What happened
On May 11, an aircraft departed Lanvéoc-Poulmic NAS at 2100LT to conduct an anti-shipping operation over the Bristol Channel. During the attack phase, the plane was struck by enemy fire. As a result of the hit, the right engine caught fire. The pilot reduced altitude and ditched the aircraft in the water off the Lundy Islands. All crew members evacuated into their dinghy. Rescue forces located and recovered the survivors approximately six hours after the ditching. The aircraft sank and was declared lost.
Findings
The official investigation determined that the loss of the aircraft was caused by enemy fire during combat operations.