Aug. 27, 1944 saw tragedy for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force in the English Channel. The 1st.
minesweeping flotilla had been ordered into a new area to conduct sweeping operations but somehow the
word did not get around. A squadron of RAF Typhoons were called in by HQ to attack a group of "enemy" ships
off Cape d'Antifer, France but the pilots reported that the ships "appeared to be friendly" and had reservations
about attacking without clarification. The naval staff at HQ still unaware of the presence of their own ships
in the area ordered the attack to commence. The aircraft used rockets and sadly were quite successful.

In the flotilla were three Halcyon class minesweepers along with two trawlers. The first attack came around
13:30 when the Typhoons came screaming out of the sky firing rockets and hitting HMS Britomart J-22 and
HMS Hussar J-82, both were set ablaze and Britomart took on a list almost immediately. The CO of HMS Jason
J-99 sent an immediate message stating he was being attacked by friendly aircraft, he then repeated the
message a second time. Five minuets later the aircraft regrouped and attacked again this time concentrating
most of their fire on HMS Salamander J-86, HMS Jason J-99 and HMS Colsay T-384. Jason took gunfire that
killed two of her crew, Salamander was also damaged as was Colsay. Britomart was also hit again.

A third attack was more of an annoyance then a success but the damage had been done. Hussar, burning,
finally exploded and sank. The crew onboard Britomart were abandoning their stricken vessel which rolled
over and sank at about 14:00. Colsay appeared to be dead in the water and nobody could contact anyone
onboard and it was thought her crew were dead. In reality her radio had been knocked out and her crew
were busily picking up survivors from Hussar.

It was now the Germans turn to try to finish the job the RAF had started. Shore guns opened up on the ships
as they attempted to pick up survivors from Hussar and Britomart. Jason finally managed to contact Colsay
and learned their situation was good. The shore gunners were now beginning to find the range as shot fell
not far from Jason. Colsay was ordered to get underway and Jason turned around to take Salamander in tow.

The shore gunners failed to hit the ships and all remaining vessels left the area though Salamander was so
badly damaged she was scrapped, Jason survived not only the RAF but the entire war. Colsay was sunk on
Nov. 2, 1944 off Belgium by a human torpedo.

Sadly many men onboard Britomart and Hussar were killed in the attack, a fact surely not forgotten by the pilots
who attacked them in error. A memory they had to live with for the rest of their lives.

© 2007 Michael W. Pocock
MaritimeQuest.com

HMS Hussar J-82