Hornet at Large

The Scharnhorst was waiting for a new propeller, British Intelligence reported. The battleship and her sister, the Gneisenau, had lain in Brest for over three months, and frequently R.A.F. reconnaissance took her picture, to make sure she was still waiting.

One day last week the picture was correct: a great expanse of camouflage netting still covered her bulk. Next morning the picture looked the same--until experts scanned it. The hidden bulk was queer, slightly misshapen. Close examination showed that the shape under the camouflage net was not the Scharnhorst, but a 530-ft. tanker with smaller vessels at bow and stern to give her the Scharnhorst's length, with scaffolding built up to look like the battleship's superstructure.

The Scharnhorst had skedaddled. Orders flashed out to reconnaissance. Within a few hours messages came back: Scharnhorst in La Pallice, 240 miles south of Brest.

Immediately the R.A.F. organized giant raids to put not only the Scharnhorst but the Gneisenau back on the casualty list. For the first time the R.A.F. reported using U.S.-built Flying Fortresses, which are easily capable of bombing from 30,000 ft. When the raiders left Brest the Gneisenau had received seven direct hits. Smaller bombers tackled and hit the Scharnhorst at La Pallice.

In dogfights during the raids the Germans lost 33 fighters, the British seven fighters and 15 bombers. But the Flying Fortresses soaring above the battle got away scot-free.

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