Photos of LTJG Fowler's' DB Attack and LTJG Tennant's Gun Camera Film

 
 
 
 
  These pictures were taken by F.W. DITTMER, ACM3c, Radioman, in Lt.(jg) STEARNS' plane of the attack of Lt.(jg) FOWLER.  
     
 
Picture #1 - shows the splash of the bombs in the water just forward of the bow of the U/B as it breaks surface - Lt.(jg) FOWLER flew up U/B's track (away from plane taking pictures).
     
Picture #2 - shows the shock waves of the explosions just as conning tower begins to break surface.  Bow is now further out of water.
     
Picture #3 - shows spray of exploding charges going up ahead of U/B, the bow of which is hidden in the plumes.
     
Pictures #4 & 5 - shows spray dying down and splashes from bullets from Lt.(jg) STEARNS' plane.
     
Picture #6 - shows U/B in depth charge slick.
 
     
     
 
 

Photo #1 - DBs splash as bow reappears

Photo #2 - Shock wave of DB explosions

Photo #3  DB spray obscures bow of U-boat - bullets are from LTJG Stearns' turret gun

Photo #3  DB plume subsides, conning tower emerges from spray

Photo #3  DB plume subsides - U-boat fully surfaced

 

Photo #6  U-boat fully surfaced in DB slick

 

LTJG Tennant's Gun Camera Film

 
 
 
 
 
       The pictures Lt.(jg) TENNANT took show he made eight separate attacks on the U/B.  He was apparently able to do this by holding fire until at extremely close range - as each run shows the plane getting closer and closer to U/B without a trace of bullets splashing in the water until the plane is very close to U/B.  This fact is shown in the first three pictures.
 
 
 
 
Picture #1 - shows no bullets though the plane is even then quite close to the U/B.
     
Picture #2 - shows the first splashes beginning to hit the water.
     
Picture #3 - shows the height of the first attack.  It will be seen that the bullets are hitting the water on the port side of the U/B and then a clear patch of water with no splashes on the far side - and then another group of splashes in the water.
     
Picture #5 - of the third attack shows this more clearly.  It is believed that this is caused by the great majority of bullets hitting the conning tower, causing its silhouette to be outlined in the water beyond, as a clear patch to which no bullets can get because they hit the conning tower first.
 
 
        After the first three pictures, each succeeding one is only shot of the height of each strafing run Lt.(jg) TENNANT made.  The last picture is one of Lt.(jg) JOHNSON's strafing runs.
 
 
 
 
        He is to be commended for holding his fire until at such close range - as it not only made the fire much more effective, but enabled him to protect the TBF's for a much longer period.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
 
 

Photos #1, 2 and 3 (the top row, L to R) are all of the first run - Photos #4, 5 and 6 (bottom row, L to R) are of runs 2, 3 and 4

Photos #7 and 8 (top row, L to R) are of runs 5 and 6 - Photos #9 and 10 (bottom row, L to R) are of runs 7 and 8 - Photo #11 is one of LTJG Johnson's runs