Battle of Sept-Îles

The Battle of Sept-Îles was a naval action fought on the night of 22/23 October 1943 during World War II as part of the Battle of the Atlantic. The battle took place off the Sept-Îles near the French coast in the English Channel between a light cruiser and six destroyers of the British Royal Navy, hoping to intercept a German blockade runner, which was accompanied by German torpedo-boat destroyer flotillas of the Kriegsmarine. It is likely that the British vessels were caught in an ambush and the action ended with the sinking of HMS Charybdis and the scuttling of Hunt-class destroyer Limbourne after suffering damage; over 500 British sailors lost their lives. The battle was the last surface fleet action of the war where the Royal Navy was defeated and the last German surface fleet action victory.