The Channel Dash

12 February 1942

The Channel Dash
The German battle-cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the lighter cruiser Prinz Eugen sailed from Brest to Germany through the English Channel in a carefully prepared and well-executed operation. News of the preparations did not reach Britain and the Germans chose a day when bad weather and low cloud gave their ships maximum concealment. A German fighter escort was provided throughout the voyage. The ships were not reported until late morning when a Spitfire of Fighter Command spotted them off Le Touquet. All available Royal Navy and R.A.F. units were ordered to attack the German ships before darkness closed in.
Most of Bomber Command was 'stood down' for the day; only 5 Group was at 4 hours' notice. The bomber squadrons made a frantic effort to prepare planes for attacks, which were mounted in 3 waves. Other aircraft of Coastal and Fighter Commands and of the Fleet Air Arm were also involved. The first Bomber Command aircraft were airborne at 1.30 p.m. and 242 sorties were flown by the squadrons before dark. Every type of aircraft available flew except the Whitleys which were stationed in the North of England. Bomber Command aircraft dispatched were: 92 Wellingtons, 64 Hampdens, 37 Blenheims, 15 Manchesters, 13 Halifaxes, 11 Stirlings and 10 of the new American-built Boston bombers with which some of the 2 Group squadrons were being equipped, although they were not yet officially ready for operations. It was the largest Bomber Command daylight operation of the war to date. Most of the bombers were unable to find the German ships in the poor weather conditions and, of those aircraft which did bomb, no hits were scored on these fast-moving and heavily defended targets. None of the attacks by other forces caused and serious damage to the German ships but the two largest, the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau, were both slowed down after striking mines laid by 5 Group Hampdens or Manchesters in the Frisian Islands during recent nights. Scharnhorst hit 2 mines and Gneisenau one. All the German ships reached the safety of ports in Germany before daybreak.
The sailing of these ships, although a successful operation for the Germans, finally released Bomber Command from the effort-consuming and costly requirement to bomb the ships while they had been in French ports. Bomber Command had dropped 3,413 tons of bombs on these 3 ships in recent months and lost 127 aircraft in doing so. But these raids had achieved some success. Both Scharnhorst and Gneisenau had been hit and badly damaged by bombs; this and the constant threat of further damage prevented the ships from sailing from Brest on another Atlantic shipping raid and persuaded the Germans that they should be brought back to the greater protection of German ports.

 

And of course there was the heroic but futile sacrifice of Lt-Cdr Eugene Esmonde and his six Swordfish crews, for which he was posthumously awarded a Victoria Cross.

Account from Wikipedia:

He won his VC when he led his squadron against elements of the German Fleet which made the "Channel Dash" (Operation Cerberus) from Brest to their home bases at Wilhelmshaven and Kiel through the English Channel. He was by then 32 years old. On 12 February1942 off the coast of England, Lieutenant Commander Esmonde led a detachment of six Fairey Swordfish in an attack on the two German battle cruisers which had already managed to get from Brest without hindrance. At the time of receiving his orders the ships with a strong escort of surface craft were entering the Straits of Dover. He waited as long as he felt he could for confirmation of his fighter escort but took off without it. One of the squadrons (10 Supermarine Spitfires of No. 72 Squadron RAF ) met up with them but shortly after take off his flight and their escort were attacked by enemy fighters. Despite their planes having been damaged and their escort separated, the Swordfish continued onto the ships. The enemy destroyers were throwing up large amounts of anti-aircraft fire. Even after Lieutenant-Commander Esmonde's plane sustained a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire taking away most of the port wing he still continued the run-in towards his target taking his flight through the destroyer screen. He was still some 2,700 metres from his target when he was hit again his plane bursting into flames and crashing into the sea. The remaining aircraft continued the gallant attack, but all were shot down. Only 5 airmen survived and four of them were wounded. All were given medals. The four officers received the DSO, and the un-commissioned seaman was awarded the Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.

Other than that, the entire "Channel Dash" episode was hardly Britain's most glorious day. Our entire low-scanning radar system had been switched off for up-grading. The German fleet was discovered accidentally by Group Captain Victor Beamish and Wg/Cdr Finlay Boyd who had gone up in an unofficial sortie in their Spitfires - very "Boy's Own" but hardly war-winning. The next day, after the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen, had reached safety, a British newspaper stated that there was no truth in the rumour that the Germans had stopped at Brighton pier for tea and buns and gone on their way undetected.

 

There were some classic foul ups here. Operation Fuller was a joke - pure and simple. Officers allegedly couldn't get access to operational orders because the senior officer in charge had gone home with the keys to the safe - this in war time. If this is the case then he ought to have been strung up period.

Agree with Adrian on the sacrifice of Lt- Cdr Esmonde and his crews. You have to respect them going on which in hindsight, could be looked at as certain extermination. Certain elements high up should have held their heads in shame.

One wonders did any heads roll over this or was it all brushed under the carpet.

 

As I understand it every available ship and aircraft was put out to try and locate and stop the Dash. Even the good old V&W destroyers from WW1 which were primarily on convoy duty in E-boat alley were sent out on the search.
Just what they would have done if they had located the 3 ships is beyond my understanding, except send a brief radio message before being sunk.
Other than that, total cock up.

 

The British were very slow to react & thus this appears to be a German victory. However, what benefit did Germany derive from these ships being in Germany rather than at Brest? In the latter port, they distracted Bomber Command & had a chance of breaking out into the Atlantic. In Germany, they were tied down & contributed nothing beyond keeping British ships in European rather than Asian waters, which they would also have done from Brest.

Seems to me yet another operation that was well executed by the Germans but poorly thought out strategically.

 

A more detailed look at the Dash:

Scharnhorst - The History - Operation "Cerberus" - The Channel Dash

 

Here is a copy from a page of my father's log book. Flying with 50 Squadron in a Hampden this attack on these two vessels was his first operational trip.

 

Does anyone know how the public opinion and press in England reacted to the Channel Dash?