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Aviation History
1944
1944 - 0009.PDF
JANUARY 6TH, 1944 A Mitchell of the 12th U.S.A.A.F. over Jugoslavia. Note the R.A.F. markings on the tail. holes made on previous raids. The black patches denote flak WAR 1 The R.A.F. Loses an Old Friend, " Scharnhorst" : R.N. and R.A.F. Win Biscay Battle : Methodical Obliteration of Berlin's Factories - THE sinking of the Scharnhorst by the Home Fleet was cer tainly a matter of interest to the Royal Air Force, even though aircraft were unable to take part in that weird and grim battle fought in the darkness of the Arctic circle. Destroyers had to play the part so often played in the Mediterranean and in the chase after the Bismarck by Swordfish, and race ahead to slow up the fast fleeing German ship with torpedoes, so that the British battle ship could catch up and put the enemy out of action with her big guns. As with the Bismarck, the coup-de- grdce was administered by the tor pedoes of a cruiser. The news must have sent the minds of many R.A.F. officers back to the days when desperate risks had to be run by our bombers at Brest and La Pallice in attempts to sink the Scharnhorst, and with those thoughts must go a feeling of satisfaction that the R.A.F. did succeed in preventing her and her consorts from getting loose again into the Atlantic to prey upon Allied shipping. The cost in R.A.F. lives and machines was heavy, nnd the necessity for constant attacks postponed the day when Bomber Command could devote its full ener gies to striking at German produc tion, but the efforts of the airmen played no negligible part in saving the country from possible defeat in the all-important Battle of the Atlantic. The Sckarnhorst was sunk on Boxing Day—a "loud Sabbath," to quote Tennyson's description of the battle of Waterloo. On the two fol lowing days the Navy and Coastal Command combined in a spirited and most successful action in the Bay of Biscay, when a small but fast blockade-runner and three German destrovers were sunk. The blockade- runner was successfully dealt with by the aircraft. One can only guess at her cargo, but the Ministry of Economic Warfare thinks it probable that she was laden with tin, rubber, edible oils, tungsten and/or quinine. When hit by bombs the ship burst into flames, and a series of explosions occurred on board. Then other air craft spotted 11 German destroyers steaming together, and by that time two British cruisers, H.M.S. Glasgow 0X OfV^lK~2-
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