CONCLUSION: THE NEW HERO IN ACTION, 1940–2006 197
inflicted four more hits on the battle cruiser, killing many of her crew and
putting her out of action for a few months. The rest of the sorties missed
entirely.^45
The RAF kept up pressure on the port throughout the summer of 1941.
Scharnhorstrelocated to the port of La Pallice, where two late July raids scored
hits.Prinz Eugensuffered serious damage during a night raid by 52 Wellington
bombers in July as well.^46 A host of light raids took place in the fall of
1941, but failed to inflict any further damage. Between 1 December 1941
and 12 February 1942 a further 1922 sorties struck at the German warships,
all without scoring a hit.^47
On 12 February 1942 the battle cruisersGneisenauandScharnhorst, accom-
panied by the cruiserPrinz Eugen, broke out of the port of Brest and steamed
north up the Channel for German waters. They made the passage in the face
of an incoherent, almost entirely ineffectual defense of home waters.^48 The
only group that even came close to striking the fugitive warships was 825
Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, a flight of hopelessly outclassed Swordfish torpedo
bombers.^49
On 12 February 1942 in the Straits of Dover, Lieutenant Commander
[Eugene] Esmonde led his squadron of six Swordfish to the attack
of two German battle cruisers and the cruiserPrinz Eugen, which were
entering the Straits strongly escorted by surface craft. Detached from their
escorting fighters (just 10 in number) by enemy fighters, all the aircraft
of the squadron were damaged, but even after Lieutenant-Commander
Esmonde’s plane sustained a direct hit he still continued the run-in towards
the target until it [his aircraft, not thePrinz Eugen] burst into flames and
crashed into the sea. The squadron went on to launch a gallant attack, but
none of the six aircraft returned.^50
Esmonde’s citation failed to mention that 825 Squadron was blown from
the sky without scoring a single hit on any of the three ships. All of the
Swordfish were shot down and Esmonde was killed. Only five men were
recovered from the waters of the Channel.^51
Interestingly enough, the same squadron led the aerial attack onBismarck
on 25 May 1941, flying from the deck of HMSVictorious. There were no VCs
given in connection with sinkingBismarck– to 825 Squadron or any other
entity.^52 Nor had any Crosses come to the aircrews that actually sank the
German commerce raiderKongisbergon 10 April 1940.Konigsbergwas a light
cruiser, mounting 5.9 inch guns and capable of 32 knots, just the kind of
commerce raider the Admiralty was worried about. She was sunk at anchor
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