The Channel Dash! Shortly after Midnight and under poor weather, Three German Capital Ships, The Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen sailed from Brest. Instead of Sailing West, out and around England, they sailed North East for the straits of Dover. RAF Bomber Command was expecting them to head back to Germany through the Straits and also expected them to use the Weather to thier Advantage.
The Fleet of 3 Capital Ships, 5 Destroyers, and numerous PT Boats sailed unmolested through the night. RAF Coastal Command failed to find them but Radar Stations along the coast noted the contacts and ignored them. Finally at 11:30 AM a pilot from RAF Figter Command accidentially spotted them and reported them to Bomber Command. Two hours later Bomber Command began its first of 110 raids against the Fleet, which had already passed through the Straits of Dover.
Raid after Raid was launched, but all failed cause serious damage. The RAF lost 42 Aircraft against the German Fleet but It wasnt until the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau both struck mines that they were damaged, yet all three ships reached their destination.
It would be the last time the Kriegsmarine would attempt the "Channel Dash" and all three ships would meet the same fate before wars end.
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