What happened when eight Ju 88s attacked a Sunderland over…

What happened when eight Ju 88s attacked a Sunderland over the Bay of Biscay?

Short answer

It came through. On 2 June 1943 a Sunderland survived an attack by eight Ju 88s: it shot down three, came away riddled with holes and lost an engine. The aircraft was a Mk III of No. 461 Squadron RAAF, EJ134, with eleven crew under F/Lt Colin Walker. The remaining attackers withdrew.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What happened when eight Ju 88s attacked a Sunderland over the Bay of Biscay?

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Eight Ju 88s against a flying boat

On 2 June 1943, a Sunderland survived an attack by eight Ju 88s. The attackers were Junkers Ju 88Cs and the aircraft under attack a single Sunderland Mk III of No. 461 Squadron RAAF: EJ134, squadron code "N for Nuts". On board were eleven crew under F/Lt Colin Walker.

The battle, turret by turret

The dorsal turret gunner seriously damaged or shot down one of the Ju 88s. The next one to attack was hit by fire from the dorsal and nose turrets and appeared to have been shot down. The crew claimed three Ju 88s destroyed. The remaining attackers were forced to withdraw. The flying boat came out of the engagement riddled with holes and having lost an engine.

An aircraft that defended itself

It was not an isolated case: on several occasions the Sunderland was able to defend itself against several aircraft at once. The Germans are credited with the nickname Fliegendes Stachelschwein ("flying porcupine") for the Sunderland, attributed to its defensive firepower and how heavily armed the aircraft was.