Battle of Port Cros

The American destroyer {{USS|Somers|DD-381|6}}—armed with six {{cvt|5|in|mm|sigfig=3}} guns and eight {{cvt|21|in|mm|sigfig=3}} torpedo tubes—was cruising in the Mediterranean on 15 August 1944.{{sfn|Gibbons|2001|p=405}}{{sfn|Jane's|2001|p=284}} She came across the former Italian {{sclass|Gabbiano|corvette}} Camoscio of {{cvt|738|LT|t|lk=on}}, which had been renamed UJ6081 by the Kriegsmarine. Also involved was the former French aviso Amiral Senes of {{cvt|917|LT|t}}, renamed SG21.Groner, p.237 UJ6081 was armed with one Škoda 10 cm K10 and two {{cvt|17.7|in|mm}} torpedo tubes. The aviso was armed with two {{cvt|4.1|in|mm}} guns. It was early morning off Port Cros, about four hours before the Allied landing in Vichy France, when the Americans sighted the German corvette. Commander Willam Hughes ordered a torpedo attack and directed his men to battle stations.

File:USS Somers (DD-381) at the Charleston Naval Shipyard on 16 February 1942 (NH 98021).jpg

A spread of torpedoes was launched and the Germans opened fire as they attempted to evade the torpedoes. One torpedo hit UJ6081 and she quickly began to sink; SG21 was then spotted coming to the rescue and was engaged by Somers{{'}} main gun battery. The duel lasted for a few minutes until SG21 was hit several times and began taking in water. Within a few more minutes, both German ships had sunk and Somers left the area for naval gunfire support missions against targets along the French mainland. American forces suffered no damage or casualties.

Later that day, a mixed regiment of United States Army and Canadian Army infantry, the 1st Special Service Force, was dropped onto Port Cros and captured the five forts after a day-long battle with their German garrisons. The Allies assaulted two or three forts and seized the remaining without resistance. Nine paratroopers were killed in the land battle.{{clear left}}

Commander Hughes was recognized for his victory and eventually rose to the rank of rear admiral partly due to his involvement in this action. After the engagement, the U.S. Army occupied Le Levant, another island nearby. Two days later, on 17 August 1944, the former Italian corvette Antilope, renamed UJ6082, and the former Egyptian armed yacht Nimet Allah were sunk by {{USS|Endicott|DD-495|6}} with help from two British gunboats at the Battle of La Ciotat.{{Cite web |title=Battle of La Ciotat August 1944 World Naval Ships Forums Archive |url=https://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/thread.php?threadid=12311 |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=www.worldnavalships.com}}

Notes

{{reflist}}

Bibliography

• {{DANFS}}
• {{cite book |last=Gibbons |first=Tony |year=2001 |title=The Encyclopedia of Ships |publisher=Amber Books |location=London |isbn=978-1-905704-43-9}}
• {{cite book |last=Groner |first=Eric |title=German Warships 1815–1945: Major Surface Vessels |volume=I | publisher=Naval Institute Press |year=1990 |location=Annapolis, MD |isbn=0-87021-790-9 }}
• {{cite book |year=2001 |title=Jane's Fighting Ships of World War II |publisher=Random House |location=London |isbn=0-517-67963-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/janesfightingshi00fran/page/284 |url-access=registration |via=Archive Foundation |ref={{sfnref|Jane's|2001}}}}

• www.history.navy.mil: [https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/wars-conflicts-and-operations/world-war-ii/1944/operation-dragoon.html Operation Dragoon: The Invasion of Southern France]

{{World War II}}

{{Liberation of France}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Port Cros, Battle of}}

Port Cros

Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Germany

Category:Allied naval victories in the battle of the Mediterranean

Category:Battles of World War II involving Canada

Category:August 1944 in Europe

Category:Maritime incidents in August 1944