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S.25 Sunderland |
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The
Sunderland was a flying boat, developed for general
reconnaissance. It was developed from the S.23
"Empire" or "C-class" flying boat, the
flagship of Imperial Airways. The S.25 first flew on 16 October
1937. The first operational squadron was fully equipped with
Sunderlands by December, 1938.
In 1940, British shipping came under constant
attack by German U-boats. Once the United States entered the
war, ship convoys were attacked by the submarines, acting alone,
but more often in wolfpacks. The Sutherland patrolled the
approaches, or flew convoy protection missions. The two were often
combined, with the Sunderlands meeting the convoys at some
distance in the ocean. When an U-boat was sighted, the Sunderlands
tried to attack it before it submerged. Although described as
"depth charges", its bombs were set to explode at a
depth of 25 feet to 30 feet, effective enough against surfaced
submarines. Late in the war, the submarines were well-armed with
Flak and willing to fight it out, while zig-zagging on the
surface. In response, the Sunderlands were fitted with four fixed,
forward-firing guns, to silence the Flak. The confrontations were
extremely dangerous for both the Sunderland and the U-boat.
Sunderlands also attacked small surface ships. They were later
used in the Pacific War.
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Sunderland
From our Premier Series. 1/72nd scale. 19.2 wingspan
x 14.5" long
No. AEG8D-PR. Only $214.95 |
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Sunderland
Deluxe Series. 1/72nd scale.
18.8" wingspan x 13.75" long.
No. AEG8D-DX. Only $149.95 |
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