Battle of Ushant (1944) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Ushant |
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| Part of the Invasion of Normandy | |||||||
 Crew members of HMS Tartar display their torn White Ensign |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom Canada Poland |
 Germany |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Basil Jones |
 Theodor von Bechtolsheim |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 8 destroyers | 3 destroyers 1 torpedo boat |
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| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1 destroyer damaged | 39 killed 140 captured 1 destroyer sunk 1 destroyer scuttled |
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The Battle of Ushant was a naval fight that happened very early on June 9, 1944. It's also called the Battle of Brittany. This battle took place between German and Allied destroyer ships near the coast of Brittany, France. It happened just after the D-Day landings in Normandy. During a confusing night battle, the Allies sank one German destroyer. They also forced another German ship onto the shore, where it was destroyed.
Contents
Why This Battle Happened: The Background
On June 6, 1944, a very important day known as D-Day, Allied forces landed in Normandy. This was a huge step in World War II. The German navy, called the Kriegsmarine, had some destroyers left. These ships were Z24, Z32, and ZH1. They were ordered to sail from the Gironde estuary to Brest.
The British found out about this plan. They sent Canadian Bristol Beaufighter planes to attack the German ships. This happened as the ships sailed through the Bay of Biscay. During this air raid, the German destroyer Z32 got a little bit damaged.
The German ships reached Brest safely. There, Z24 and Z32 had their anti-aircraft guns made stronger. These are guns used to shoot down enemy planes. After this, they sailed out again on June 8. They were joined by the torpedo boat T24. Their goal was to reach Cherbourg and help strengthen German positions there.
Allies Prepare for Battle
The Allied forces learned about the German ships' movements. They used secret information they had intercepted. So, they sent their own group of ships, the 10th Destroyer Flotilla, to stop the Germans. This group was led by Captain Basil Jones. His ship was the HMS Tartar.
Captain Jones had eight destroyers in total.
- The British ships were HMS Tartar, HMS Ashanti, Eskimo, and Javelin.
- The Canadian ships were HMCS Haida and Huron.
- The Polish ships were ORP Piorun and ORP Błyskawica.
Captain Jones decided to split his ships into two groups. The first group had Eskimo, Javelin, Piorun, and Błyskawica. The second group had Tartar, Ashanti, Huron, and Haida.
The Night Battle Begins
The British ships were sailing west in the English Channel. Just after 1:00 AM on June 9, they found the German ships on their radar. Radar helps ships "see" other ships in the dark or fog. Captain Jones turned his ships to face the Germans. The German ships were about 30 miles east-northeast of the Ile de Batz.
The two groups of ships started fighting. They shot their guns and launched torpedoes at each other. A torpedo is like an underwater missile. The Tartar was hit several times. But its crew managed to put out the fires and get the ship moving fast again.
The German ship ZH1 was attacked by both Tartar and Ashanti. The Ashanti fired two torpedoes from very close range. One of them hit ZH1, blowing off the front part of the ship. The ship was badly damaged. Its captain, Klaus Barckow, told his crew to leave the ship. Then, he sank it himself using depth charges at 2:40 AM. Thirty-nine people, including Captain Barckow, died. Twenty-eight crew members made it to France. The British rescued the other 140 German sailors.
Chasing the Remaining Ships
Meanwhile, the Canadian ships Haida and Huron were chasing Z24 and T24. The German ships sailed into a British minefield. A minefield is an area of water filled with explosives that blow up when touched. The Canadians tried to go around the minefield. But they eventually lost sight of the German ships.
Z24 and T24 met up again. They planned to go back and fight the British. But when they realized they weren't being followed, they left the area.
Haida and Huron went back to where the main battle happened. There, they found the German ship Z32, commanded by Theodor von Bechtolsheim. Z32 had been badly damaged and had lost contact with the other German ships. At first, there was some confusion about who was who. But when the Canadians realized it was a German ship, they opened fire.
Bechtolsheim tried to escape at high speed. But Z32 was too damaged. It was driven ashore on the Ile de Batz. The next day, British Bristol Beaufighter planes finished off the wrecked ship.
Ships You Can Still See Today
Two of the destroyers that fought in this battle are still around today. They are now museum ships!
- HMCS Haida is in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- ORP Błyskawica is in Gdynia, Poland.
