WW2 Pod: We Have Ways of Making You Talk The Channel Dash: The Battle of The Narrow Seas (Part 3)
Mar 10, 2026
A tense retelling of Operation Cerberus and the audacious German dash from Brest across the Channel. Naval planning, secrecy and British confusion shape the story. Radar, coastal artillery and RAF miscommunications complicate attempts to stop the convoy. A doomed daylight torpedo attack by Swordfish and its human cost are vividly recounted.
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Secrecy And Chaos Helped The German Escape
- British command suffered from secrecy and communication failures that left multiple services unaware and unprepared for the Channel Dash.
- James Holland and Al Murray highlight overloaded lines, disjointed RAF/Navy comms, and ceremonial duties (Lee Mallory) preventing timely response.
Fuller Looked Good On Paper But Wasn’t Fit For Daylight
- Operation Fuller looked strong on paper but lacked usable assets and torpedoes in the right places when the Germans forced a daylight transit.
- Holland explains Bomber, Coastal and Fleet Air Arm units were dispersed, understaffed, or ill-suited to attack ships underway.
Big Coastal Guns Couldn’t Lock On In The Smoke
- Dover coastal artillery had powerful guns with theoretical range but lacked accurate target discrimination for a congested radar plot.
- Radar picked the flotilla at 32,000 yards but visibility, smoke and unfamiliar radar-directed firing produced erratic bearings.