Smith apparently put his gear down for some reason, perhaps to wheel onto a landable pasture. This of course doomed him to the nose-first rollover and consequent trapping of the pilot in the cockpit when he actually had to land on the shallow water. I base this on the fact that apparently, locals have quietly known for years that the inverted airplane was there, because its wheels were visible just above the mud at low tide.
When they say the wheels were visible I'd be interested to know if they actually mean the legs were extended. As the extract from the flight manual below shows both force landings and ditching recommend having the gear up. Of course battle damage may have caused them to extend, and had they done so I feel the observing pilots would possibly have mentioned it, along with their other observations, as it would have indicated perhaps the extent of damage inflicted, or it would have indicated a unrecommended procedure being followed, which I consider unlikely. Considering that he neither jettisoned the hood or dropped the overload tank may also perhaps indicate a degree of injury, though his radio call may suggest otherwise. The possibilities are endless. Note also the unfavourable ditching characteristics.
Let us know what your French contact has to say Stephan.
Forced landing
In the event of engine failure necessitating a forced landing:
(i) If a drop tank or bomb load is carried it should be jettisoned.
(ii) The fuel cut-off control (if fitted) should be pulled fully back.
(iii) The booster pump (if fitted) should be switched OFF.
(iv) The sliding hood should be opened and the cockpit door set on the catch (see para. 51).
(v) A speed of at least 150 m.p.h. (130 kts) I.A-S. should be maintained while manoeuvring with the undercarriage and flaps retracted.
(vij The flaps must not be lowered until it is certain that the selected landing area is within easy gliding reach.
(vii) The final straight approach should be made at the speeds given in para. 47.
(viii) If oil pressure is still available the glide can be lengthened considerably by pulling the propeller speed control (or override) lever fully back past the stop in the quadrant.
Ditching
(i) Whenever possible the aircraft should be abandoned by parachute rather than ditched, since the ditching qualities are known to be very poor.
(ii) When ditching is inevitable any external stores should be jettisoned (release will be more certain if the aircraft is gliding straight) and the following procedure observed:
(a) The cockpit hood should be jettisoned.
(b) The flaps should be lowered in order to reduce the touchdown speed as much as possible.
(c) The undercarriage should be kept retracted.
{d) The safety harness should be kept tightly adjusted and the R/T plug should be disconnected.
(e) The engine, if available, should be used to help make the touchdown in a taildown attitude at as low a forward speed as possible.
(f) Ditching should be along the swell, or into wind if the swell is not steep, but the pilot should be prepared for a tendency for the aircraft to dive when contact with the water is made.