Naval Battle of Casablanca

8–12 November 1942, Off Casablanca and Fedala, French Morocco

American victory; the French squadron destroyed

In Operation Torch the Americans landed in French Morocco straight from the United States, at Fedala, Safi and Mehdia, hoping the French would not fight. They did. Early on 8 November 1942 the half-finished battleship Jean Bart, with one working turret, and the El Hank battery opened fire on the American covering force under Rear Admiral Robert Giffen, and Massachusetts put Jean Bart's turret out of action with her 16-inch guns. Then the French 2nd Light Squadron came out of Casablanca under a smoke screen to attack the transports off Fedala: the cruiser Primauguet, the large destroyers Milan and Albatros and five more destroyers. In a running fight against Augusta, Brooklyn, Massachusetts, Tuscaloosa, Wichita and their destroyers, and dive bombers from Ranger, most of them were sunk or driven ashore, and the submarines that sortied were sunk in the harbour or at sea. Jean Bart's turret was repaired by evening and fired again on 10 November before dive bombers sank her at her berth. Casablanca surrendered on 11 November.