Liberator Shot Down by U Boats & Force Landed 30.7.43 Portugal

[Rainer]

All details about this action can be found in chapter 9 "Destruction of a whole group" in the book "Conflict over the Bay" written by Norman Franks.

He also lists the crew of Liberator BZ730 (53 Sqn RAF/O):
Pilot F/O William John Irving
2nd pilot F/O Robert E. Dobson
Navigator F/O J. Haste
WOP/AG P/O R.G. Sharpe
WOP/AG Sgt A.J. Pudifin
W/AG Sgt J.G. Humphreys
WOP/AG Sgt J. Wildon

The Liberator tried to reach Gibraltar by following the coast of Portugal, but running out of fuel was forced to land at Portela, the airport of Lisbon. The crew was allowed to leave on 9 August 1943.

I wonder what became of Liberator BZ730. British online sources mention the aircraft was returned to the USAAF after its internment in Portugal and US online sources say it was returned to the RAF.

Of interest may also be the interrogation reports of survivors from the U-boats sunk in this action. That of U-461 can be found here: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-461INT.htm and that of U-462 is available here: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-462INT.htm

The report of proceedings from the 2nd Support Group that subsequently sank U-504, the third U-boat of this group, can be found here: http://www.uboatarchive.net/U-504.htm


The attack carried out by Irving during the night of 9./10. April 1944 was on U-821: https://uboat.net/boats/u821.htm