Battle of Sept-Îles

Battle off Sept-Îles
Part of the Battle of the Atlantic of World War II
Location of Sept-Îles, Brittany
Date 22 to 23 October 1943 Location off the Sept-Îles, France 48°53′00″N 03°28′00″W / 48.88333°N 3.46667°W / 48.88333; -3.46667Coordinates: 48°53′00″N 03°28′00″W / 48.88333°N 3.46667°W / 48.88333; -3.46667 Result German victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Germany
Commanders and leaders
George Voelcker  †	Franz Kohlauf
Strength
1 light cruiser 6 Destroyers	6 minesweepers 5 torpedo boats 1 blockade runner
Casualties and losses
1 light cruiser sunk 1 destroyer scuttled 506 killed or drowned	None

The Battle off Sept-Îles was a naval battle fought on the night of 22 and 23 October 1943 during World War II as part of the Atlantic campaign. The battle took place in the off the Sept-Îles near the French coast in the English Channel between a light cruiser and six destroyers of the British Royal Navy, and a minesweeper and torpedo boat flotillas of the German Kriegsmarine hoping to intercept and escort a blockade runner. The battle ended with HMS Charybdis being sunk and the Hunt-class destroyer HMS Limbourne being scuttled after suffering damage; nearly 500 British sailors lost their lives in the battle. The battle was the last surface fleet action of the war where the Royal Navy was defeated, and the last German surface fleet action victory.

In late 1943, the British authorities were aware of the approach of the German blockade runner, Münsterland, which had departed Brest and was carrying an important cargo of latex and strategic metals. The British reacted by executing Operation Tunnel, a standard operation whereby available ships would attempt to intercept.

HMS Charybdis was assigned to the operation on 20 October and on 22 October the British force put to sea from Plymouth. With Charybdis were the fleet destroyers HMS Grenville and Rocket and four Hunt-class destroyers; Limbourne, Wensleydale, Talybont and Stevenstone.

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