On a stormy night in June 1941, a Bristol Beaufort, the RAF’s first monoplane torpedo bomber, roared through black clouds on the kind of daring mission it was designed for, attacking the German heavy cruiser Lützow, recently spotted off the coast of Norway.

As it fought against the howling winds and turbulent skies, this Beaufort had somehow separated from the rest of the RAF’s 42 Squadron and was now flying solo. Flight Sergeant Ray Loveitt gripped the controls tightly. The 22-year-old pilot wasn’t normally superstitious, but on this Friday, the 13th, the odds felt particularly grim.

As the North Sea waves began to shimmer with the first light of dawn, Loveitt’s heart skipped a beat. There, cutting through the horizon, was the unmistakable silhouette of Lützow. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

But, unlike his Beaufort, the heavy cruiser wasn't alone. Surrounding her were four destroyers, their guns bristling in the dim light, and a swarm of Junkers Ju 88s and Messerschmitt Bf 110s patrolling the skies. Getting the bomber close enough to Lützow to drop its payload would require nerves of steel and a stroke of luck.

Loveitt’s mind raced as he observed the recognition signals exchanged between the German aircraft and the ships. Mimicking these signals was a long shot, but it was his only chance. He held his breath as he sent the coded blinks. To his amazement, the Germans accepted his Beaufort as one of their own.


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