Action of 26 April 1944

{{short description|Naval battle during the Second World War}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox military conflict

|conflict=Action of 26 April 1944|partof=Second World War, Battle of the Atlantic

|campaign=

|image=

|caption=

|date=25–26 April 1944

|place=English Channel, off Jentilez

|result=Allied victory

|combatant1={{flagicon|United Kingdom}} United Kingdom
{{flagicon|Canada|1921}} Canada

|combatant2={{flagicon|Nazi Germany}} Germany

|commander1=

|commander 2=

|strength1= 1 {{sclass|Dido|cruiser}}
4 {{sclass2|Tribal|destroyer (1936)|0}} destroyers

|strength2= 3 {{sclass|Elbing|torpedo boat}}s

|casualties1= 2 destroyers damaged

2 destroyers lightly damaged

|casualties2= 1 {{sclass|Elbing|torpedo boat}} ({{ship|German torpedo boat|T29||2}}) sunk

2 torpedo boats damaged

|campaignbox= {{Campaignbox Atlantic Campaign}}

}}

The action of 26 April 1944 occurred as a part of Operation Tunnel, Allied destroyer sweeps of the coast of Brittany in preparation for Operation Overlord. On the night of 25–26 April, a sweep was conducted by the {{sclass|Dido|cruiser}} {{HMS|Black Prince|81|6}} and the {{sclass2|Tribal|destroyer (1936)|0}} destroyers {{HMS|Ashanti|F51|6}}, {{HMCS|Athabaskan|G07|6}}, {{HMCS|Haida|G63|6}} and {{HMCS|Huron|G24|6}}. They engaged the {{sclass2|Elbing|torpedo boat}}s {{ship|German torpedo boat|T24||2}}, {{ship|German torpedo boat|T27||2}} and {{ship|German torpedo boat|T29||2}} off the île de Batz until T29 was destroyed. Both of the other torpedo boats were damaged in the engagement. T29 caused some casualties on Haida and Huron before sinking with a loss of 135 men. Haida and Ashanti collided with each other near the end of the action.{{cite book |last=O'Hara |first=Vincent P. | author-link = Vincent P. O'Hara |year=2013 |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, Maryland |isbn=978-1-61251-397-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GkbXBZttEsUC&q=Black+Prince+26+April+1944&pg=PT159 |title=The German Fleet at War, 1939–1945 |access-date=11 August 2013}}