Though the convoy had arrived at its destination, the danger of attack was still present. The nearest German airfield was 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 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.