Battle of (off?) Ushant: Allied vs. German destroyers

[Brian Kennedy]

While screwing around on Wikipedia, I came across:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ushant

 

>>The Battle of Ushant was also a battle in World War II, on June 9, 1944, among the British, Canadian and Polish destroyers of the 10th Flotilla and the German destroyers of the 8th Narvik Flotilla, won by the allies.

 

I dug around, but either there's nothing about this battle on the Internets or my Google-fu fails me. Anybody?

[Rich]

While screwing around on Wikipedia, I came across:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ushant

 

>>The Battle of Ushant was also a battle in World War II, on June 9, 1944, among the British, Canadian and Polish destroyers of the 10th Flotilla and the German destroyers of the 8th Narvik Flotilla, won by the allies.

 

I dug around, but either there's nothing about this battle on the Internets or my Google-fu fails me. Anybody?

 

Allied:

 

CinC, Plymouth Command:

10th DD Flotilla RN:

19th Division:

DD: HMS Tartar (F), Ashanti and HMCS Haida and Huron

20th Division:

DD: HMS Eskimo and Javelin, FPN Blyskawica and Piorun

DESDIV 18, DESRON 9 (attached):

DD: USS Somers (DF), Davis and Jouett, and (+) Emmons

 

German:

 

8. Zerstörer-Flotille (Z.-Flotille)

Gefechtssand – Brest

Kdr: Kapitän zur See von Bechtolsheim

Z-24, 32, ZH-1, and T-24

 

 

“17. On the night before D-Day, the general disposition of these forces was as follows:

a. One Destroyer Division [20th] carried out a constant patrol in the Hurd Deep in order to arrest any possible attempt by the enemy to rush a strong U-Boat pack up the middle of the Channel;

b. A second destroyer patrol [19th Division], known as the "Western Patrol", was organized so as to operate with four destroyers in an area about 50 miles north of Ushant. The object of this patrol was to intercept enemy vessels, and, especially, destroyers proceeding from the Gironde toward NEPTUNE;

c. The U.S. destroyers and, at night, light coastal forces of Plymouth command, were posted to seaward of the exposed western arm of Force U's. convoy route, and were supported by special air patrols;” (The Invasion of Normandy; Operation Neptune, Volume V of the US Naval Administration of World War II)

 

"On the night of 8/9 June, the 8. Z-Flottille (Kpt.z.S. v. Bechtolsheim) with Z 32, Z 24, ZH 1 and T 24 sailed from Brest seeking to attack the invasion area, but northwest of the Isle de Bas were engaged by the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, RN (Capt. Jones) with Tartar, Ashanti, Haida, and Huron as well as Blyskawica, Piorun, Eskimo und Javelin. ZH 1 was sunk by torpedoes from Ashanti, Z 32 was engaged by Haida and Huron near the Isle de Bas and sank, while Tartar was badly damaged." (Chronik Seekrieg, my poor translation)

Edited November 1, 2007 by Rich

[Junior FO]

...

Edited September 19, 2024 by Junior FO

[Brian Kennedy]

Awesome, thanks guys!

[redcoat]

Another 'unknown' sea battle took place in the Bay of Biscay on the 28th December 1943,

 

It appears that eleven German destroyers and torpedo boats sailed into the Bay of Biscay to bring in the blockade-runner "Alsterufer".

However she was sunk by a Liberator bomber of RAF Coastal Command on the 27th, and on the following day, as the German warships returned to base, they were intercepted in bad weather by the 6in light cruisers HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise. Although outnumbered and out-gunned the RN cruisers sank the 5.9in-gunned destroyer Z-27 and the torpedo boats T-25 and T-26, another four of the German warships were damaged. On the Allied side, damage was limited to some light damage suffered by HMS Glasow.

[KingSargent]

I'd like to find more on the loss of CL HMS Charybidis (or Scylla) apparently sunk in the Channel in 1943.

[ABNredleg]

I'd like to find more on the loss of CL HMS Charybidis (or Scylla) apparently sunk in the Channel in 1943.

Here's a link. Not one of the RN's finest moments.

Edited November 1, 2007 by ABNredleg

[Marek Tucan]

However she was sunk by a Liberator bomber of RAF Coastal Command on the 27th

 

Yup, first spotted and shadowed by Sutherland T/201, then attacked by another (Q/422) whose bombs overshot her but which atleast was able to machinegun the ship, it was then attacked by Liberator "H" by 311th RAF (CZ) which attacked twice despite suffering engine damage on first pass and set the ship ablaze, using all available weapons (RP's, bombs and .50's). The H/311 started then return home due to expended ammunition and engine damage, but an hour later Liberators F/86 and L/86 attacked Alsterufer once more, with unclear results - all their bombs have missed but one by L/86 was very close, but as the ship's crew was observed abandoning the ship even before this final attack, H/311 was credited with the kill.

Several crewmembers of Q/422 and L/86 received Czechoslovakian medals for their participation on this action.