but there are no known boat losses amongst Coastal Forces for that date or any around it, and there are no known casualties within the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records for that date either, so there doesn't appear to be any correlation between what is claimed and what is known in this regard at any rate....an encounter with enemy PT boats, one of which burst into flames, and 2 others were damaged with certainty.
Yes. Drayson torpedoed "Comet" at the beginning of his second campaign. I wrote about this fight, which occurred at the end of his first campaign.I haven't been able to find anything more about this particular attack. I presume this was an earlier passage of Komet through the Channel prior to the attempt on the 13th/14th October 1942, when it was torpedoed by MTB 236 under the command of Sub Lieutenant Robert Drayson.
German raider KOMET departed Cherbourg early on the 27th, escorted by torpedo boats T.7, T.4, and T.11 and minesweepers M.10 and M.153. The cruiser spent the day in Le Havre and departed that night with the three torpedo boats, five minesweepers, and six R boats.I haven't been able to find anything more about this particular attack.
Early next morning light forces (six M.T.Bs and three M.G.Bs) sent out from Dover were in touch with the convoy; but our wireless traffic had given the enemy warning of their approach. The coastal craft located their quarry close to the French coast, but the enemy had been thoroughly alerted. His shore batteries fired starshell to illuminate the scene, and the attackers were met by such concentrated gunfire that they could not penetrate the screen. Soon after this skirmish five destroyers, which had been on patrol off Beachy Head, arrived and engaged the German escort; the Windsor and Walpole fired torpedoes, but none of them hit. Little damage was in fact done to either side, and the raider safely reached Havre on the afternoon of the 14th.
I managed to find this in the Admiralty diary of daily events.If there was a battle with the MTB, it would be a memoir describing it, or the memories of participants in the forums. But we have nothing. Described in detail with respect to only attack the British destroyers, with their names and the injuries.
So it seems a confrontation did take place but there were no boat losses and casualties recorded on the Coastal Forces side. There is also this useful site which contains details on all the raiders: Marauders of the Sea, German Armed Merchant Raiders During World War 2
593 E/Boat Action (March 14)
Soon after 0200 on March 14, six MTBs and three MGBs were sent from Dover to intercept a large armed merchant vessel of some 5,000 tons, escorted by three destroyers and several E/Boats, reported near Calais proceeding south westwards. Our force was met by a heavy barrage from the shore batteries and escorting craft, and being unable to penetrate the screen, retired without casualties but with some damage to three of the MTBs. At 0553, the BLENCATHRA, FERNIE, CALPE, WINDSOR and WALPOLE, who had been on patrol to the east of Beachy Head, made contact with the enemy in 50. 29 N., 1.14 E., 29 miles south of Dungeness. Passing through the E/Boat screen astern of the destroyers, a torpedo attack was made on the merchant ship between 2,000 and 2,500 yards. One torpedo apparently hit, as a large explosion occurred. Two E/Boats were probably sunk by gunfire, and a destroyer may also have been hit. In this brief action our forces suffered no casualties, and only minor damage to the FERNIE and WINDSOR. The First Sea Lord, in sending his congratulations, said that the manner in which all forces got into close range in spite of heavy opposition reflected great credit in those taking part in this operation.
Admiralty: The War at Sea Vol III Part 1 January - December 1942
Return to “Motor Torpedo Boats”
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 14 guests