Operation PO

'PO' was a British programme of naval sweeps off the north coast of German-occupied Europe in search of coastal shipping and light naval vessels for destruction by gunfire and/or torpedo attack (August 1940).

On 14 August, for example, the destroyers Malcolm and Verity and the motor torpedo boats MTB-14, MTB-16 and MTB-18 located and attacked a German convoy of six anti-submarine trawlers of Korvettenkapitän Hans Korn’s 12th Unterseebootsjagd-Flottille escorted by three S-boote off Texel. The destroyers claimed the sinking of one S-boot and one trawler. MTB-18 was damaged when it rammed a motor minesweeper, but was able to return. Hits were made on four other German trawlers.

On 29 August the destroyers Campbell, Garth, Hambledon and Vesper departed via the Aldeburgh light float for a sweep of the same basic nature off the north-eastern coast of France.