Caught on the Surface

Caught on the Surface
by
Robert Taylor
Circling in a defensive pattern, each of the three submarines could bring to bear 10 guns to welcome an intruder, together providing an intense wall of firepower comprising no fewer than 30 cannons plus machine guns. The effective use of depth charges demanded an attack from an extremely low level, and the dangers to the aircrews were therefore immense.
A predominantly Australian crewed Sunderland from No. 461 Squadron RAAF arrived on the scene. Its pilot, Flight Lieutenant Dudley Marrows, having assessed the situation, immediately heads into the attack. Bringing his massive flying boat, identification letter U, down to wave top height, he makes a daring run at the nearest U-Boat. By a strange quirk of fate, his chosen target in U-461, a type XIV tanker.

The Signatures The Signed & Numbered Edition Each print is signed by Four crew of Sunderland 'U', and Four crew of U-461
The crew of Sunderland U, 461 Squadron RAAF, the 'Anzac' Squadron
Flight Lieutenant Dudley Marrows DSO DFC (Captain and Pilot) On 30 July 1943, Dudley Marrows captained Sunderland U/461 Sqn, and took part in the "Greatest air/U-Boat battle of WWII". During the engagement, all three U-Boats were sunk, whilst Marrow's Sunderland 'U' of 461 accounted for U/461. On 16 Sept 1943, his Sunderland was attacked by six JU88s, after having battled them for more than an hour, shooting one down and loosing three engines in the process, he force landed on the Bay of Biscay in a 15' swell. His sunderland, riddled with bullet holes subsequently sank with all crew surviving to be rescued by the Royal Navy. Marrows then Captained one of six Sunderlands to Australia for service with 40 Sqn RAAF. Flight Lieutenant John 'Jock' Rolland (Navigator) Flight Lieutenant Peter Jensen (1st Wireless Operator - Air Gunner) Warrant Officer Horrie Morgan ( Wireless Operator - Air Gunner) Flight Lieutenant Gerald Watson (Engineer) - Victoria Cross Edition only Flying Officer Robert Webster (Wireless Operator - Air Gunner) - Victoria Cross Edition Only
The crew of German U-boat U-461
Leading Seaman Alois Momper Able Seaman Helmut Roschinski	Medical Orderly Wilhelm Hoffken Able Seaman Gerhard Korbjuhn

The Victoria Cross Edition 65 Proofs of Caught on the Surface, sighed by additional Sunderland 'U' Signatories, and issued with a matching numbered Companion Print drawing signed by three additional highly decorated Catalina pilots.
Surface Action Print size: 17 1/2" x 20 1/4" Just four Coastal Command crew were awarded the Victoria Cross - three of these were posthumously. The fourth was John Cruickshank. Robert Taylor's fine pencil drawing shows the RAF Coastal Command Catalina flown by John Cruickshank sinking U-boat U-347 on 17 July, 1944. Though badly injured by gunfire, Cruickshank pressed home his attack and, for his act of extreme heroism, was awarded the Victoria Cross.
Flight Lieutenant John Alexander Cruickshank VC On 17th July 1944, Cruickshank was pilot of a Coastal Command Catalina. After eight hours of patrolling, the aircraft spotted U-347 on the surface and attacked. Heavy flak from the U-boat riddled the Catalina, with one shell exploding inside the aircraft killing the navigator and seriously injuring several crew. Cruickshank received severe wounds to his chest and legs but giving no indication of his injury he pressed home his attack, sinking U-347 with six depth charges. With his aircraft badly damaged, Cruickshank turned for home but his wounds were so great that he lapsed in and out of consciousness, barely able to nurse his aircraft home. After landing he was found to have a staggering total of 72 individual wounds.
Air Commodore Leonard Birchall DFC OBE 'The Saviour of Ceylon" In 1942 the Japanese fleet which attacked Pearl Harbor was planning to attack the British island of Ceylon, which would force the closure of the Suez Canal to the Allies. On April 4th, Leonard Birchall was piloting a Catalina of 413 Squadron on what was one of the war's most significant missions, After patrolling for 12 hours, 350 miles south of Ceylon, he spotted the massive Japanese fleet, including 5 aircraft carriers. He managed to transmit their position before being attacked by 14 Zeros, Shot down with three of his crew being killed, Birchall was taken prisoner of was but his actions had saved the Royal Navy fleet from surprise attack. Air Commodore Edward Hale DFC CD Edward Hale joined the RCAF in 1939. After training, he was soon flying Catalinas with 161 (Bomber Reconnaissance) Squadron RCAF on anti-submarine patrols from the east coast of Canada, based at Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. On the night of September 24th, 1943, flying Canso 9837, he attacked and sunk a German U-boat in the North Atlantic during a mission that lasted 23 hours and 55 minutes. He was awarded the DFC in January 1945 after 120 operational sorties. He later served with distinction in Korea flying the F-86 Sabre, attached to the US 51st Fighter Group under Gabby Gabreski.