The Case of the Phantom MTB and the Loss of HMCS Athabaskan
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Canadian Military History Volume 11 Issue 3 Article 2 2002 The Case of the Phantom MTB and the Loss of HMCS Athabaskan Michael Whitby [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Whitby, Michael "The Case of the Phantom MTB and the Loss of HMCS Athabaskan." Canadian Military History 11, 3 (2002) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Whitby: Phantom MTB and the HMCS <em>Athabaskan</em> The Case of the Phantom MTB and the Loss of HMCS A th abaskan Michael Whitby n the early dawn hours of 29 April 1944, the It was not unusual, therefore, for HMCS Idestroyer HMCS A th a b a ska n plunged to the H aida an d A th a b a ska n to learn during the depths of the English Channel, her hull wracked forenoon of 28 April that they had been ordered by two powerful explosions. One hundred and to screen HOSTILE 26, a minelaying mission twenty-eight young Canadians died with her. off the French coast about a 100 miles south of Fifty-two years later, in the article “I Will Never Plymouth.5 The Tribals’ role was to act as distant Forget the Sound of Those Engines Going Away: covering force for eight Motor L aunches (MLs) A Re-examination into the Sinking of HMCS of the 10th ML Flotilla that were to lay mines Athabaskan” that appeared in this journal, Peter about nine miles north of the eastern point of Dixon advanced the theory - which was the lie de Bas.6 Two MTBs were to provide close presented as fact - that the second explosion, escort to the minelayers, with Lieutenant- the one that sealed the destroyer’s fate, was Commander T.N. Cartwright, RNVR, senior caused by a torpedo fired by a British motor officer of the 52nd MTB Flotilla riding in torpedo boat (MTB).2 The most significant MTB-677, in command of both the minelaying warship loss in Canadian naval history, the group as well as the two covering MTBs. theory goes, was caused by friendly fire.3 That Cartwright led his force out through the is not so. When primary evidence overlooked by Plymouth boom at 1946 hours. H aida an d Dixon is considered and the recollections of Athabaskan, with Commander H.G. DeWolf, witnesses recorded decades after the event are RCN as senior officer, followed at 2300 hours scrutinized, it becomes abundantly clear that with orders to patrol a 12-mile, east-west ‘race A thabaskan could not have been the victim of a track’ at 49° N, 4° 10' W, about 12 miles north- British torpedo. northwest from where the minefield would be laid. Conditions were good, with a gentle Force Before getting into the specifics of the issue, 3 wind blowing out of the north, a calm sea state it is important to set out the events of that night. 2, and good visibility.7 Throughout the spring of 1944 Allied naval forces carried out anti-shipping sweeps to erode As the Canadian destroyers headed towards German naval strength in preparation for the their patrol position, abnormal atmospheric invasion of northwest Europe. They also laid conditions enabled the coastal radar at Plymouth offensive minefields at strategic locations to Command to detect two enemy vessels off the im pede Kriegsmarine sorties once the invasion French coast.8 From 0010 hours to 0130 hours was launched. Plymouth Command was the Area Combined Headquarters, Plymouth responsible for mounting a good portion of these plotted the progress “of enemy vessels operations, and Canadian Tribal class proceeding to the westward at 20 knots.” At 0258 destroyers, which had joined the command in hours contact was regained, and at 0307 hours, January 1944, were heavily involved in both.4 the C-in-C Plymouth, Admiral Sir Ralph Leatham, ordered Haida an d A th a b a ska n to © Canadian Military History , Volume 11, Number 3, Summer 2002, pp.5-14. 5 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 2002 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 11 [2002], Iss. 3, Art. 2 search and returned to where A th a b a ska n h ad Commander-in-Chlefs 290307 and 290313 last been seen. All that was found was “a large w ere received a t 0315 a n d 0323 respectively an d group of survivors.”11 Shattered by the two it was realized that enemy plot was probably destroyers but Radar sweep to the southward explosions observed from H aida, A th a b a ska n produced no contact nor was anything sighted. was gone. At 0338 C.ln C’s 290331 was received just as [minelaying] Divisions rejoined and altered The cause of the first explosion that crippled course to N.6°E. for return passage at 14 knots. A th a b a ska n at 0417 hours is not in doubt. It At 0405 Haida’s 290402 was received and 0410 came from a torpedo fired by the German continuous star shell was sighted bearing destroyer T-24 as it turned away eastward.12 It approximately S.45°W; Haida’s 290414 was received and at 0416 an explosion was sighted is the cause of the second explosion, the one followed by a burst of flame bearing S.55°W. This that finished her off (although she probably was followed at 0427 by a very large explosion would have sunk anyway) that has been with a large white mushroom of white smoke questioned. According to official investigations on approximately the same bearing; it was feared at the time, and subsequent examination by that at the time that this explosion emanated from one of the destroyer support force. At 0505 historians, the large fire that burned out of C.in C’s 290448 was received ordering MTBs to control after the first explosion led to a chain of detach and proceed to rescue of survivors of events that caused the second, and by virtually Athabaskan; MTBs proceeded to the S.W. at 20 all accounts, more powerful internal explosion knots until C. in C’s 290537 ordering them to at 0427 hours. return to Plymouth. Contact was re-established with M.L.s at 0838 and force entered harbour Peter Dixon disagrees. He believes that at a t 0 9 5 5 .14 The Unlucky Lady. HMCS Athabaskan at anchor at Plymouth in the spring of 1944. 0307 hours, MTB-677 copied Plymouth’s signal Supplementing Cartwright’s report is a two- ordering Haida and A thabaskan to intercept the page extract from MTB-677’s deck log for 28/29 proceed southwest at full speed to Intercept. 9. The enemy laid smoke and turned away to enemy radar contact. After a 55-minute run at April 1944. This document, which details the From here, Commander DeWolfs after action the Southward. At 0417 course was altered 30° 30 knots, MTB-677 arrived at the scene in time to port, still keeping “A” arcs open and at this position, course and speed of MTB-677 over the report can be used to outline the events that to be picked up as the third radar contact course of the operation as well as the position moment Athabaskan was hit aft and a large fire detected by the Tribals at 0411 hours. The flash followed: started. She was observed to slow down and of the mine lay, was completed as the mission turned to port. The first hit on the enemy was from T-24’s torpedo hitting A thabaskan at 0417 unfolded and thus can be taken as the most .. .Commander-in-Chief Plymouth’s 290307 was obtained at 0418. hours acted as a beacon that led the MTB to the reliable account of the MTB’s movements. The received in the plot at 0322. Course was altered Canadian destroyer. Then, confused by to 225° and speed Increased to maximum. At 10. At 0419 Haida altered course 90° to port original log would have remained with the MTB and lay a smoke screen for Athabaskan who Athabaskan’s camouflage pattern, M TB-677 0332 course was altered to 205° and at 0343 to and an extract submitted so that Plymouth appeared to be stopped and badly on fire. “A" 180°. It was estimated from information mistook the Tribal for a German destroyer and Command would know the precise location of arcs were opened to starboard. At 0420 another attacked, killing a sailor on the fo’c’sle with contained in C-in-C’s 290313 and 0331 that the the new minefield.15 The deck log demonstrates enemy could be intercepted East of Isle de Vierge hit was observed on the enemy. machine gun fire and mortally wounding her conclusively that Cartwright never deviated from 6. Radar contact was gained by Athabaskan 11. At 0422 plot reported enemy steaming 160° with a torpedo. in line abreast. At about this moment the enemy his orders for HOSTILE 26. He stayed with the at 0359° bearing 133°, 14 miles and confirmed MLs over the course of the entire operation, and by Haida at 0402 when an enemy report was not being engaged was sighted broad on the For the above to be true, a document lying starboard bow steering from left to right and did not head for the location of the destroyer made.