I've just come across some info about a fairly unknown major sea battle in the Bay of Biscay on the 28th December 1943. It appears that eleven German destroyers and torpedo boats sailed into the Bay of Biscay to bring in the blockade-runner "Alsterufer". However she was sunk by a Liberator bomber of RAF Coastal Command on the 27th, and on the following day as the German warships returned to base they were intercepted in bad weather by the 6in light cruisers HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise. Although outnumbered and out-gunned the RN cruisers sank the 5.9in-gunned destroyer Z-27 and the torpedo boats T-25 and T-26, also another four of the German warships were damaged. Does anyone have any more info about this one-sided battle against the odds?
This is the source I based my original post on; http://www.naval-history.net/WW2194306-2.htm this is another I've found; Http://web.onetel.net.uk/~s_b_thorn/LOOKOUT/page8.htm also http://www.german-navy.de/kriegsmarine/ships/destroyer/zerstorer1936a/z27/history.html [ 08. December 2003, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: redcoat ]
Interesting post script about the battle 'All Irish ships leaving Ireland had to call at Fishguard to obtain a British Navicert before proceeding and likewise when returning to Ireland. In the early hours of the 29 December 1943 when the Irish Vessel Kerlogue was enroute from Lisbon a Focke Wulf 200 circled and signalled " SOS follow" the ship picked up 168 survivors from the encounter with HMS Glasgow and HMS Enterprise. The little ship with a crew of 12 under Capt Donohue set course for Ireland direct. The senior German officer Kplt. Quedenfeldt requested that they be taken to Brest but he refused. They Irish crew could have been easily overpowered but the refusal was accepted. Despite repeated requests by Lands End radio, to proceed to Fishguard they continued to Ireland and landed the survivors there. They were interned. The Irish captain was at the receiving end of a very abusive Naval officer when he next called to Fishguard,who threatened to have him interned for his humatarian act'. thanks to the poster Sean Dublin for the info _________________
I know this is a very old thread, but interested readers may wish to know that my father was on the Glasgow during both this action and the later D-day landings with the American Battle Group at Omaha beach. He then went to bombard Cherbourg and returned to port some days later. On the Glasgow, he was the "captain of C turret". On arrival back in Britain the Glasgow underwent a long refit and my father was transferred to HMS Isis and was very quickly sunk (in very dubious circumstances) in July 1944. He was one of very few survivors. Later in his service he took place in the Exodus 47 affair off Palestine. Anyone want any further information, get in touch, as my father is still living in South Wales (though, as I write, quite poorly). Regards
