Today, around midday the SS Giralda was hit by a torpedo east of Kettleness off the North Yorkshire Coast. Three trawlers which went to help her found a faint ripple on the water, possibly caused by a hidden submarine. They dropped depth charges and marked the position with buoys.
At 1525 a Blackburn Kangaroo (B9983) aircraft from 246 Squadron RAF based at nearby Seaton Carew, set off to survey the area. The Squadron had only been formed a few weeks earlier by amalgamating various former RNAS flights. It’s new Kangaroos arrived at the same time (the only Squadron so equipped).
The crew Lieutenants Edmund Francis Waring and Henry John Smith reported:
“I have the honour to report that whilst on anti-submarine ‘patrol on Blackburn Kangaroo 9983, I sighted a long oil ‘slick, close in shore, about five miles away from me, just ‘as the south bound convoy was passing Runswick Bay. I altered course to investigate and sighted a submarine (submerged) in position 54-31 N. 0.40 W. She appeared to be lying on the bottom and did not alter her position. I got into position over her and released one 520-lb. bomb which detonated about 30 ft. from her starboard bow. Quantities of thick dark oil rose to the surface and a long succession of large bubbles, about 10 feet in diameter. We fired red Very Lights and H.M.S. Ouse came to where bubbles were still rising and dropped 7 or 8 depth ‘harges round the position. The last depth charge observed detonated directly on top of the hull of the submarine.”
About a fortnight later the wreckage of a German submarine, in this case the UC70 was discovered by divers in fourteen fathoms of water. The wreck remains in situ to this day. All 31 crew members were drowned.
Wearing was subsequently awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
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