Battle of Sept-Îles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Sept-Îles |
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| Part of the Battle of the Atlantic of World War II | |||||||
 Location of Sept-Îles, Brittany |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 George Voelcker † |
 Franz Kohlauf |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 1 light cruiser 6 destroyers |
6 minesweepers 5 torpedo boats 1 blockade runner |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 506 killed or drowned 1 light cruiser sunk 1 destroyer scuttled |
none | ||||||
The Battle of Sept-Îles was a naval battle fought during World War II. It happened on the night of October 22-23, 1943. This battle was part of the larger Battle of the Atlantic.
It took place near the Sept-Îles (Seven Islands) off the coast of France. British ships from the Royal Navy were trying to stop a German blockade runner. A blockade runner is a ship that tries to get past enemy blockades. This German ship was protected by German torpedo boats.
The British ships were likely caught in a trap. The battle ended with the sinking of the British cruiser HMS Charybdis. Another British ship, the destroyer Hunt-class destroyer HMS Limbourne, was badly damaged and had to be sunk by its own side. More than 500 British sailors lost their lives. This battle was the last time the Royal Navy was defeated in a surface battle during the war. It was also the last surface battle victory for the German navy.
Why the Battle Happened
By mid-1943, the Allies were doing better in the Battle of the Atlantic. The Royal Navy started to go on the attack. In August 1943, British commanders planned an operation. They wanted to regularly attack German ships. They also hoped to draw out German warships to destroy them. This was important before the planned invasion of France.
Vice-Admiral Ralph Leatham created "Operation Tunnel." This plan involved sweeping along the coast of western France. The first sweep happened on September 5-6. Three more followed without any major events. On October 3-4, British and German destroyers exchanged fire. The British ships HMS Grenville and HMS Ulster got light damage. Four more "Tunnel" operations happened between October 13 and 18. The British tactics were always the same, which made them easy to predict.
On October 22, British intelligence learned about a German ship. This ship was called Münsterland. It had left Brest and was carrying important supplies. These included rubber and valuable metals. It is now thought that the Münsterland was used as "bait." The Germans wanted to lure out the British navy and ambush them.
Lieutenant Commander Roger Hill commanded the British ship Grenville. He worried about the predictable tactics. He also worried that the British ships had not trained enough together. He even said, "don't let's go." But his warning was not listened to.
The cruiser HMS Charybdis was part of this operation for the first time. Its captain, George Voelcker, was in charge of the British force. On October 22, the British ships left Plymouth. With Charybdis were the destroyers HMS Grenville and Rocket. There were also four smaller destroyers: Limbourne, Wensleydale, Talybont, and Stevenstone.
The German ship Münsterland was escorted by six German minesweepers. Two radar-equipped patrol boats also helped. Later, five Type 39 torpedo boats joined them. These torpedo boats were led by Franz Kohlauf.
Soon after midnight, the British ships used their radar. They were moving at about 13 knots (24 km/h). They were about 7 nautical miles (13 km) west of Brittany. At the same time, German radar operators found them. They tracked the British ships carefully. Then, they sent this information to the German ships. The British destroyers and Plymouth Command picked up these warnings. But for some reason, Charybdis did not get them.
The Battle Begins
The German ship Münsterland was sent away to safety. The German torpedo boats waited for the British force. Charybdis picked up the German ships on its radar at 14,000 yards (13,000 m). This was at 1:30 AM. Charybdis signaled its destroyers to go faster. But only the last destroyer, Wensleydale, got the signal. When Wensleydale sped up, it caused confusion. This got worse when the first German torpedoes arrived. Then, friendly star shells lit up the leading British ships instead of the Germans. By now, the British ships had lost their formation.
The British ships were easy to see against the lighter sky. The Germans were also helped by a rain shower coming from the southwest. It was hard to see, with low clouds and a heavy ocean swell. Kohlauf saw the shape of the larger British cruiser. He thought his ships had been surprised. He immediately ordered his ships to turn and flee. But first, he told every ship to launch their torpedoes.
Charybdis could have done a lot of damage. But the Germans were only seen on radar, not with eyes. The Germans launched a total of 24 torpedoes. Lookouts suddenly saw the white trails of torpedoes. Before anything could be done, Charybdis was hit. A torpedo from T23 hit its left side. This flooded a dynamo room and a boiler room. The ship lost power on its left side. It tilted 20 degrees to the left and stopped. Torpedoes just missed Wensleydale and Grenville. Then, a second torpedo from T27 hit Charybdis. This hit the back engine room, which flooded. All electrical power was lost, and the ship tilted 50 degrees.
Minutes after Charybdis was hit a second time, the German torpedo boat T22 hit Limbourne. The front ammunition storage exploded. Limbourne tilted heavily to the right, and its front was blown off. The crew then left the ship. Charybdis sank within half an hour. Over 400 men, including Captain George Voelcker, were lost. The other British destroyers almost crashed into each other in the confusion. Then, they left the battle.
What Happened Next
The remaining British force was now led by Roger Hill of Grenville. They only came back when they heard that Limbourne was badly damaged. They then started a rescue operation. 107 of the crew from Charybdis were rescued that morning and day. The damaged Limbourne had lost 42 crew members. An attempt to tow Limbourne failed. So, the order was given to sink it. Limbourne was sunk by torpedoes from Talybont and gunfire from Rocket. 100 survivors were picked up.
Franz Kohlauf was given the Knight's Cross by Adolf Hitler for this action. Friedrich-Karl Paul received the German Cross. This battle was the last defeat for the Royal Navy in a surface action. The British learned from this setback. Despite the loss, Operation Tunnel was successful overall. Only four out of 15 German blockade runners reached France. The Münsterland returned safely to Saint-Malo. But its mission to run the blockade was stopped. Later, on January 21, 1944, it tried to move again. It was forced ashore and destroyed near Cap Blanc Nez by British coastal artillery from Dover.
Remembering the Battle
The bodies of 21 Royal Navy and Royal Marine sailors washed up on Guernsey. The German forces occupying the Channel Islands buried them with full military honors. These funerals became a way for some islanders to show their loyalty to Britain. They also showed their opposition to the Nazi occupiers. About 5,000 islanders attended the funeral. They laid about 900 wreaths. This was such a strong protest against the Nazis that later military funerals were closed to civilians.
Every year, a special service is held to remember the battle. Survivors and their families attend. Also present are the Guernsey Association of Royal Navy and Royal Marines, Sea Cadets, St John's Ambulance Brigade, the Police, the Red Cross, and members of the Royal Navy.
The highest-ranking British officer to survive this battle was Lt. Cmdr. Roger Hill. He was captain of HMS Grenville. He wrote a detailed story of the battle in his book Destroyer Captain. His book includes his own research and information from a German destroyer captain who was there. He talks about the planning before the operation. He also describes the events of the battle and what happened after. He points out some of the mistakes that led to the loss of both HMS Charybdis and HMS Limbourne.
