RAF Catalina AH545

Royal Air Force Catalina AH545 of No. 209 Squadron located the German battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic on 26 May 1941 after surface forces had lost contact. Pilot Officer Dennis Briggs and U.S. Navy observer Ensign Leonard B. Smith flew the search mission from Lough Erne, and their contact report allowed pursuing forces to regain the track. The airframe is cataloged because this specific patrol had a major historical consequence.