Short S.25 Sunderland - Torch markings

Fleet Air Arm paint scheme for Torch campaign in B17 slot
original file by  Karel Chvojka.

cheers
Ade Kelly 'flying tiger'
apr 2005


Sunderland history courtesy of Karel Chvojka.

The Sunderland was developed from the Imperial Airways Empire civilian flying boat.
 It represented a dramatic increase in fighting capability over earlier, biplane boats. 
From the outbreak of war in 1939 the Sunderland was ceaselessly at work hunting and destroying U-boats,
 rescuing seamen and engaging so effectively with enemy aircraft that the Luftwaffe nicknamed it 'the flying porcupine'. On many occasions a single Sunderland fought off five or more hostile aircraft.
 One was attacked by six Ju-88's, shooting down three of the German aircraft and driving off the others. 
The Mark III introduced an improved hull form and - from 1940 onwards - Sunderlands of all marks carried ASV radar,
 Leigh lights for illuminating surfaced submarines, and increasingly advanced avionics.  
739 Sunderlands were built - 240 of them at Dumbarton by Blackburn.  The veteran flying boat's last sortie took place on  
15 May 1959 from Singapore - where Sunderlands had begun their combat duty 21 years earlier.

