| USS Massachusetts (BB-59) Maneuvering off Casablanca, Morocco, during the North Africa invasion, Operation Torch. Photographed from USS Mayrant (DD-402). Note that Massachusetts’ main battery guns are trained out to port. For a bit over an hour United States Navy Rear Admiral Henry K. Hewitt’s (February 11, 1887 – September 15, 1972) covering group, Task Force 34, consisting of the brand-new battleship USS Massachusetts and the heavy cruisers USS Wichita (CA-45) and USS Tuscaloosa (CA-37) had been dueling with the anchored Vichy French Navy battleship Jean Bart and the heavy coastal guns of Vichy-occupied Casablanca. USS Massachusetts, at a range of nearly 17 miles (27 kilometers), fired 9 salvos at Jean Bart and got an incredible 5 hits. The last 1 jammed the French ship’s turret and effectively put her out of action. Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bombers from the aircraft carrier USS Ranger (CV-4) had joined in the fight and had sunk 3 French submarines — Amphitrite, Oréade, and La Psyché — in the harbor. While firing, the United States heavy ships had paraded up and down in front of the port. When their parade had carried them well away from the transport area, Vichy French Navy Admiral François Frix Michelier (February 8, 1887 – May 23, 1966) ordered Vichy French Navy Admiral Gervais de Lafond (October 31, 1890 – May 11, 1968) to sortie. De Lafond did so without even knowing the nationality of the ships he was attacking. With him he had 2 big destroyer leaders and 5 destroyers, carrying 30 guns of better than 5-inch (127 millimeter) and 38 torpedo tubes. Within 45 minutes, they had been joined by 8 submarines and the Vichy French Navy light cruiser Primauguet. Between the transports and the Vichy French were the American destroyers USS Ludlow (DD-438) and USS Wilkes (DD-441). USS Ludlow got a hit on Admiral de Lafond’s flagship, the Vichy French Navy destroyer Milan, but in return took 1 that set her on fire and knocked her out of action for the morning. Then, to the great relief of the men on the transports, up came the heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31), the light cruiser USS Brooklyn (CL-40) and 2 destroyers. The American and French ships sparred for a while but then the heavy artillery of Admiral Hewitt’s support group, including the 16-inch (406 millimeter) guns of the Massachusetts, joined in. De Lafond sent 2 of his destroyers streaking toward the Americans in a torpedo attack. USS Massachusetts and heavy cruiser USS Tuscaloosa blew the leading 1 out of the water. The French submarines went into action without any luck. A torpedo missed the Massachusetts by 15 feet, and another missed the Tuscaloosa by only a bit more. The French ships fought with great skill, dashing in and out of smoke screens to present as little opportunity to the American gunners as possible. The odds against them were far too great. Later in the morning the rapid-firing Brooklyn got another destroyer. De Lafond’s flagship, the destroyer Milan, was badly holed and the light cruiser Primauguet took a fearful pounding whenever she showed herself. SBD Dauntless dive-bombers from carrier USS Ranger added their bombs to the ships’ shells. By 1200 Hours, the French ships were back in Casablanca harbor. 2 more Vichy French Navy destroyers were so badly hurt they sank in the harbor. The French had only 1 ship, a destroyer, left undamaged. After some totally ineffective fighting in the afternoon, with the French simply getting pounded badly without accomplishing anything, the naval fighting came to an end. How the honor of the French Navy, for which the battle had been fought, now stood, it was hard for anyone to say. 4 destroyers and 8 submarines had been sunk, other ships badly damaged, and 462 French sailors were dead. The United States Navy had lost 3 men, but Americans would die in the next few days when Kriegsmarine (“Nazi German Navy”) U-boats U-173 torpedoed the destroyer USS Hambleton (DD-455), the oiler USS Winooski (AO-38) and the troopship USS Joseph Hewes (AP-50) on November 11, 1942, killing a 100; U-130 torpedoed the troopships Tasker H. Bliss (AP-42), USS Hugh L. Scott (AP-43), and USS Edward Rutledge (AP-52) on the evening of November 12, killing 74 additional American servicemen. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1923.jpg |
| Image Size | 606.63 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 3598 x 2448 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Navy |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | November 8, 1942 |
| Location | |
| City | Casablanca |
| State or Province | Casablanca |
| Country | Morocco |
| Archive | Naval History and Heritage Command |
| Record Number | 80-G-K-2134 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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