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PHOTO 141. Catalina Z/209 Flying Boat.

The Catalina Z/209 flying boat that discovered the battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic at 1010 hours on 26 May 1941. Approximate position 49º 33' North, 21º 47' West. Catalina Z of 209 Squadron was commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs. However, he was not at the controls of the aircraft at the time of the sighting. The man who actually sighted the Bismarck was American Leonard B. "Tuck" Smith. The British only credited Briggs because he was the aircraft commander and didn’t want it known that Americans were involved since they were still considered neutrals. Click here to read Smith post action report.

Bismarck Baseline

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