Battle of Bell Island

Battle of the Bell islands
Part of the American Theater and the Battle of the St. Lawrence of World War II
Date August 1942 – November 1942 Location Bell Islands, Newfoundland Result Indecisive
Belligerents
Canada Newfoundland	Nazi Germany
Commanders and leaders
	Nazi Germany Kapitän-Leutnant Rolf Ruggeberg Nazi Germany Kapitän-Leutnant Friedrich Wissmann Nazi Germany Werner von Janowski
Strength
SS Lord Strathcona SS Saganaga SS Evelyn B SS Anna T Flyingdale SS Rose Castle SS Caribou PLM 27 HMCS Drumheller 2 Fairmile fast motor boats	German U-boats German submarine U-513 German submarine U-518
Casualties and losses
SS Lord Strathcona (29 killed) SS Saganaga SS Evelyn B SS Rose Castle (28 killed) SS Caribou (137 killed) PLM 27 (12 killed)	Spy captured

Bell Island and Little Bell Island are one of the few locations in North America that German forces directly attacked during the Second World War. U-boats raided the island twice in 1942, sinking four ore carriers and killing more than 60 men. The Sydney to Port-aux-Basques passenger ferry SS Caribou was sunk in the Gulf of St. Lawrence with the loss of 136 people, including women and children, and four ore carriers were torpedoed at anchor at Wabana, Bell Island, killing 69 men. It was later discovered that a spy was involved. On board U-518 was Werner von Janowski, an agent of Germany's Abwehr intelligence service. At the request of the Newfoundland Commission of Government, Canadian authorities developed defensive plans in case the Germans tried to capture St. John's.