Wichita at Casablanca in Operation Torch

During Operation Torch, Wichita fought in the naval battle of Casablanca against the incomplete but still dangerous battleship Jean Bart, coastal defenses, and ships in harbor. Wichita and Tuscaloosa first engaged the battery at El Hank before Jean Bart demanded the attention of both cruisers and Massachusetts. A 7.6-inch shell penetrated Wichita's deck and exploded below, injuring fourteen men and forcing a temporary break in the action. Wichita later closed the port again to engage Vichy French vessels. The action brought cruiser firepower, coastal artillery, and constrained maneuver together in a confused littoral battle.