Supermarine Walrus 1 (L2301) [@ Fleet Air Arm Museum]
Designed by R. J. Mitchell the Supermarine Walrus began life as the Supermarine Seagull, a three seat amphibian designed originally as a fleet spotter. It was ordered by the Air Ministry for the Fleet Air Arm as the metal-hulled Walrus I (some were fitted with ASV radar) but it was also used by the RAF in the air-sea rescue role. The type became one of the unsung workhorses WW2 and was affectionately known as the "Shagbat" or sometimes the “Steam-pigeon"; the latter name coming from the steam produced by water striking the hot Pegasus engine. By the beginning of WW2 there were 162 Walruses serving with the Royal Navy and Commonwealth forces.
Supermarine Walrus 1 (L2301) [@ Fleet Air Arm Museum]
The
prototype Seagull V was fitted with a Bristol Pegasus radial engine housed in a
nacelle slung from the centre section of the upper wing
[photograph - above] and powered a four-blade propeller in a pusher
configuration. The RAAF placed an order for twenty four Seagull Vs in August
1934, some of which were still in service as late as 1943. In May 1935 the Air
Ministry placed an order for twelve Seagull Vs and the first production Walrus,
serial number K5772, flew for the first time on the 18th March 1936
with the New Zealand division of the Royal Navy on HMS Achilles (later a victor
of the Battle of the River Plate). In July 1936 the Air Ministry replaced an
additional order for 168 aircraft, however, Supermarine lacked the capacity to
build these aircraft alongside the 310 Spitfires ordered in the previous June
and so production was sub-contracted to Saunders Roe.
The wings were of the same size as on the Seagull II, but with the number of struts reduced from twelve to eight, and the engine carried on the inner four struts. The open cockpit of the Seagull II was replaced with a enclosed cockpit. The lower wings were set in the shoulder position with a stabilising float mounted under each one, with its horizontal tail-surfaces being positioned high on the tail-fin. The wings could be folded on ship, giving a stowage width of 17 ft 11 in (5.5 m). The control column was not a permanent fixture [photograph - right] but could be unplugged from either of two sockets at floor level and when control was passed from the pilot to co-pilot or vice-versa the control column would simply be unplugged and handed over. Armament usually consisted of two Vickers K machine guns, one in each of the "open" positions in the nose and rear fuselage; with the capability of carrying 760 lb (345 kg) of bombs or depth charges mounted beneath the lower wings. The Walrus was stressed for catapult launching (amazingly for such an ungainly-looking aircraft the Walrus could perform aerobatics manoeuvres e.g. it could be looped) and the type saw service in almost every theatre of war on capital ships and cruisers. It was the first amphibious aircraft in the world to be launched by catapult with a full military load.
During WW2 the Walrus saw service in British home waters, the Mediterranean and the Far East. The aircraft from HMS Renown and HMS Manchester were used during the battle of Cape Spartivento of 27th November 1940 and that of HMS Gloucester during the battle of Cape Matapan on 29th March 1941, but a combination of the presence of carrier borne aircraft and the development of radar spotting meant that the Walrus wasn’t needed in the spotting role. In fact the Walrus very rarely carried out the role it had been originally designed for. During the campaigns in Norway and East Africa it was used as a combat aircraft, even performing some ground attack and bombing sorties. It was also used on anti-submarine patrols and for convoy protection both on Atlantic and Russian convoys. The type is credited with sinking or damaging at least five enemy submarines during the war. They were also used as reconnaissance aircraft during the invasion of Madagascar in the spring 1942 and during Operation Torch. The Irish Air Corps used the Walrus as a maritime patrol aircraft during the Irish Emergency of WW2.
Walrus L2301 was built by Supermarine at Woolston in 1939 for the Fleet Air Arm. However, before delivery to the FAA L2301 (along with L202 and L2303) was delivered on the 24th February 1939 to the Irish Army Air Corps as a maritime patrol aircraft. During 1943 four Irish nationals stole L2301 and attempted to fly to Cherbourg to join the Luftwaffe but were intercepted by RAF Spitfires and escorted into St Eval. L2301 and its crew returned under guard to Ireland. On the 22nd August 1945 L2301 was sold to Aer Lingus but does not appear to have been used by them and was put up for sale in November 1946. L2301 was bought the next month by Wing Commander R.G. Kellet of 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron RAuxAF as a squadron hack (£150 paid) and was used as such until 1949. Discovered in 1963 on a dump in Oxfordshire and bought for £5 by the Historic Aircraft Preservation Society L2301 was handed over to the museum in January 1964. L2301 underwent restoration during 1966.
By the end of 1943 the ship-born Walrus had been phased out and in the last years of the war the RAF became the main operator of the type in the air-sea rescue role. 276 Squadron was the first to get the type, using it alongside longer range land planes. The downed airmen would be spotted by fast fighter aircraft; supplies dropped from Avro Ansons and the pickup being made by the Walrus. At least 1,000 British and Allied airmen were rescued by the Walrus with most coming from RAF Bomber Command and the USAAF 8th Air Force.
Supermarine Walrus 1 (L2301) [@ Fleet Air Arm Museum]
A total of 746 Walrus were built in three major variants: the metal-hulled Seagull V and Walrus I (555 were produced, 285 by Supermarine and 270 by Saunders-Roe) and the wooden-hulled Walrus II (a total of 191 were produced by Saunders-Roe). The wooden-hulled Walrus II was heavier than the Walrus I, but was easier to repair and didn’t use any of the limited supplies of light alloys. Most of the Walrus IIs were used by training units, where their lower performance didn’t matter but the ease with which they could be repaired did. Walrus P5706 was delivered on lend-lease loan in 1942 to Russia. It went out as deck cargo on SS Ocean Freedom in an Arctic Convoy to the Archangel area, where it was used by the Russians for operational purposes. In September 1945 Walrus W3016 was sent to the Egyptian Navy as N3016. The very last Royal Navy Walrus, P5656, was finally scrapped in 1956 having flown for the first time in 1939.
