 Though the convoy had arrived at its destination , the danger of attack was still present . The nearest German airfield was 35 miles ( 56 km ) away — about 7 to 10 minutes flying time — which gave almost no advance warning of air raids . German dive bombers would silently glide in below Soviet anti @-@ aircraft fire , drop their bombs , and fly away . West Cheswald was luckier than some . Her closest call occurred when a bomb fell 50 feet ( 15 m ) away from the ship during an air raid on 23 April , destroying a 50 @-@ ton crane that had earlier finished unloading the ship ; West Cheswald suffered no major damage in any of the attacks . Despite the fact that Murmansk had limited port facilities and typically slow unloading of cargo , West Cheswald was ready to sail in the next departing convoy , Convoy QP 11 , on 28 April . West Cheswald 's armed guardsmen received a battle star for their participation in Convoy PQ 14 . 
