Maryland 771 FAA Squadron x Tirpitz

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good night to all!
On the 22nd May 1942, a Maryland from 771 FAA Squadron sighted the Tirpitz on the leave.
Does anyone possess more information about the serial number, Codes and crew members who saw the Tirpitz/or that the Tirpitz has moved?
Many thanks in advance.
Adriano

[Ex Shack]

Hi Adriano
From a book, British Naval Aircraft, by Owen Thetford and published by Putnams(6 th Edition 1991) there is a reference to the use of a small number of Marylands by the Royal Navy. There is reference to an incident similar to the one you describe but with significant differences. The date given is 22/May/1941 when a Maryland of 771 Sqn took off from Hatston,in the Orkney Islands, and discovered that the Bismark and Prinz Eugen had left their Norwegian Fjord. On this report the UK Home Fleet was ordered out in pursuit. The crew were Lt N E Goddard RNVR and Cdr G A Rotheram OBE RN. The serial of the a/c is not given. The Bismark was sunk on 27/May/1941. This is different from what you have and may indicate that names and dates have been confused between perhaps 2 incidents
Regards
Dick

[Leendert]

Adriano,

I read on another forum that the Maryland was coded "W" and had two more crew: LA J.D. Milne and LA J.W. Armstrong. One of these two got a DSM (Distinguished Service Medal?), Rotherham a DSO and Goddard a DSC for spotting the Bismarck.


Regards,

Leendert

[Graham Boak]

The aircraft was AR720/W. There is a photo available of it, but as T at Twatt shortly afterwards. The code letter is quite small. The other Maryland at Harston was AR717/X

[Brian]

Hi Adriano

I have a copy of Hank Rotherham's memoirs and can send you extracts if you wish.

Best
Brian

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Ex-Shack, Leendert, Graham and Brian,
Many thanks to all of you, who kindly answered my question. YES, I made a mistake writting a thread by memory of date only, so I thought it was the Tirpitz and in fact it was the Bismarck who I was looking for...
BRIAN: If you could send me the extracts of Hank Rotherham it would be very nice of yours and enhance my knowledge of this flight.
Many many thanks again for helping, to both of you!
Adriano Baumgartner
( Now typing from Amazonie...3000km away from home! )

[Mark E Horan]

When Bismarck & Prinz Eugen appeared in Norway, the Officer in Command of HMS Sparrowhawk (RNAS Hatson), Captain Henry Lockhart St. John Fancourt, RN made efforts to attack the German warships should she attempt to break put. However, the Albacore TSRs transferred to his station did not have the range to reach Bergen and attack - they'd have to catch them at sea after leaving.

When the RAF was unable to get aircraft over Bergen in the prevailing weather, he volunteered put together a crew and make the attempt in the stations fast, multi-engine Maryland, AR720 (W). The plane was nominally assigned to 771 Squadron, FAA, the station's fleet requirements unit.

He had little problem finding a pilot - the Officer Commanding 771 Squadron, Temporary Lieutenant (A) Noel Ernest Goddard, RNVR insisted he be allowed to make the effort with a volunteer crew. Not to be outdone, both rating members of his regular crew, Acting Leading Airman John Walker Armstrong, SFx.900 (TAG-WO) and Leading Airman J. D. Milne (TAG-AG) claimed their right to go. The mission needed a top notch navigator, and Commander Geoffrey Alexander Rotherham, OBE, RN, the Station's executive officer, a highly experienced observer, volunteered to lead the flight.

The mission, flown at low altitude in IRF (Instrument Flight Rules) conditions, was flown exactly as laid out with Rotherham making a perfect landfall and they penetrated the fjiord and established that the two German warships had sailed. Armstrong sent morse signals to Coastal Command but no receipt was returned. Rotherham had Armstrong break into the target tow frequency and signal the word directly to the station. Not relying only on this (though Admiral Tovey did get the word), he had Goddard fly directly to Sumburgh, Hatston's advanced airfield, where the torpedo armed Albacores were wating to depart on their strike.

The torpedo strike never came off as the search effort did not sight the German warships. However, acting on Rotherham's message, Tovey sailed with the Home Fleet and, as we all know, eventually cornered and sank Bismarck after the FAA aircrew of HMS Ark Royal's TSR Squadrons crippled the ship with a virtual last chance strike in abysmal weather.

The 16 September 1941 edition of the London Gazette noted the awarding of many honors for those involved in the destruction of Bismarck. Included were three of the Maryland's aircrew. Rotherham was awarded the DSO, Goddard was awarded the DFC, and Armstrong the DSM. For reasons I don't understand, the last member of the crew, Milne, received nothing. I guess volunteering to make the dangerous mission knowing your turret gun would be the primary defense of the aircraft counted for nought when no aerial opposition was met.

As noted, Rotherham's book "It's Really Quite Safe" is an excellent read.

Hope this is of interest.

Mark E. Horan

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Thanks Mark for the aditional imput and very detaile account. I will try to have a look at the book you mentioned, by the way.
Yours
Adriano