[Clipping of a newspaper article describing naval action in operation “Kinetic” off the German-occupied coast of Brittany, France, in August of 1944.]

Canadian Ships Help in Stopping Nazi Dunkerque

LONDON (CP) – British and Canadian warships sank one seven-ship convoy Sunday and chased another back to St. Nazaire, when it was trying to escape as Allied ground forces closed around the port.

Two Canadian destroyers added fresh honors to their records by participating in the blow which smashed the Germans’ first “Little Dunkerque” attempt to escape from Brittany.

They were the Haida, veteran of several Channel actions in recent weeks, and the Iroquois. For the former it was an old story, for June 9 she forced ashore a Ger­man destroyer near Ushant and July 15 took part in another of­fensive patrol which resulted in two enemy vessels being sunk. Last April she also took part in two engagements off the French coast.

The Haida was commanded by Capt. H.D. deWolf, D.S.O., and the Iroquois, credited last November with taking part in "one of the most outstanding rescues of the war” by saving the crew of a merchant vessel, by Cmdr. J.C. Hibbard, D.S.C. Both are of the Royal Canadian Navy.

One convoy was intercepted west of St. Nazaire as it steamed southward, possibly for Bordeaux, the only good Atlantic port re­maining to the enemy now that Brittany is caught in a trap of Allied steel.

Not one of the seven ships of the convoy and escort, apparently evacuating key personnel from the battered Brittany garrison, escaped during the fierce engage­ment in which the attacking pa­trol force suffered some casual­ties, a communique from the Ad­miralty announced.

Later the prowling warship patrol, consisting of one British cruiser and two British and two Canadian destroyers, caught a second convoy of undetermined size and forced it back into St. Nazaire, once a haven for U-boats but now attacked by U.S. troops.