Editing HMCS Haida (section)

=== Operations along the French coast ===
On 10 January 1944, she was reassigned to the 10th Destroyer Flotilla at [[Plymouth]] and took part in the [[Operation Tunnel]] and [[Operation Hostile]] sweeps in the [[Bay of Biscay]] and along the French coast of the [[English Channel]].<ref name=m60/><ref name=schull250>Schull, p. 250</ref> The 10th Flotilla, with the cruisers {{HMS|Black Prince|81|2}} and {{HMS|Bellona|63|2}}, formed Force 26.<ref>Sclater, p. 81</ref> By April, ''Haida'' had sailed on nineteen of the Operation Tunnel/Hostile missions.<ref name=schull250/>

During the night of [[Action of 26 April 1944|25/26 April]], ''Haida'', with ''Black Prince'' and the destroyers {{HMS|Ashanti|F51|2}}, {{HMCS|Athabaskan|G07|2}}, and {{HMCS|Huron|G24|2}} engaged the German 4th Torpedo Boat Flotilla comprising the German {{sclass2|Elbing|torpedo boat|2}}s ''[[German torpedo boat T29|T29]]'', ''[[German torpedo boat T24|T24]]'' and ''[[German torpedo boat T27|T27]]''. Despite the German designation as 'torpedo boat', the Elbings were essentially on a par with mid-sized [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] destroyers, having just slightly smaller armament. ''T27'' was hit early and retired to [[Morlaix]], ''Haida'' sank ''T29'', and ''T24'' was damaged before making [[St. Malo]].<ref name=rohwer318>Rohwer, p. 318</ref>

[[File:HMCS Haida cutter.jpg|thumb|left|''Haida''{{'}}s motor cutter, which was used to rescue survivors of the sinking of HMCS ''Athabaskan'' on 29 April 1944]]
On the night of 28/29 April ''T24'' and ''T27'' attempted to move from St. Malo to [[Brest, France|Brest]] and encountered the destroyers ''Athabaskan'' and ''Haida'' off St. Brieux, which were performing a covering sweep as part of Operation Hostile. ''Athabaskan'' was torpedoed and sunk in the engagement. ''T24'' is credited with the sinking the ship.<ref name=rohwer318/> ''Haida'' ran ''T27'' [[Ship grounding|aground]] and set the vessel afire with shelling, to be later destroyed by ''MTB 673''.<ref name=rohwer318/> Of the ''Athabaskan''{{'}}s crew 128 were lost, 44 survivors were recovered by ''Haida'', and 83 survivors became [[prisoners of war]] of the Germans in France.<ref>Schull, p. 358</ref>

''Haida'' continued the Operation Hostile sorties in company of [[sister ship]] ''Huron'' during the weeks leading up to [[Operation Overlord]]. The 10th Destroyer Flotilla were part of the covering force for surface attacks at the western entrance of the English Channel during the invasion of Normandy. On 8–9 June, ''Haida'' was part of Task Force 26 which engaged the German 8th Destroyer Flotilla, comprising ''[[Type 1936A Mob destroyer|Z32]]'', ''Z24'', {{ship|German destroyer|ZH1||2}} and ''T24'' northwest of the Île de Bas. ''Haida'' and ''Huron'' combined to sink ''Z32'' in the [[Battle of Ushant (1944)|Battle of Ushant]].<ref name=rohwer331>Rohwer, pp. 331–332</ref> Following the [[Battle of Cherbourg|fall of Cherbourg]] to the Allies, the German [[E-boat]]s were transferred to [[Le Havre]], freeing up the 10th Flotilla. The flotilla was then given the dual role of covering Allied [[motor torpedo boat]] flotillas, and search and sink missions against German shipping along the French coast.<ref>Sclater, p. 227</ref>

On 24 June, while on patrol in the English Channel off [[Land's End]], investigated a [[No. 311 Squadron RAF|311 Squadron]]'s [[Consolidated B-24 Liberator|Liberator]] bomber dropping depth charges on a target. ''Haida'' and the British destroyer {{HMS|Eskimo|F75|2}} began their own depth charge attacks after being informed that a submarine had been spotted. After several attacks, the submarine surfaced and attempted to run. ''Haida'' and ''Eskimo''  fired all their guns and sank {{GS|U-971||2}};''Haida'' rescued six survivors.<ref>Rohwer, p. 333</ref><ref>Schull, pp. 302–303</ref> On 14/15 July 1944, ''Haida'' and {{ORP|Błyskawica}} intercepted a group of German ships in the Île de Groix area near [[Lorient]]. The battle saw two [[submarine chaser]]s, ''UJ 1420'' and ''UJ 1421'', destroyed, one German merchant ship sunk, and two others set afire.<ref>Rohwer, p. 341</ref> On 5–6 August, ''Haida'' was part of a force engaged in an [[Battle of Audierne Bay|Operation Kinetic]] sweep. The force attacked a German convoy north of the Île de Yeu and sank the [[minesweeper]]s ''M 263'' and ''M 486'', the [[patrol boat]] [[German weather ship Sachsenwald|''V 414'']] and the coastal launch ''Otto''.<ref>Rohwer, p. 347</ref> During the battle a shell exploded in one of ''Haida''{{'}}s turrets and started a fire, killing two and injuring eight, knocking the turret out of action. Staying in the line of battle, the destroyers were engaged by [[Coastal artillery|shore batteries]] when they attempted to take on a second convoy and were forced to withdraw without doing much damage to the German merchant vessels.<ref>Schull, pp. 349–350</ref>