'Operation Tunnel' 23rd October 1943.

'Operation Tunnel' was a set-piece operation controlled by the commander in chief at Plymouth that was activated when intelligence or reconnaissance indicated that the Germans would be running a convoy along the French coast between Brest & St Malo. The CinC detailed whatever ship he had available and tactical planning and control was simply left to who ever was the senior officer at the time. The operation was invariably activated with a 'mixed bag' of ships with widely different capabilities few of which had ever worked together before!

The Germans were to escort a merchant ship of importance named 'Musterland' to Cherbourg in easy stages with a close escort of 8 minesweepers and patrol vessels. Four Elbing class destroyers would work as a team and would be the key tool to the opposing British forces. The Germans had excellent radar chain along the French coast as well as good liaison between each vessel. So too did they have the advantage to sail convoys in order to make the best of light and weather conditions, their tactics would be then to draw the attacking force away from the convoy. The convoy would then run close to shore where shore batteries could operate guns of 15 miles range. The British force planed a ridged column of 7 ships 3 cables apart at 17 knots, passing through established points to sweep to the westward along the likely route of the convoy.

The Musterland part of the important German convoy.

After any such successful engagement it would then turn north to return to Plymouth. The plan was to approach unobserved to 6000 yards before illuminating and opening fire, the force was to stay concentrated unless the action developed into a chase to the east. Charybdis was to act as surface force strike leader, something she had never before done having spent her entire career providing heavy AA support in the Mediterranean. She had little practice in surface actions and her armament was designed to combat air attack and was practically less than carried by smaller destroyers.

HMS Charybdis sunk through an avoidable mishap of events.

The senior officer of Limbourne was new to his ship and was not aquatinted to his new commanding officers. To add to this he was only able to attend the very end of the pre sailing conference and was blessed with only the sketchiest idea of the senior officer of Charybdis intentions for the operation.The British force altered course as planned to the west reduced speed and remained in a single line ahead, at this point they were detected by the shore radar stations and the entire composition of the force passed onto the German escort Force commander in T23! T23 then took his force of Elbings aprox 5 miles north of the convoy route and proceeded east parallel to it, the approaching British force would then be silhouetted by the rising moon to the east. They were then kept informed of the British movements by the steady flow of radar reports.

Interception 0130am
Limbourne picks up German transmissions indicating that aprox 5 possibly 6 naval units are close by at the same time Charybdis obtains radar contact ahead 14,000 yards. The destroyer's radar became masked on ahead bearings by Charybdis, which meant these two vital pieces of information were never exchanged leaving Charybdis unaware of the exact composition of the force ahead! In turn Limbourne new of the composition although not of its true location. At 0135 Charybdis had radar contact 8000 yards to her west and in keeping with the commander's plan closed to within 6000 yards before intending on opening fire.

Little was Captain Voelcker of Charybdis aware that the German force with powerful torpedo armaments were waiting for such an opportunity. Three minutes later the German force sighted Charybdis due east before she was seen to alter 60° to port, they then immediately fired a full salvo of 6 torpedoes at her. Charybdis opened fire with starshell but was almost immediately struck by one if not two torpedoes. The remaining German force now sighted Charybdis and Limbourne opened fire again with a full salvo of torpedoes one striking Limbourne and yet another into Charybdis. The enemy then proceeded to the east and were not seen again, the 'Musterland' and escorts continuing undetected.

German Elbing class boat

The British Force Shattered
Total confusion now reigned over the British force, manoeuvring signals were misunderstood by several destroyers while both senior officers vessels were sinking and incommunicado. Others were charging around at high speed, torpedo tracks were hard in evidence as the starshell fire illuminated the sky. Almost an hour later Grenville realised that she was now senior officers and took charge. As the initial torpedo struck Charybdis on her port side her boiler room became flooded and she took a 20° list to port, the second struck further aft causing severe damage flooding the entire engine room. All electrical power was lost and the list increased to 50° with no communication from the bridge abandon ship was ordered. Charybdis soon took an angle by the stern until almost vertical remaining in this position for almost half an hour with her bow out of the water. Her bulkheads then collapsed and she sank at approx. 0230. Talybont made two attempts to tow Limbourne, which still remained afloat, however sheered violently when way was made. Her survivors were then taken off and the decision was made to open her seacocks and Talybont torpedoed her.

Quaudruple 2PDR PomPom guns

Events in Guernsey At the time the Germans occupied Guernsey were 20 bodies of Charybdis Company came ashore and were anxious that islanders would have cause for demonstration. Strict orders were given that no one except German military were to attend the funeral. Despite this information as to the funeral leaked and thus a huge crowd gathered to witness the last rites. A local man by the name of William de Carteret removed one of the Union flags that draped a coffin as it was lowered into the ground. Carefully kept for many years it was later presented to St Johns Church by his widow in 1973 where along with other momentous it is now persevered.