The Most Terrifying Ending of an Allied Ship

On December 10, 1942, mere days after Pearl Harbor, the Pacific had quickly become the newest battleground of World War 2, where the Allies faced a new enemy: The Empire of Japan.

That day, Force Z, a British naval squadron in the South China Sea, aimed to deter Japanese expansion in the Far East. The group had a key player in their mix: HMS Electra. This E-class destroyer, led by Lieutenant Commander Cecil Wakeford May, quickly gained a reputation from Norway to Russia to the Pacific islands. Her lucky streak as a successful convoy escort earned her the nickname “Lucky ‘lectra.”

Without air cover despite their superior’s pleas, the Z group provided escort and anti-submarine defense. The Allies underestimated Japan's military capabilities at the time, assuming their longest-range torpedoes were ineffective.

Their mistake was quickly made evident when nearly 100 land-based and torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy surrounded the entire Z Force.

The stage was set for Lucky ‘Lectra to prove it still deserved that name…