On 24 July 1941 Dawson was the bomb-aimer and navigator in a Halifax aircraft taking part in an attack against the Scharnhorst, a German battleship that had been harassing North Atlantic convoys. Despite heavy fire from the Scharnhorst and circling Me109s, Dawson, who was by then positioned in the exposed aircraft fore-belly, achieved a perfect bomb release and five direct hits. The fierce German counter-attack resulted in Dawson's aircraft being badly damaged and the rear-gunner being seriously injured. Dawson then crawled to the rear of the aircraft and dragged him to the midsection where he injected him with painkillers.