Seven van Roij profiles the world’s oldest airworthy Catalina
WARBIRDS CONSOLIDATED CATALINA
Through the cascades of spray, the crew saw that the submarine had suddenly surfaced. Catalina 2459 of US Navy squadron VP-73, operating out of Reykjavík, Iceland, had unleashed depth charges on U-tanker U-464 on August 20, 1942. The modified submarine kept attack-boats topped up with fuel and supplies, greatly extending their time at sea.
It was some time before Lt Robert B Hopgood and his crew knew they had sunk U-464. When the victory was confirmed, a message was sent back to base: “Sunk sub, open club!” The base commander, frustrated at VP-73’s lack of success had closed the officers’ club bar until a U-boat was sent to the bottom. Alcohol was back on the menu!
Consolidated handed over PBY-5A 2459 to the US Navy at its San Diego, California, plant on November 15, 1941, so the amphibian was already a veteran when the U-464 was dispatched. Lt M Luke and his crew were flying 2459 on October 5 and dropped four depth charges on U-582, sinking it.
The ’Cat’ transferred to VP-84, but remained based in Iceland. On June 24, 1943, Lt Joseph W Beach, piloting 2459, straddled U-194 with bombs. It looked like they’d crip…
