Battle of the Bay of Biscay

27–28 December 1943, Bay of Biscay, north-west of Cape Ortegal

British victory; Z27, T25 and T26 sunk

Germany needed rubber and tin from the Far East, and in December 1943 the destroyers and torpedo boats in western France sailed to bring in the blockade runner Alsterufer. She had already been sunk by a Liberator, but the Germans did not know it. On 28 December their force, five destroyers under Hans Erdmenger and six torpedo boats, ran into the cruisers Glasgow and Enterprise, sent out to intercept. The Germans had more guns, but in a heavy sea the small ships could barely use them, while the cruisers were steady. Erdmenger split his force into two groups. The cruisers chased the northern one and sank Z27, with Erdmenger, and the torpedo boats T25 and T26. Glasgow was hit once and two men were killed. The Irish steamer Kerlogue picked up 168 survivors and took them to Ireland, where they were interned.