- Type of Memorial
- Cenotaph
- WMR Reference Number
- 108058
- Description
- Large, square, rough hewn, stone, standing on a stone base and with black, polished marble tablets attached to the base and sides. The side facing Marine Drive carries a description of the action and images of the German ships involved, all in white lettering. Participating British Navy, Army and RAF units are detailed on the two side panels with appropriate service badges in colour.
- Inscription
- 'OPERATION FULLER'/"The Channel Dash"/12th February 1942/During 1941, the German Battlecruiser SCHARNHORST operated/unchallenged in the Atlantic resulting in the sinking of 115,622 tons of/British Merchant Shipping.//Requiring maintenance it went to Brest harbour where it was joined by its sister/ship GNEISENAU and the PRINZ EUGEN.//Whilst in Brest, the vessels were subjected to heavy attacks by the RAF.//Adolf Hitler required the fleet returned for use in Norwegian waters./The German High Command made plans, code-named, Operation Cerberus, for a night time escape through the Channel.//At short notice plans were changed to a daytime dash thus maintaining/an element of surprise by slipping out of the harbour unnoticed during the evening/of 11th February 1942.//The British plan code-named Operation Fuller, directed by/Vice Admiral Ramsey from the War Rooms in Dover was based on the belief/that the German ships would attempt to escape at night.//On 11th February, 1942, the British submarine positioned outside Brest harbour/put out to sea to recharge its batteries on the surface as the German Fleet sailed.//Escorted by six Destroyers, E-Boats and massive air cover provided by the/Luftwaffe, the vessels steamed steadily up the Channel.//On the morning of the 12th February, two RAF reconnaissance flights reported/that the German Fleet were in the Channel.//Although British radar indicated a high level of German air activity, the/ sightings were not considered reliable, as it was believed that the German Navy/would not attempt such a daring plan.//
Further RAF reconnaissance sorties were carried out over the Channel and/engaged in combat with Focke-Wulf FW 190s and Messerschmitt BF 109s. Greatly outnumbered they returned to base to report their sightings.
Lower front base: THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED BY THE CHANNEL DASH MEMORIAL TRUST/SUPPORTED BY DONATIONS FROM/J & P NIXON, J & M CORNWALLACE, J 7 M WILLIAMS, DRAPERS FUND,/HORNBY LTD/DOVER HARBOUR BOARD//Designer GORDON NEWTON Maidstone 2012'
9 o'clock face (LHS); A TRIBUTE TO THE SQUADRONS OF/THE ROYAL AIR FORCE/THAT TOOK PART IN OPERATION FULLER//FIGHTER COMMAND SQUADRONS//1, 19, 41, 72, 118, 129, 137, 234, 401, 403, 607.//BOMBER COMMAND SQUADRONS/49, 50, 103,110, 114, 144, 214, 419, 420, 455/83, 12.//COASTAL COMMAND SQUADRONS/22, 86, 217, 407//3 o'clock face (RHS); SUBMARINE SERVICE/HMS SEALION//FLEET AIR ARM/825 SQUADRON/16TH DESTROYER DIVISION//ROYAL ARTILLERY/540 COAST REGIMENT.