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Operation Fuller Marker
Photographer: Mike Wintermantel
Taken: April 7, 2019
Caption: Operation Fuller Marker
Additional Description: Side C
BATTLE STATIONS
At 12.19 hrs, the Coastal Artillery at South Foreland fired salvos at the German Fleet but could not observe the fall of shells as the visibility was less than 5 miles. Five MTBs from Dover arrived and fired their torpedoes without success having been harried by the German E-boat escorts.
Six Fairey Swordfish biplanes from 825 Sqdn. of the Fleet Air Arm carrying torpedoes took off from Manston at 12.25 hours and circled Ramsgate awaiting the five squadrons of Spitfires promised by the RAF for air support. In the event, only 10 Spitfires from 72 Sqdn. arrived. Rather than waiting for the remaining four squadrons, Lt. Cdr. Esmonde DSO, led the six aircraft out into the channel to attack the German Fleet. In the heroic engagement that followed, all the Fairey Swordfish were shot down. The MTBs rescued five survivors from the sea and took them to Dover. Lt. Cdr. Esmonde DSO, received a posthumous Victoria Cross. All the other Fairey Swordfish aircrew were decorated.
Admiral Ramsay wrote:
"The gallant sortie of those six Swordfish aircraft constitutes one of the finest exhibitions of self sacrifice and devotion to duty the war has ever witnessed."
The German, Admiral Ciliax remarked:
"The mothball attack of a handful of ancient planes, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other action by either side that day."
British Destroyers from Harwich engaged the German Fleet in the North Sea at 15.40 hrs whilst RAF torpedo bombers also made an attack. HMS. WORCESTER opened fire on the GNEISENAU. The GNEISENAU retaliated, stopping HMS. WORCESTER with three salvos. HMS. WORCESTER returned damaged to Harwich. The RAF carried out 256 sorties to bomb the German Fleet but due to poor weather only 40 were on target without causing damage.
The SCHARNHORST struck mines laid by the Royal Navy and the RAF off Vlissingen and Ameland and the GNEISENAU hit a mine off Terschelling. Both vessels reached Kiel on 13th February 1942.
107 RAF aircrew, 27 RN crew of HMS. WORCESTER and 13 aircrew of Fleet Air Arm 825 Sqdn. lost their lives that day.
Submitted: April 20, 2019, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Database Locator Identification Number: p471214
File Size: 3.348 Megabytes

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