WWIINaval Archives
26 December 1943 • Arctic Ocean

Battle of the North Cape

Decisive Allied Victory

Background

The German battlecruiser Scharnhorst attempted to intercept Allied Arctic convoy JW 55B but was engaged by a superior British force.

Naval Forces

UK: 1 battleship (Duke of York), 4 cruisers, 9 destroyers. Germany: 1 battlecruiser (Scharnhorst), 5 destroyers.

Historical Significance

Ended the threat of German surface raiders against the crucial Arctic convoys.