| 15 April 1942
From the war diaries of Luftflotte 5
Air attacks on Murmansk.
In the course of an attack on shipping and installations in Murmansk harbour, one passenger and fright-ship of about 10,000 tons received a direct hit amid-ships. It can be counted as destroyed. At 1740hrs there was a dive-bombing attack on quay installations and two merchant ships (each 2,000 tons) in Murmansk harbour; there were two direct hits on a storage shed and two direct hits on quay installations. In air fights over Murmansk 4 Hurricanes, two J.180s and 1 J.16 were shot down. In the two Stuka attacks on Murmansk, two medium-sized merchant ships were badly damaged and probably destroyed; hits were scored on installations and stores. Seven enemy fighters were shot down. None of our aircraft were lost.
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On weald of Kent I watched once more
Again I heard that grumbling roar
Of fighter planes; yet none were near
And all around the sky was clear
Borne on the wind a whisper came
'Though men grow old, they stay the same'
And then I knew, unseen to eye
The ageless Few were sweeping by
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