Biscay
The Second World War
Date
1940 - 1945
Geographical parameters
Between the latitudes of Ushant and Cape Ortegal from 12° W, to the coast of France.
Context
Eligible to all “ships and submarines which were employed on patrol duty in the area and took part in a successful action. The interception and sinking of enemy blockade runners is not a qualification for the award.” An area battle honour formally entitled “Biscay 1940-5” with year dates according to the service of the unit concerned Footnote 1.
Description
With the fall of France in 1940 the French ports on the Bay of Biscay became a major base of operations for the German submarine fleet. To transit into the Atlantic the submarines had to first cross the Bay and thus it became a significant battlefield of the Second World War.
On 18 August 1944, HMCS Kootenay, a part of Escort Group 11 (Captain J.D. Prentice, RCN), picked up a radar contact 60 miles off of the French port of La Rochelle. That proved to be the opening move of an 8-hour long struggle between Ottawa, Kootenay and Chaudière and the German submarine U 621. Although oil and wreckage came to the surface there had been no definite proof of a kill when EG 11 was ordered to return to Plymouth. The following morning HMCS Chaudière was ordered by headquarters in Plymouth to return to the scene of the action to make further searches. Diligence was rewarded when Chaudière obtained a firm radar contact and made an attack with Hedgehog (depth charges). The result was a massive explosion as well as wreckage and patches of dense oil.
The Canadian ships were now directed to leave the Bay of Biscay for Londonderry. As they proceeded north, past the port of Brest, another radar contact was made and attacked. Again there were no signs of wreckage and eventually the ships were told to break off the engagement. It was only after the war had ended that they were to discover that they had also sunk U 984.
Awarded to:
Ships in commission
- HMCS Calgary - 1943 Footnote 2
- HMCS Iroquois - 1943-44 Footnote 3
- HMCS Ottawa - 1944 Footnote 4
Ships not currently in commission
- HMCS Assiniboine - 1944 Footnote 5
- HMCS Chaudière - 1944 Footnote 6
- HMCS Edmunston - 1943 Footnote 7
- HMCS Haida - 1944 Footnote 8
- HMCS Kootenay - 1944 Footnote 9
- HMCS Qu’Appelle - 1944 Footnote 10
- HMCS Restigouche - 1944 Footnote 11
- HMCS Saskatchewan - 1944 Footnote 12
- HMCS Skeena - 1944 Footnote 13
- HMCS Snowberry - 1943 Footnote 14
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