[Juha]

Originally Posted by Paul Thompson

Juha,

Do you know anything about the fate of the Catalinas? The Hampdens and Spitfires have been written about in Russian sources, but I've never seen anything on the Catalinas.

For reference, the 3 links below have data relevant to the transfer flights:

1. Brief mention of the operation
http://www.lincsaviation.co.uk/histo...pden-AE436.htm

2. List of Hampdens lost on the way to the USSR
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/tsatsa.html

3. Mention of one of the lost Hampden aircrew murdered during the Great Escape
http://www.elsham.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/gt_esc/

Regards,

Paul

Not much, there is a short mention in http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/210_wwII.html. Also some in a couple books. According to Ashworth's RAF Coastal Command 1936-1969 (1992) p. 62 none of the Catalinas were lost. There is also an article or two in old Aeroplane Monthly/ies on Catalina activities in Spitzbergen which might have been connected with PQ 18 but I cannot remember exactly the dates of those ops. They were connecting on the reoccupation of Spitzbergen by the Free Norway Forces with the help of RAF and RN.
And the story of the Handley-Page HP52 Hampden TB.1 - Serial # AE436 144 Squadron, Leuchars, Scotland, that crashed in Tsatsa mountain in Sweden on the way to Afrikanda, a Russian airfield located S of Murmansk is given here http://www.forcedlandingcollection.s...024-AE436.html
The track of the only Reconnaissance in force mission flown by the 23 Hampdens can be found in RAAF in WWII Ch11 War at Sea Jan-Sept 42 p. 296 which is digitalized and can be found in the net.