enemy aircraft appeared overhead and, as the
Chiddingfold
’s guns were elevated to deal with the threat, the survivors of the second boat were able to scramble to safety – for the time being at least.
On his arrival at Durnford-Slater’s command post, a few hundred yards away from the naval engagements taking place, Young was informed that only one officer was left amongst the original force troops fighting their way through the town. Up the road lay a scene of hellish devastation. Much of the waterfront was ablaze, and clouds of smoke rose into the bright morning sky; casualties were being carried or helped back to the shoreline for treatment. Men crouched behind walls and the corner of buildings. The attack had ground to a halt. The new plan was for Young’s men to sweep along the waterfront, clearing the enemy from the wharfs and warehouses while the men of the floating reserve were to advance down the main street. From the outset, both parties were met by very stiff resistance, but sheer weight of numbers and firepower helped the British raiders regain the initiative and build some momentum. Houses and buildings were flushed of the enemy or set ablaze as the forces nosed northwards. Snipers once again were the greatest threat to progress. When three of Young’s men dropped in rapid succession, hit by a sniper in the upper window of a building to their rear, the rest scrambled into a small woodshed close to the water. As more enemy guns opened up, thirty men, including Young and Durnford-Slater, crowded inside the small structure, attracting increasingly heavy fire. Bullets tore splinters from the piles of logs and timber and the men crouched behind any cover they could find. It was obvious to all that they could not survive there for much longer, but it was the same problem that had dogged the force all morning – they had no idea where the fire was coming from.
While Durnford-Slater and Young pondered their next move, the wider battle raged outside. Several formations of Heinkel 111 bombers, working in details of two or three, appeared overhead and tried their luck against the naval force. One was shot down and the rest were driven off by ferocious AA fire having dropped their bombs wide. Shortly afterwards, the Ragsundo gun battery, which had remained silent for three and a half hours and was thought to have been knocked out, suddenly returned to life and caught the
Kenya
off guard. All morning the largest warship in the force and the communications hub of the operation had fired the odd salvo at the battery, partly to check its guns’ range but also to warn off the emplacement from attempting another attack on the force. It came as a shock when, just after one o’clock, a perfect shot from eight miles away punched a large hole in the side of the cruiser about ten feet above the waterline. Another round struck the armour belt and a near miss close to the port torpedo tubes slightly wounded one rating.
Kenya
immediately responded with a furious, sustained barrage that silenced the emplacement once and for all. At exactly the same time, more German aircraft had appeared overhead and the air was filled with puffs of smoke from the AA guns of
Kenya
and the four destroyers. The squadron of Beaufighters, circling the scene, helped to chase them away. On the ground, the demolition teams added to the din as one building after another along the waterfront was blown to pieces. Six Blenheims from 110 Squadron, based at Lossiemouth, had meanwhile arrived over the Norwegian coast to the south, with the aim of attacking enemy shipping and drawing Luftwaffe fighters away from Vaagso. Spotting a convoy, four of them dived to attack, but were immediately set upon by Me109s. None of them returned to Scotland.
Meanwhile, the sniper hampering the progress of Young’s men was spotted in the top window of an adjacent building. On the signal, a dozen British guns opened up as one and the enemy marksman slumped forward over
Chiddingfold
’s guns were elevated to deal with the threat, the survivors of the second boat were able to scramble to safety – for the time being at least.
On his arrival at Durnford-Slater’s command post, a few hundred yards away from the naval engagements taking place, Young was informed that only one officer was left amongst the original force troops fighting their way through the town. Up the road lay a scene of hellish devastation. Much of the waterfront was ablaze, and clouds of smoke rose into the bright morning sky; casualties were being carried or helped back to the shoreline for treatment. Men crouched behind walls and the corner of buildings. The attack had ground to a halt. The new plan was for Young’s men to sweep along the waterfront, clearing the enemy from the wharfs and warehouses while the men of the floating reserve were to advance down the main street. From the outset, both parties were met by very stiff resistance, but sheer weight of numbers and firepower helped the British raiders regain the initiative and build some momentum. Houses and buildings were flushed of the enemy or set ablaze as the forces nosed northwards. Snipers once again were the greatest threat to progress. When three of Young’s men dropped in rapid succession, hit by a sniper in the upper window of a building to their rear, the rest scrambled into a small woodshed close to the water. As more enemy guns opened up, thirty men, including Young and Durnford-Slater, crowded inside the small structure, attracting increasingly heavy fire. Bullets tore splinters from the piles of logs and timber and the men crouched behind any cover they could find. It was obvious to all that they could not survive there for much longer, but it was the same problem that had dogged the force all morning – they had no idea where the fire was coming from.
While Durnford-Slater and Young pondered their next move, the wider battle raged outside. Several formations of Heinkel 111 bombers, working in details of two or three, appeared overhead and tried their luck against the naval force. One was shot down and the rest were driven off by ferocious AA fire having dropped their bombs wide. Shortly afterwards, the Ragsundo gun battery, which had remained silent for three and a half hours and was thought to have been knocked out, suddenly returned to life and caught the
Kenya
off guard. All morning the largest warship in the force and the communications hub of the operation had fired the odd salvo at the battery, partly to check its guns’ range but also to warn off the emplacement from attempting another attack on the force. It came as a shock when, just after one o’clock, a perfect shot from eight miles away punched a large hole in the side of the cruiser about ten feet above the waterline. Another round struck the armour belt and a near miss close to the port torpedo tubes slightly wounded one rating.
Kenya
immediately responded with a furious, sustained barrage that silenced the emplacement once and for all. At exactly the same time, more German aircraft had appeared overhead and the air was filled with puffs of smoke from the AA guns of
Kenya
and the four destroyers. The squadron of Beaufighters, circling the scene, helped to chase them away. On the ground, the demolition teams added to the din as one building after another along the waterfront was blown to pieces. Six Blenheims from 110 Squadron, based at Lossiemouth, had meanwhile arrived over the Norwegian coast to the south, with the aim of attacking enemy shipping and drawing Luftwaffe fighters away from Vaagso. Spotting a convoy, four of them dived to attack, but were immediately set upon by Me109s. None of them returned to Scotland.
Meanwhile, the sniper hampering the progress of Young’s men was spotted in the top window of an adjacent building. On the signal, a dozen British guns opened up as one and the enemy marksman slumped forward over
Similar Books
