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The Channel Dash (German: Unternehmen Zerberus, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War. [ a ] A Kriegsmarine (German Navy) squadron comprising two Scharnhorst -class battleships, Scharnhorst and Gneisenau , the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and their escorts was evacuated from Brest in Brittany to German ports.
Unternehmen Donnerkeil (Operation Thunderbolt) [4] [5] was the codename for a German military operation of the Second World War. Donnerkeil was an air superiority operation in support of Operation Cerberus, also known as the Channel Dash by the Kriegsmarine (German Navy).
Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde, VC, DSO (1 March 1909 – 12 February 1942) was a distinguished Irish pilot in the Fleet Air Arm who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to members of Commonwealth forces.
Six of the squadron's aircraft flew off from RAF Manston to attack Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in the English Channel, as they carried out Operation Cerberus. The attacking aircraft failed to score any hits, and all six were lost. [8] The Commanding Officer—Eugene Esmonde—was posthumously awarded the Victoria ...
During the spring of 1942, the frequency of offensive sorties increased and by May, No. 303 flew over the Channel daily, in numerous "Circus" escort missions and fighter sweeps. It engaged German fighters on numerous occasions, although JG 2 and JG 26, the main fighter units against Fighter Command, took an increasing toll utilising the ...
In early 1942, the two ships made a daylight dash up the English Channel from occupied France to Germany. In late 1942, Gneisenau was heavily damaged in an Allied air raid against Kiel . In early 1943, Scharnhorst joined the Bismarck -class Tirpitz in Norway to interdict Allied convoys to the Soviet Union.
Branford (1942) — commando raid on Burhou in the Channel Islands; Zerberus — ("Cerberus") (1942) — break-out of German capital ships from Brest later dubbed the "Channel Dash". Chariot (1942) — British raid on Saint Nazaire. Dryad (1942) — commando raid on Casquets lighthouse in the Channel Islands
World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 28 February 1941, Leutnant Galland was transferred from the Ergänzungsstaffel, a supplementary training unit, of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) to 8. Staffel (8th squadron). [8] [Note 2] 8. Staffel was a squadron of III.