The intelligence officer at RAF Biggin Hill was on leave and had taken the key to the safe with him, so no one knew what “Fuller” meant. Just after noon, instead of the five squadrons demanded by “Fuller”, a single squadron left to escort 825.As 825 aircrews made their way to dispersal, many of them knew full well what a day raid would entail, because they had been part of the attack on the Bismark. This time it was not in the middle of the Atlantic, but in the Straits of Dover and ringing in their ears was the warning from the RAF of the new German fighter, the Focke-Wulf 190. There was a desperate need of cover from the RAF, but it was not there in-depth, and what there was had to deal with constant attacks from Me109s and Fw190s.

The Luftwaffe, however, were having difficulty with the slower moving Swordfish and had lowered their undercarriage and flaps in an attempt to reduce speed and not overshoot the Swordfish, whose cruising speed was 90mph.Esmond, with two others including Kingsmill, led the attack and although his aircraft was severely damaged and most of his lower port wing lost he continued the attack until he finally crashed into the Channel. Kingsmill was just behind him and his gunner, Leading Airman Donald Bunce, was kept busy as they went in, but Kingsmill was unhappy with his first run at the Prinz Eugen and turned for a second attempt, only to be severely hit after he had released his torpedo at about 1,000 yards.Kingsmill saw some small boats below and thought they might be MTBs (motor torpedo boats) but as he descended he realised they were E-boats and their gunfire reinforced this view. But, with consummate skill, Kingsmill began to crab away, while Bunce emptied his last magazine in their direction. Although he had lost two cylinders from his engine Kingsmill managed to ditch perfectly.

Fortunately a motorboat was soon alongside, as they had lost their dinghy.Only five of the 18 crewmen who had set out that day returned. The bold Channel dash of the Scharnhorst and Gniesenau had succeeded beyond expectations and was a major propaganda coup for the Germans. However, the threat to the Atlantic convoy from Brest had been eliminated.Pat Kingsmill was born to English parents in Canada and on their return to Britain was educated at Dulwich College. He volunteered for the Fleet Air Arm at the beginning of the Second World War and trained as a pilot. The severe burns he received after ditching his aircraft necessitated hundreds of hours of plastic surgery and he became an honorary member of the Guinea Pig Club.