Flying Boats and Floatplanes of WW2 Quiz

Answer: UK

The Short Sunderland was built in large numbers, almost 750 between 1938 and 1946. It had been built in parallel with the Short Empire - a long-distance passenger and mail carrier which served the British Empire in the years before the start of WW2 and beyond.
The Sunderland carried a crew of up to 11 when on duty and was used in a number of different roles.
Defensively, it carried up to 12 machine guns - earning it the nickname of the 'flying porcupine' - and could carry bombs, depth charges and mines which were stored internally and winched out under the wings through hatches in the side of the aircraft.

Answer: USA

The Curtis Seamew was used by both the American Navy (which renamed it Seagull after an earlier aircraft) and British Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. Versions were produced with a fixed wheeled undercarriage as well as others with floats. The American Navy carried the aircraft on board some of their ships where it could be launched by catapult for scouting purposes and recovered later by crane.
The aircraft carried a crew of 2 and was armed with 2 machine guns. It could carry bombs or depth charges under the wings.
795 were built between 1939 and 1945 when the aircraft was retired.

Answer: Germany

The Dornier DO 26 was originally intended to be launched from ships to carry mail across the Atlantic Ocean. With the outbreak of WW2, the original 3 aircraft of this type were converted for military use and were joined by 3 more soon after.
They carried a crew of 4 and could carry up to 18 passengers.
The aircraft were fitted with 1 cannon and 3 machine guns for defensive purposes. They were used mainly for carrying troops and supplies during the Norwegian campaign, during which 3 of the aircraft were lost - one during an aerial dogfight and the other 2 at anchor when attacked by RAF Hurricanes.

Answer: Japan

Kawanishi H8K allied reporting name "Emily" - was a Japanese flying boat, used extensively during WW2. Built between 1941 and 1945, it was used as a long-range patrol aircraft and could carry bombs, depth charges or 2 torpedoes. It was armed with 10 machine guns for defense.
This aircraft has been described as the best flying boat of the Second World Was and 167 were built.
2 of these aircraft were involved in a second attack on Pearl Harbor in 1942 but, due to weather conditions, damage was minimal. To reach Hawaii, they had been refuelled at sea by submarines. A clever way of extending their already impressive range (4,444 miles/7,152 kms).

Answer: USA

The Vought OS2U Kingfisher was an American floatplane which was also produced as a land based version with non-retractable wheels instead of the floats. It was mainly used in the Pacific Theatre during WW2 where it was put to use in many different roles including search and rescue, reconnaissance, as a bomber and as a spotter plane to direct fire for battleships, cruisers etc. For the latter, the Kingfisher could be launched from ships using a catapult and recovered later by crane. Over 1,500 of this aircraft were built and it was used around the world.

The Kingfisher was armed with up to 3 machine guns and could also carry bombs and depth charges.

Answer: Italy

The Cant Z.506 was an Italian floatplane, one of the largest of its type to serve in WW2. It was powered by 3 radial engines and, although made largely of wood, was very capable of operating on rough seas. Adapted from an earlier aircraft (the Z.505) it was used as a transport aircraft, air/sea rescue, patrol, convoy escort and could also carry bombs or a torpedo.
It carried a crew of 5 and was armed with up to 4 machine guns for defence. It first saw service during the Spanish Civil war. During the early days of WW2, Greece and France used the Z.506 for various and it was later used by the German Luftwaffe too.
Over 230 of the aircraft were built.

Answer: USA

The Martin PBM Mariner was a flying boat, first built in 1939 and used extensively by the US Navy during WW2. Powered by 2 radial engines, it had a range of up to 3,000 miles (4,800 km). It could carry 2 torpedoes or 4,000 lbs of bombs and was fitted with 8 machine guns for defence, operated by some of its 7 crew members. Surprisingly, the bomb bays were incorporated in the engine nacelles.
The Mariner was credited with sinking 10 submarines during WW2 in its anti-submarine role, mainly in the South Pacific theatre of the war. A number were also used by the US Coastguard for homeland security duties.
The Mariner was later used during the Korean war until retired from US service in 1956. In total, 1,366 were built.

Answer: Germany

The Blohm & Voss BV 138 'Seedrache' was a long range maritime patrol aircraft during WW2 which flew in 1937. Almost 300 examples of this aircraft were built between 1938 and 1943. It was used in a number of roles including aerial naval-mine detector, troop carrier and for detecting enemy shipping using on-board radar equipment.
The aircraft had a maximum range of 760 miles/1,220 km and used a crew of 6. It could carry bombs or depth charges and had 2 cannon and 2 machine guns for defence.
No complete examples of this aircraft survive although the wreckage of a few have been discovered in recent years. Some of the wreckage has been recovered and stored in a museum.

Answer: UK

The Supermarine Walrus was a single-engine biplane used by Britain before and during WW2. It was designed by RJ Mitchell, famous for also designing the Supermarine Spitfire amongst others, and 740 of this type were built. Its main role was as an amphibious patrol aircraft but it was also used to rescue downed aircrew and for anti-submarine duties. Some were carried on cruisers and battleships where they could be launched as spotter aircraft, to be recover later using the ship's own crane.
As this aircraft had retractable wheels, it was also capable of landing at an airfield and, due to its low speed, could also set down on an aircraft carrier without the need for an arrester hook.
Its top speed was a mere 135mph (217km/h) and it had a range of 600 miles (970 km). It had 2 machine guns and could be armed with bombs or depth charges.
The aircraft saw action in many parts of the world and was used by Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand amongst others. A few examples of the aircraft survived to this day and can be found in museums in the UK and in Australia.

Answer: USA

The Consolidated PBY Catalina was an American Flying Boat first flew in 1935 and when production ceased 1945, over 3,300 had been built, mainly in the USA. Amongst its many roles during WW2 were convoy escort, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue and as a cargo transporter. It had a range of over 2,500 miles (4,000 km) and carried a crew of 8.
The aircraft could carry bombs, depth charges and could be adapted to carry torpedoes too. It was armed with 5 machine guns. It was powered by 2 radial engines and had retractable undercarriage to allow ground landings.
The Catalina was used by many different countries before, during and after WW2 including the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, France and more. It was An RAF Coastal Command Catalina which helped track down the German battleship Bismark in May 1941, leading to the ship being put out of use before it could attack the much needed convoys. A flight of American Navy Catalinas also spotted the Japanese fleet approaching Midway ahead of the Battle of Midway.
There are a great many surviving Catalinas around the world, some still flying, others in museums, stored or under restoration.