Battle of the Ligurian Sea which struck "TA24". "Meteor"s commander, Richard Pankhurst, saw a "geyser of flame and metal" and "TA24" sank just after 04:00, losing 30 men in 13 minutes. This was the German "Kriegsmarine"'s last surface action of the war. The British destroyers ended any possibility of German deep water offensive operations in the Ligurian Sea, let alone anywhere else in the Mediterranean. The engagement was also the last surface naval action the British fought in the western theatre and the last substantial surface action fought on the Mediterranean Sea. "TA32" was damaged but managed to escape; she was scuttled by her crew
North Sea winter months see frequent gales and storms. The salinity averages between of water. The salinity has the highest variability where there is fresh water inflow, such as at the Rhine and Elbe estuaries, the Baltic Sea exit and along the coast of Norway. The main pattern to the flow of water in the North Sea is an anti-clockwise rotation along the edges. The North Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean receiving the majority of ocean current from the northwest opening, and a lesser portion of warm current from the smaller opening at the English Channel. These tidal currents