Thirty-six German aircraft approached in four formations of nine while the destroyer was alone on patrol. Their steady approach gave the ship time to build speed and weave, spoiling the first three attacks. The fourth formation bracketed the destroyer with near misses and drenched her in dirty water, causing leaks but no serious damage. A quick inspection cleared her to return to sea within half an hour and hunt E-boats. High-speed evasive manoeuvring defeated most of the attack, and the rapid turnaround shows the pace demanded of Dover destroyers.
Notable Point · 36:05-37:04
A destroyer evades a massed air attack
High-speed weaving lets a lone destroyer avoid most of a four-wave bombing attack and return to action despite near-miss damage.