Battle of La Ciotat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of La Ciotat
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II
American sailors examining battle damage to USS Endicott after the action off La Ciotat
Date 17 August 1944 Location off La Ciotat, France, Mediterranean Sea Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
John D. Bulkeley	Hermann Polenz
Strength
1 destroyer 2 gunboats 17 PT boats	1 corvette 1 naval yacht
Casualties and losses
United States: 1 man wounded 1 destroyer damaged United Kingdom: Unknown	169 captured 1 corvette sunk 1 naval yacht sunk
One German merchant ship was sunk during the battle

The Battle of La Ciotat was a sea battle that happened in August 1944. It was part of World War II and a bigger plan called Operation Dragoon. Allied forces were busy landing troops in France. They sent a small group of American and British warships to La Ciotat. This was a trick, or "diversion," to make German forces look away from the main landing spots. These main spots were Cavalaire-sur-Mer, Saint-Tropez, and Saint Raphaël. During this mission, two German warships attacked the Allied ships.

The Battle Begins

On August 17, 1944, Captain John D. Bulkeley of the United States Navy was put in charge. He sailed to La Ciotat with his ships. His group included one destroyer, USS Endicott, and 17 PT boats. Two British gunboats, HMS Scarab and Aphis, also joined them.

When they reached La Ciotat, the PT boats and gunboats went ahead. They quickly sank a German merchant ship in the harbor. After that, the warships started firing at targets in the city.

German Ships Appear

Suddenly, two German ships were spotted. One was a former Italian ship, a Gabbiano-class corvette, renamed UJ6082. The other was an old Egyptian armed yacht called Nimet Allah. The UJ6082 had a 100 mm (4-inch) gun and two torpedo tubes. Its sister ship had been sunk just two days earlier. The yacht only had a German 88 mm (3.5-inch) anti-aircraft/anti-tank gun.

Fierce Fighting

The two British gunboats started firing at the German ships. They used their 6-inch and 12-pounder guns. But the German ships fired back very accurately. The British gunboats had to pull back.

Then, the USS Endicott opened fire. It only had one 5-inch gun working. It got very close to the German ships, about 1,500 yards (1,370 meters) away. The Germans then aimed their fire at Endicott. One shell hit the Endicott, wounding one American sailor. This was the only American injury in the battle. Even though the shell didn't explode, it tore a big hole in the side of the Endicott.

The battle lasted for less than an hour. The American and German ships fought at close range. In the end, both the German corvette and the yacht were sunk. After the German ships were gone, the Allies continued to fire at the city.

Captain Bulkeley's Words

Later, Captain Bulkeley was asked why he attacked two enemy ships with his damaged destroyer. He famously replied, "What else could I do? You engage, you fight, you win. That is the reputation of our Navy, then and in the future."

Aftermath

On the same day, American planes flew north of La Ciotat. They dropped about 300 dummy paratroopers. These were fake paratroopers that looked like real ones. They also dropped explosive devices that sounded like rifle fire. This was another trick to confuse the German forces.

We don't know how many German soldiers were hurt. However, the USS Endicott rescued 169 German sailors. These sailors became prisoners of war. Captain John Bulkeley later became a vice admiral in the United States Navy. He retired from service in 1988.

Images for kids

• 

  HMS Aphis during World War II

• 

  USS Endicott in 1944