Posthumous VC for leader of Swordfish attack on German battleships , ' Scharnhorst and Gneisenau ' , Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde who died leading the ' suicide ' squadron of Swordfish planes in the attack on the Scharnhorst , Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen has been awarded the VC . He was killed within the first few moments of the torpedo attack . Not one of the 6 Swordfish planes he led returned . Only 5 members of the crews were saved .