ANALYSIS OF ANTI-SUBMARINE ACTION BY AIRCRAFT
	[ASW-6 No. 8]
	Unit:  VC-9.
	Location of Attack –     Latitude          50-40 N.
	Longitude        35-21 W.
	Date:  May 22, 1943.
	Time:  1704 (Zone plus 1).
	1.  The airplane was flying at an altitude of 1500 feet, enroute to develop a DF contact which the ship had obtained on a 59 group message transmitted by the submarine about 40 minutes previously.  The weather was clear with broken cumulus clouds whose bases were at 1200 to 1500 feet, and with 15 miles visibility.  Radar was not being used, and advantage was being taken of the cloud cover then available.  Slight contact was obtained on the submarine running with decks awash at a range of 5 miles and somewhat forward of the starboard beam.  This contact was obtained 7 minutes after the plane took off.  Taking good advantage of the cloud cover, the pilot was able to launch his attack and drop his bombs before the submarine became aware of his presence.  At an altitude of 100 feet, airspeed 175 knots, target angle 1500, the pilot released four Mark 17 flat nosed bombs with fuses set to function at 25 feet, and through intervalometer set for 80 feet spacing.  The explosions were observed to straddle the submarine somewhat forward of the stern, with the explosion farthest forward occurring approximately abeam of and to port of its forward gun.  Shortly thereafter the submarine submerged slowly but at an apparently normal angle of dive and left no indications of damage behind it on the surface.  The pilot marked the spot with smoke bombs and circiled at 500 feet until relieved by another plane of the squadron about 20 minutes later.  When he arrived over the carrier about 30 minutes after the attack, the pilot heard a radio report from the relief plane stating that he had attacked the submarine, which had by that time returned to the surface.  He returned to the scene and assisted the other plane in strafing the submarine in an attempt to keep its crew from scuttling the ship after surrendering.  This action took place approximately 25 miles on the convoy’s port quarter.
	2.  The entire procedure surrounding this attack, beginning with the interception of the submarine’s radio message, was excellent in every detail.  The report of the action was complete and well prepared and was accompanied by a fine series of gun-camera photographs and enlargements.  One of the enlargements is among the most unusual ever seen.  Not only is it a good picture of an enemy submarine running with decks awash, but it shows two of the bombs still in flight.  One of the bombs appears to have lost its flat nose and, apparently, some of its tail.  Directly over this bomb is an unidentified, irregular-shaped object which may indicate that the bomb had struck the deck of the submarine while in flight.  The other bomb appears quite intact and just about to hit the water almost at the submarine’s side.
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