U-243, Imperial War Museum

Oblique aerial photograph taken from Short Sunderland Mark III, W4030 'H', of No. 10 Squadron RAAF, while attacking German type VIIC submarine U-243, west of St Nazaire in the Bay of Biscay. Depth charges dropped by W4030, one of which crippled the U-boat, explode by its stern. Splashes from machine gun fire from the Sunderland's rear turret, which put both the submarine's 37-mm and port twin 20mm guns out of action, can be seen leading across the water below the DC explosion. After further attacks by another Sunderland of 10 Squadron RAAF and a Consolidated Liberator of the US Navy, U 243 was abandoned by its crew and sank. The U-boat lost 11 dead and had 38 survivors. A dinghy and food-pack were dropped for the survivors.