dropped as the sub
crash-dived.
As the light was failing, U-415 was
once more on the surface making as
much speed as it could for France. It
was the turn of a Whitley VII of 612
Squadron, operating out of Davidstow
Moor to have a go. The sub’s gunners
put up withering fire at the bomber,
which let its DCs go wide of the mark.
The Whitley came around for another
try, this time more accurately. The
sub escaped and several days later,
it arrived in Brest; its crew having
had a horrifying time while Coastal
Command stalked it.
On May 13 another Pembroke Dock
based Sunderland, this time of 228
Squadron, caught U-564 unawares.
The flying-boat inflicted serious

damage on the exposed U-boat, but

the sub’s gunners shot DV967 down,

killing its crew.

The U-boat had been on its way

out into the Atlantic to begin a killing

spree but had to turn around and

limp back to Brest. At St Eval, 10

Operational Training Unit (OTU)

had an anti-submarine flight to make

the most of the skills of its Whitleys

and instructors.

Captaining Mk.V BD220 was

Australian Sgt A J ‘Buzz’ Benson and

he was directed to the area where the

U-564 was expected to be. He found

the submarine on the surface and

for two hours faithfully shadowed it,

reporting its position.

With armed DCs on board, Benson

decided that action was called for

and attacked through a hail of flak

from his target. The submarine was

straddled and it sank with all hands.

The Whitley had been damaged and

it became clear that it would not make

landfall in England. After ditching,

a French fishing boat picked up the

crew and took them to France where

they became prisoners of war.

The offensive role of 10 OTU was

exceptionally valuable against the

U-boats during the campaign from

the summer of 1942 until July 1943

when the Whitleys were withdrawn.

The intention was to harass U-boats,

but pilots like Benson seized

opportunities. As the crew of BD220

proved 10 OTU’s aggressive sorties

were not without loss: 33 of the unit’s

Whitleys failed to return.

Above left

Close-up of a Nash

and Thompson FN4A-

powered, four-gun

turret on a Whitley IV.

The type was the fi rst

with this formidable

armament.

Above

Whitley IVs on the

production line at

Baginton, Coventry.

KEC

Below left

A Whitley of 51

Squadron on

approach to its base

at Dishforth. The

unit operated Mk.IIs,

IIIs, IVs and Vs from

February 1938 to

November 1942.

“Whitleys went into action during the opening night of the war

and were the fi rst RAF bombers over Berlin, dropping propaganda

leafl ets on October 1/2, 1939.”