picture 201799

Sunderland Mk III, DV960, 2-H, No.461 Squadron, Mount Batten, July 1942 The Sunderland Mk III was the definitive Sunderland variant, with 461 built by Shorts, and 205 more by Blackburn and a new Short-owned factory at White Cross Bay, Windermere. The Mk III had a revised hull configuration with a smoothly faired ’step’. Production began in December 1941. This aircraft had an FN.7 dorsal turret, mounted offset to the right just behind the wings and fitted with twin 0.303in machine guns – a turret first fitted to some late production Mk IIs. The hand held guns behind the wing were removed in turretequipped aircraft.