“Escort Carrier HMS Nairana Stalked Unsuccessfully by U-Boat 502, 1 February 1944,” by Charles David Cobb via National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth.
Clik here to view.
Cobb, Charles David; Escort Carrier HMS ‘Nairana’ Stalked Unsuccessfully by U-Boat 502, 1 February 1944; National Museum of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth; http://www.artuk.org/artworks/escort-carrier-hms-nairana-stalked-unsuccessfully-by-u-boat-502-1-february-1944-25980
While a stirring image, the caption, however, is not correct.
U-502, a Type IXC boat under Kptlt. Jürgen von Rosenstiel, was lost on 6 July 1942 in the Bay of Biscay west of La Rochelle due to a rain of depth charges from a 172 Sqn RAF/H Wellington aircraft, with all hands lost.
The escort carrier HMS Nairana (D05), meanwhile, only entered service on 12 December 1943. While on shakedown, as part of F. J. “Johnny'” Walker’s famous Support Group 2, using Enigma intelligence, chased down the damaged U-592, a Type VIIC under Oblt. Heinz Jaschke, on 31 January 1944 off Ireland, and sent her to the bottom with all hands.
Nairana, whose air group notably splashed a trio of lumbering Junkers Ju 290 while on convoy duty in May 1944, was transferred post-war to the Royal Netherlands Navy as the HMNLS Karel Doorman (QH1), the first Dutch aircraft carrier, then was later sold for commercial use, only being scrapped in 1971.
