🔥 WITNESS AN INCREDIBLE TRUE STORY OF WWII HEROISM AND SACRIFICE! 🔥
On June 24, 1944, the unforgiving Norwegian Sea became the stage for an epic duel. In this gripping episode, we recount the harrowing encounter between a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) PBY-5A Canso Catalina flying boat, captained by the courageous Flight Lieutenant David Ernest "Pop" Hornell of No. 162 Squadron, and the formidable German U-boat, U-1225, commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Ernst Sauerberg.
✈️ THE HUNT & THE BATTLE:
Hornell's Catalina, on anti-submarine patrol, spots the surfaced U-boat. What follows is a brutal exchange of fire. The Catalina is raked by 37mm Flak and 20mm cannons, sustaining critical damage:
💥 Fuselage shredded & Radio Operator Flight Sergeant Sidney Cole wounded.
🔥 Starboard engine hit, erupting into a terrifying inferno.
📻 Radio communications with base are severed, leaving them isolated.
🎯 UNWAVERING ATTACK & THE KILL:
Despite his aircraft burning and disintegrating around him, Hornell presses his attack with astonishing determination. His gunners return fire, silencing the U-boat's defenses. Hornell masterfully maneuvers the crippled, blazing Catalina for a perfect depth charge run, sending U-1225 to its watery grave.
🌊 SURVIVAL AGAINST ALL ODDS:
With one engine torn from the wing, Hornell executes an incredible crash landing in the violent, freezing seas. The crew, including Flight Sergeant Donald Scott and Sergeant Fernand St. Laurent, scramble for the dinghies. Tragically, one dinghy bursts, and St. Laurent is lost. Hornell, displaying unparalleled leadership and selflessness, gives up his place in the remaining overcrowded dinghy, enduring the icy water to give his men a better chance.
💔 ULTIMATE SACRIFICE & ENDURING LEGACY:
For 21 agonizing hours, the survivors battle exposure and despair. Though spotted by a friendly Catalina and eventually rescued by HSL 2507, the ordeal takes its toll. Flight Lieutenant Hornell, weakened by his sacrifice, succumbs to exposure shortly after rescue. For his extraordinary gallantry, David Hornell was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration for valour.
✨ IN THIS EPISODE, YOU'LL WITNESS: ✨
The brutal reality of anti-submarine warfare in WWII.
The sheer courage and skill of RCAF aircrews.
The incredible true story of leadership, determination, and ultimate sacrifice.
A detailed animated reconstruction of this historic engagement.
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