Chapter 12 – from noon until dusk, 20 of December

Walker calls the carrier back to the rear of the convoy, close to the "Stork". He also sends instructions to the other escort ships, so that they know how to behave during night. Walker tells them to use the snowflakes more aggressively and especially to use the Martlets also at night. As expected, Mac Kendrick protests. He argues, that it is much too risky to start and land during night and that he has only got four planes and that the stress is too much. Walker ignores him and soon the Audacity is on her way to the rear of the convoy.
If Walker thought the next raid would come at night, he is wrong. At 13:48 the Martlet patrol reports of two unidentified planes, coming straight to the convoy. Walker immediately alarms the escorts and a second Martlet gets off. The gunners sit at their anti aircraft guns, ready to repel any air raid. However, only the humming of engines shows that there is something going on above the clouds. Then a four engine bomber dives through the clouds. First it seems as if the plane would go straight in to the convoy, but then it falls straight into the sea. A quarter of an hour, the two Martlets return. Brown, one of the pilots, flies twice across the convoy, shaking his wings. When he finally got down, he reports that he shot down two German Condors.
Walker sends a report to the WAC. He also receives two radio messages. First one is telling him that the reinforcements will arrive next afternoon. Second one is telling him, that the United States are now at war with Germany.