What is this flying boat?

[India Four Two]

I was in my local library,browsing a book about the U Boat war and I came across a picture of a flying boat I had never seen before. Can someone identify it?

[Tu.114]

I´d think that it is a TsKB/Beriyev MBR-2 bis (http://www.ctrl-c.liu.se/misc/ram/mbr-2bis.html).

[India Four Two]

Thanks Tu. 114,

It never occurred to me to think of Russian aircraft, but I can clearly see a star. I'll have to go back to the library and see what the caption says.

[Heathrow Harry]

Looks like a Tashkent class destroyer in foreground???

[India Four Two]

Harry,
You must have been reading my mind! I was trying to ident the destroyer. Again, I didn't think of the Russian navy. I have to say the Tashkent looks much more American than Russian.

I stopped by the library today and checked the caption on the picture. Singularly uninformative and actually deceptive - I doubt that either the ships or the aircraft had much to do with the U Boat War:

"A flying boat flies over two escort vessels in harbour. The air element of escorts proved to be fundamental in the defeat of the U-Boats."

[Tu.114]

Were there not several convoys going to Murmansk? I would not think it unplausible that the Soviet Navy escorted them at least on the last parts of the route; judging from the picture, they did have the required equipment for this.

[Octane]

Sunk 2nd July 1942, only one of its class..

[Icare9]

A monoplane Walrus....
and the Tashkent was an Italian design......
The things you learn about on here!

[India Four Two]

A monoplane Walrus.... That was my thought exactly!

I see that the Tashkent operated in the Black Sea, where she was sunk by Ju-87s, so it's doubtful she had anything to do with the U Boat war.