Battle of Port Cros facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Port Cros
Part of the Mediterranean Theater of World War II
Port Cros (left) from space and Île du Levant (right).
Date August 15, 1944 Location Port-Cros, France, Mediterranean Sea 43°00′18″N 6°23′55″E / 43.005°N 6.398611°E / 43.005; 6.398611 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United States  Canada	Germany
Commanders and leaders
William C. Hughes	unknown
Strength
Land: 1,800 infantry Sea: Destroyer Somers	Land: 5 forts Sea: Corvette UJ6081 Aviso SG21
Casualties and losses
9 killed	UJ6081 sunk SG21 sunk 5 forts captured

The Battle of Port Cros was a fight during World War II. It happened near the French Riviera in the Mediterranean Sea. The battle took place on the island of Port-Cros in August 1944. It started when a United States Navy ship met two German ships. This was part of a bigger plan called Operation Dragoon. It was rare for US Navy and German ships to fight directly. Later that day, American and Canadian soldiers landed on the island. They captured the German positions.

The Sea Battle

The American ship USS Somers was a destroyer. It had six large guns and eight torpedo tubes. On August 15, 1944, the Somers was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea. It found two German warships. One was a former Italian ship called Camoscio. The German navy had renamed it UJ6081. The other was a former French ship, Amiral Senes, renamed SG21.

The UJ6081 had one 100 mm gun and two torpedo tubes. The SG21 had two 4.1-inch guns. It was early morning near Port Cros. The American sailors saw the German ship UJ6081. Commander Willam Christopher Hughes ordered his crew to prepare for battle. He told them to launch torpedoes.

USS Somers in 1942.

The Somers fired its torpedoes. The German ships shot back and tried to move away. But one torpedo hit the UJ6081. The ship quickly began to sink. Then, the SG21 was seen coming to help. The Somers' main guns fired at the SG21. After a few minutes, the SG21 was hit many times. It started to fill with water. Both German ships sank. The Somers then left to help with other battles on the French mainland. The American forces had no damage or injuries.

The Land Battle

Later that same day, soldiers landed on Port Cros. These soldiers were from the 1st Special Service Force. This group included both United States Army and Canadian Army infantry. They fought the German soldiers defending the island. There were five forts on Port Cros. The Allies attacked two or three of these forts. They captured the others without a fight. Nine paratroopers were killed during this land battle.

What Happened Next

After the battle, Commander Hughes was praised for his victory. He later became a rear admiral. This battle helped him achieve that rank. After Port Cros, the U.S. Army took over Le Levant. This was another island nearby. Two days later, on August 17, 1944, two more German ships were sunk. These were the UJ6082 and the Nimet Allah. The American ship USS Endicott sank them. Two British gunboats also helped in that fight. This happened at the Battle of La Ciotat.