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| Date: | Thursday 13 June 1940 |
| Time: | Early mornin |
| Type: | Blackburn Skua II |
| Owner/operator: | 803 Sqn FAA RN |
| Registration: | L2955 |
| MSN: | - |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Vagnillgrenda 34 miles south of Trondheim -
 Norway
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMS Ark Royal |
| HMS Ark Royal |
Following the bombing of the German Battleship Scharnhorst in Trondheim Harbour, early morning of 13th June 1940, the 803 Sqn. Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, Blackburn Skua, L2955 "A7-Q", was shot down by 3/ZG-76 Luftwaffe, Messerschmitt Bf 110D flown by Leutnant, Heinrich Köhler. The aircraft force landed at Vagnillgrenda 34 miles south of Trondheim. Pilot, Sub-Lieutnant Richard Edward Bartlett (injured) and Telegraphist Air Gunner, Naval Airman, Lloyd George Richards survived and became prisoners of war. ( pictures of crash site on " Blackburn Skua Vagnildgrenda (tihlde.org) "
Fifteen Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy Blackburn Skuas took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal at 00:05 hrs. on 13th June 1940, (six, 800 Sqn. and nine, 803 Sqn.), to bomb the German Battleship Scharnhorst anchored in Trondheim Harbour. Eight were shot by down Messerschmitt Bf 109's & Bf 110's during the mission with only seven, (two, 800 Sqn. and five, 803 Sqn.) aircraft returning to land back on HMS Ark Royal by 03:45 hrs.
53% of the attacking aircraft were lost during the raid, inflicting only minimal damage on the Battleship Scharnhorst.
Sources:
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm Flying Personnel 1939 - 1947 (aircrewremembered.com)
Black Thursday – a disastrous Fleet Air Arm raid | Naval Air History
World War 2 - FAA No. 803 Squadron, January/June 1940 (epibreren.com)
Roll of Honour.jpg (1125×1113) (skua.no)
English Channel sea battles, June 1940 (naval-history.net)
Skua!: The Royal Navy's Dive-Bomber - Peter C. Smith - Google Books
http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/803_squadron.html#0905
Kracker Luftwaffe Archive (aircrewremembered.com)
Blackburn Skua Vagnildgrenda (tihlde.org)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Dec-2020 19:10 | Peter Clarke | Added |
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