Action of 26 April 1944 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Action of 26 April 1944
Part of Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic
Date 25–26 April 1944 Location English Channel, off Jentilez Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom Canada	Germany
Strength
1 Dido-class cruiser 4 Tribal-class destroyers	3 Elbing-class torpedo boats
Casualties and losses
2 destroyers damaged 2 destroyers lightly damaged	1 Elbing-class torpedo boat (T29) sunk 2 torpedo boats damaged

The Action of 26 April 1944 was a naval battle during the Second World War. It took place in the English Channel off the coast of Brittany, France. This fight was part of a larger plan by the Allied forces to prepare for Operation Overlord. Operation Overlord was the huge D-Day landings that would happen later in June 1944.

What Happened?

This battle was part of something called "Operation Tunnel." This was when Allied destroyers would patrol the coast. Their job was to clear the area and stop German ships from moving around.

The Ships Involved

On the night of April 25–26, 1944, a group of Allied ships was on patrol. This group included the British light cruiser HMS Black Prince. A cruiser is a large, fast warship.

They were joined by four destroyers. Destroyers are smaller, faster warships used for many tasks. These were the British destroyer HMS Ashanti and three Canadian destroyers: HMCS Athabaskan, HMCS Haida, and HMCS Huron.

They came across three German torpedo boats. Torpedo boats are small, very fast ships that carry torpedoes. The German ships were T24, T27, and T29.

The Battle Begins

The two groups of ships met near the île de Batz, an island off the French coast. A fierce battle quickly began. The Allied ships used their guns to attack the German torpedo boats.

The Fight Continues

During the battle, the Allied forces focused their fire on the German torpedo boats. The fighting was intense. Eventually, the German torpedo boat T29 was hit hard. It was destroyed and sank.

The other two German torpedo boats, T24 and T27, were also damaged. They managed to escape the battle.

Aftermath

The sinking of T29 was a victory for the Allies. However, the battle was not without cost. The T29 caused some damage to the Canadian destroyers Haida and Huron before it sank.

Sadly, 135 German sailors from T29 were lost. Near the end of the fight, the Canadian destroyer Haida and the British destroyer Ashanti accidentally collided. Both ships were damaged but were able to continue.

This action helped the Allies control the English Channel. It was an important step in preparing for the D-Day landings.