Action of 21 May 1918

Part of World War I
Atlantic U-boat Campaign

USS Christabel in 1917.

Date	21 May 1918
Location	off Spain, Atlantic Ocean
Result	United States victory, convoy protected, German submarine interned as a result of battle damage

Belligerents

United States

German Empire

Commanders and leaders

M.B. McCord

Wilhelm Kisewetter

Strength

1 armed yacht

1 submarine

Casualties and losses

none

1 submarine damaged

The American armed yacht was escorting a British merchant ship during the engagement.

The Action of 21 May 1918 was a naval engagement of World War I fought between an American armed yacht and a German submarine in the Atlantic Ocean off Spain.

In May 1918, the Great War had been raging for four years and the Germans were making every attempt possible to sink enemy shipping which fueled the war in Europe. On 24 May 1918, the fight was still at hand when USS Christabel—under Lieutenant Commander M. B. McCord—sighted a distinctive oil slick while escorting the slow British steamer Danse north from La Pallice to Quiberon Bay. Unknown at the time, a German submarine—commanded by Lieutenant Commander Wilhelm Kisewetter—was nearby.

Danse was about 8 mi (7.0 nmi; 13 km) behind the main convoy of allied merchant ships, making about 7.5 kn (13.9 km/h; 8.6 mph) with Christabel off her port bow. The North Atlantic was smooth, the weather was clear and there was no wind.

Once the allied convoy was within 2 mi (1.7 nmi; 3.2 km) of Île d'Yeu, a well-defined oil slick was sighted between the American warship and the British steamer, off Danse′s port bow. Christabel cruised over to the slick for better observation but saw nothing to further indicate a German submarine's presence. The convoy continued for a little while when at 17:20 the wake from UC-56 was spotted by the officer-of-the-deck and a lookout, about 600 yd (550 m) off the port quarter.

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