Cloggie ditching...
......#Momoe
There were two ditchings. One as you say was a single point failure in the elevator system.
The other was failure of one engine which blew open the clamshell nacelle covers which were hinged near the leading edge of the wing and opened out like the petals of a flower creating huge drag shortly after take which rendered it uncontrollable. Hence the reference to the twoVfour engine discussion.
As an aside they had an RAF airman with them on his first ever flight in a military aircraft! I wonder what he does now? It was rather a long time ago.
The Ancient Mariner