The 10th Destroyer Flotilla assembled British, Canadian, and Polish destroyers, often backed by the cruiser Black Prince, to clear the western Channel approaches before Operation Overlord. Its night sweeps used radar, high speed in shallow coastal waters, and paired tactics in which one ship fired star shell while its partner concentrated on the target. On 25-26 April 1944 the force chased German Elbing-class torpedo boats through smoke, rocks, and darkness, sinking one and damaging others. Days later T24 torpedoed Athabaskan during minelaying cover, and commanding officer John Stubbs died while trying to return to crew still in the water. The written operational history connects directly with Haida's preserved bridge markings, torpedo arrangements, and improvised radar work.
Chapter · 48:39-55:10
The Fighting Tenth in the Channel before D-Day
A reading follows the multinational 10th Destroyer Flotilla through Channel sweeps, night fighting, and the loss of HMCS Athabaskan.