Flight Of The Skuas

[Hobilar]

On the 10th April 1940, there was to take place an event that was to have important repercussions on the future conduct of the war. Shortly before dawn, sixteen heavily laden Naval Blackburn Skua dive-bombers, seven from No.800 Squadron FAA led by Captain R.T. Partridge Royal Marines, and nine from No.803 Squadron FAA led by Lt. W.P, Lucy RN had taken off from their base in the Orkneys.

Two hours later the Squadrons arrived at their target, the port of Bergen, reportedly full of German shipping involved in the Invasion of Norway, and in particular the German Cruiser Konigsburg. With Lt Lucy leading, in line astern, the Dive-bombers climbed to 8000 feet before peeling off in a 60 degree dive which caught the German defenders completely by surprise, and the leading aircraft were down to 4,000 feet before the ack-ack could open up. The Skua pilots were well practiced in the art of dive-bombing and with precision accuracy within minutes fifteen bombs had been released on their prey.

Belatedly other German guns sprang into action, but by then it was to late. Only one Skua, crewed by Lt Smeeton and Midshipman Watkinson was lost. They were last seen to pull out of their dive and head back down the fjord, machine gunning other German shipping as they went.

The effect on the Konigsburg was devastating. Three bombs landed within thirty feet of the stern, throwing her bow deep under the water and collandering her after gun-turrets with splinters, five exploded on the Skoltegrund Mole showering her decks with dust and debris, two more fell between her starboard rail and the Mole. And three more were direct hits: One on ‘A’ turret, one on the port quarter, and one amidships flush with the funnels. The Konigsburg was an instant blazing wreck. Her crew fought desperately to save her, but as the bombers departed the flames reached her magazines. With a mighty explosion the Konigsburg broke in half, capsized and sank. Their attack successfully achieved the Skuas made for home, most landing with almost dry fuel tanks.

The Konigsburg was the first warship to be destroyed by air attack during the Second World War. Regardless the British Admiralty, who withdrew the Blackburn Skua from front line service early in 1941, not replacing it until the introduction of the unsatisfactory Blackburn Barracuda in 1943, did not recognize the value of using dive-bombers against shipping. The lesson was not lost on the German and Japanese Navies however, who quickly recognized the value of this tactic.

Partridge and Lucy were awarded the DSO for their bravery during the Bergen raid, however Lucy was shot down and killed whilst flying from Ark Royal on 14th May and Partridge was shot down and taken POW during an attack on the Scharnhorst in Trondheim on the 13th June.