Maritime Is Number Ten - The Sunderland Era 1939-45

A History of No. 10 Squadron RAAF

By Baff, K.C. (Flight Lieutenant)
1983, Griffin Press
ISBN 095923960X
Hardcover, 466 pages

Descripton: An extremely thorough, well-illustrated and readable unit history based on primary archives and extensive interviews with surviving Australian, British and German participants. No. 10 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force was based in Britain and served as part of Coastal Command throughout the European conflict. From February 1940 onwards, the Sunderlands of the Squadron flew war patrols against U-Boats and Axis surface shipping. Their areas of operations included the English Channel, the Western Approaches and the Bay of Biscay. They fought regular bitter gun battles with German aircraft over the Bay of Biscay and often managed to successfully defend themselves and shoot down their attackers. The Squadron participated in many U-Boat attacks, including graphically-documented battles which damaged U-71 and U-105. They sank six U-Boats: U-26, U-243, U-426, U-465(mis-identified as U-447), U-454, and U-563. The Squadron also performed several life-saving air-sea rescues and transported many VIPs through enemy airspace to beleaguered Malta and other parts of the Mediterranean. 466 pages including detailed appendices on the 150 personnel killed plus fates of the 53 Sunderland aircraft operated by the Squadron over the course of the war.