Cape North

Cape North

[Diagram by types of ship][Diagram by Task Groups]

Start: Saturday December 25, 1943

Ending: Sunday December 26, 1943

Destruction of the German battleship Scharnhorst while she was attempting to attack the convoy JW 55 B in the Arctic. The two first encounters happened between the battleship and the close cover group of the convoy (Burnett). During the final fight, the far cover (Fraser) appeared and finished the Scharnhorst

Place: Arctic

Type: Gun battle

	Britain	Germany
Forces	Burnett (Close cover of the convoy): 3 cruisers. Campbell (Destroyers taken from the escort of the convoy RA 55 to reinforce Burnett): 4 destroyers. Fraser (Far Covering Force): 1 battleship, 1 heavy cruiser, 4 destroyers. Total: 1 battleship, 3 cruisers, 1 heavy cruiser, 8 destroyers	Bey: 1 battlecruiser, 5 destroyers. The 5 escorting destroyers lost contact after the 1st engagement.
Losses	1 cruiser damaged. There was no futher damages on the British side because the fire control system of the Scharnhorst broke down at the start of the encounter.	1 battlecruiser lost.