Pointe de Maisonnette (New Brunswick) facts for kids
| Year first constructed | 1915 (first) |
|---|---|
| Foundation | concrete base |
| Construction | metal skeletal tower |
| Tower shape | square pyramidal skeletal tower with balcony and lantern |
| CHS number | CCG 1324 |
Pointe de Maisonnette is a special spot of land, like a small point, in northeastern New Brunswick, Canada. You can find it on a map at 47º50'15"N, 65º00'13"W. This point is important because it marks where Caraquet Bay ends and Chaleur Bay begins. It's also very close to a small fishing village called Maisonnette. The Canadian Coast Guard looks after a lighthouse here, which helps ships find their way.
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A Secret Mission During World War II
Pointe de Maisonnette was a key location for a secret mission during World War II. In late September 1943, ships from the Royal Canadian Navy were involved in a clever plan. They tried to catch a German submarine, called U-536, as part of a bigger event known as the Battle of the St. Lawrence.
The Escape Plan: Operation Kiebitz
Canadian spies and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) found out about a secret escape plan in early 1943. They intercepted letters sent to German naval officers who were prisoners of war at Camp 30 in Bowmanville, Ontario. The letters described a plan called Operation Kiebitz. The prisoners planned to dig a tunnel out of the camp. Then, they would use fake papers and money to travel across Ontario and Quebec. Their goal was to reach the Pointe de Maisonnette lighthouse in New Brunswick. A German submarine was supposed to pick them up there.
Catching the Escaped Prisoner
Canadian authorities knew about the escape plan but kept it a secret from the prisoners. Soon after, they noticed signs of tunnel digging at Camp 30. When the prisoners tried to escape, all but one were caught. The one prisoner who got away traveled all the way to Pointe de Maisonnette without being noticed. He likely used Canadian National Railway passenger trains to get close to Bathurst. But on the night the submarine was supposed to arrive, military police and the RCMP caught him on the beach in front of the lighthouse.
The Royal Canadian Navy set up their own secret mission, code-named "Operation Pointe Maisonnette." This group of ships was led by HMCS Rimouski (K121). Rimouski even had a special, experimental type of camouflage that used diffuse lighting to make it harder to see.
The Canadian ships waited in Caraquet Harbour, hidden by Caraquet Island. On the night of September 26–27, 1943, they detected the German submarine U-536 near Pointe de Maisonnette. This happened at the same time that the escaped prisoner was arrested on shore.
The U-536 managed to escape the Canadian ships. It dove underwater just as the warships started attacking with depth charges. The submarine was able to get out of the Gulf of St. Lawrence without picking up the escaped prisoner.
