Editing Channel Dash (section)

====Evening====

{{Location map+ |Netherlands |width=150 |float=right |caption={{centre|Southern North Sea}}|places=
{{Location map~ |Netherlands |lat=51.430833 |long=3.528889 |label=[[Scheldt|Scheldt Estuary]] |label_size=80 |position=right |marksize=6}}
{{Location map~ |Netherlands |lat=53.4 |long=5.316667 |label=[[Terschelling]] |label_size=80 |position=right |marksize=6}}
}}
The first wave of {{nowrap|73 [[Avro Manchester]],}} Halifax and Stirling heavy bombers took off from {{nowrap|2:20 p.m.}} and most found the target area from {{nowrap|2:55 to 3:58 p.m.}} Thick low cloud and intermittent rain hid the view and only ten crews could see the German ships for long enough to bomb. The {{nowrap|134 bombers}} of the second wave took off from {{nowrap|2:37 p.m.}} and reached the vicinity of the ships from {{nowrap|4:00 to 5:06 p.m.}} and at least {{nowrap|20 bombed.}} The last wave of {{nowrap|35 aircraft}} began at {{nowrap|4:15 p.m.}} and reached the Brest Group from {{nowrap|5:50 to 6:15 p.m.}} and nine were able to drop their bombs. Only {{nowrap|39 of}} the aircraft that returned managed to attack the ships and {{nowrap|15 bombers}} were shot down by flak or lost after flying into the sea; twenty bombers were damaged and no hits were achieved.{{sfn|Richards|1974|p=371}}

The destroyers {{HMS|Campbell|D60|6}}, {{HMS|Vivacious|D36|2}} of the [[List of squadrons and flotillas of the Royal Navy|21st Flotilla]] and {{HMS|Mackay|D70|6}}, {{HMS|Whitshed|D77|2}}, {{HMS|Walpole|D41|2}} and {{HMS|Worcester|D96|2}} of the 16th Flotilla (Captain [[Charles Pizey]]), from Nore Command were First World War-vintage and usually escorted east coast convoys. The ships were practising gunnery off [[Orford Ness]] in the North Sea when alerted at {{nowrap|11:56 a.m.}} The destroyers sailed south to intercept the Brest Group but it steamed much faster than expected and to catch up, Pizey took the destroyers over a German minefield. At {{nowrap|2:31 p.m.,}} just before the destroyers attacked, north of the [[Scheldt]] Estuary, ''Scharnhorst'' had hit a mine and was stopped for a short time, before resuming at about {{cvt|25|kn|mph+km/h}}. At {{nowrap|3:17 p.m.}} the destroyers made radar contact at {{cvt|9|nmi|mi+km}} and visual contact at {{cvt|4|nmi|mi+km}} at {{nowrap|3:43 p.m.}} ''Walpole'' had already dropped out with engine trouble; as the other five emerged from the murk, they were immediately engaged by the German ships. The destroyers pressed on to {{cvt|3000|yd|nmi+mi+km}} and two destroyers fired torpedoes; ''Worcester'' closed further and was hit by return fire from ''Gneisenau'' and ''Prinz Eugen'', then the last two destroyers attacked but all their torpedoes missed.{{sfn|Roskill|1962|pp=157–158}}{{efn|Several salvoes from ''Gneisenau'' hit ''Worcester'', destroyed the starboard side of the bridge and No.1 and No.2 boiler rooms. ''Prinz Eugen'' hit the destroyer a four times, setting it on fire, then Captain Fein, aboard ''Gneisenau'', ordered firing to cease, believing the destroyer to be sinking; ''Worcester'' limped to Harwich at {{cvt|6.5|kn|mph+km/h}}.{{sfn|Macintyre|1971|pp=144–145}}{{sfn|DNC|1952|p=189}}}}