Cottesmore, Quorn, Albrighton, Glaisdale and Eskdale. Two flotillas of MTBs made up Groups C and D. These three groups headed for a position near Cap de la Hague. Group B (the destroyers Brocklesby, Fernie, Tynedale and the Polish Krakowiak) were further West, near the Channel Islands. The German convoy were spotted by a Coastal Command aircraft in the middle of the Baie de la Seine, travelling at 16 knots, and groups A,C and D hurried to get into position. In the particularly dark night and moderately rough sea conditions, the MTB flotillas became separated from the destroyers. At just before 1:00 am, Cottesmore sighted the German vessels. The Allied ships fired star shells to illuminate the target and then opened fire. To the British attackers, the Germans appeared taken completely by surprise and in the confusion, opened fire on each other, until eventually firing torpedoes at the Allied ships (all of which missed). Two of the escorts were on fire and the other German ships turned inshore to gain the protection of the coastal artillery batteries. The most junior commanding officer in group D was Sub-Lieutenant Robert Drayson, who had just taken over in MTB 236 after the previous C.O. had gone sick. As junior, Drayson was last in the line of MTBs and became separated from the rest of the flotilla as they crossed the Channel. Drayson continued independently to Cap de La Hague. None of the other Allied MTBs arrived in the area. After a while, Drayson saw star shells and tracer as the battle started and increased speed. He decided to approach the action from the shoreward side to catch any German vessel trying to get away. This put MTB 236 in position to see Komet illuminated by a star shell. The German ship was travelling at more than 15 knots, exchanging fire with the Allied destroyers who were in pursuit. Drayson's MTB was ahead of the German ship and crept in at slow speed to fire two torpedoes at a range of 500 yards. MTB 236 immediately turned away and "crash-started" her main engines to escape under cover of a smoke-screen. Komet had now sighted her and switched fire. Within a few seconds, both torpedoes struck Komet, followed by a huge secondary explosion. The force of this blast lifted the stern of MTB 236 out of the water and put out of action two of the