BATTLE AT SEA

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 56, 14 March 1944, Page 6

BATTLE AT SEA

END OF THE SCHARNHORST

STARTS IN MIDDLE WATCH

MORRINSVILLK BOY IN FI'GHT

"f expect you heard the. big nous about us being in the Scharnhorst aIT air. I am glad they announced the names o[ the ships and those hit so early, to save you any needless, worry, though it would not be so good for those with people in the Norfolk." writes Cadet "Billy" Williams of the. cruiser Jamaica to his pa realty, Mr and Mrs C. U. Williams, of. Morrinsville. The letter added.:- — "Everything really started at the end of the middle watch, this .is about four o'clock in the morning, Avhen Ave altered course away from our patrol and increased speed to 21. knots. I therefore wasn't surprised when alter breakfast the commander told us that the Scharnhorst was at sea and that we would go to action, stations. inSive minutes' time. Then followed a long period of waiting; the other cruisers who had already been in action with her were shadowing and reporting her course and speed .so that all we had to do was to steer to intercept. Lunch cons-isted. simply of a huge ham sandwich and some ay arm tea and Christmas calve. About quarter of an hour before the time calculated

iat wc would meet her, people bean to get busy putting 011 tin lieliets and making last-minute adistments to instruments, anti-llasli ear, etc. It reminded me of a lot f players before the curtain goes p. My action-station Ava.s on the aptain's right, an instrument that s- used to point out and keep the juiis on the. target. It is fitted with lowerful binoculars and eonsequenty I had a fine view of the whole iroceedi ngs. Scharnhiorst Opens Fire "When we went into range the iruiser Avhich hail been doing a great oh of shadowing (ired star sliells md lit ill) the Scharnlmrst lor tiie Duke of York and ourselves, avlio Aere in the battle line, and a couple if seconds later the Duke opened [ire. During this first stage we :lidn't fire much as we didn't want to confuse the Duke's spotting, but what broadsides we did get away seemed to be i 11 the right direction. We were using tracer and there would be a terrific crash, a sheet of flame and a cluster ot bright lights would rush with a low whistling sound right up into the sky, curving down again in 11 great arc to the horizon Avhere the. Seharnhorst lay. She Avasn't long in opening fire and her first shells passed overhead, making a sound like an express train. Later she corrected her range and. one shell fell so close to tiie starboard that the .spray drenched all of us on the bridge and shell splinters were continually ■■snarling past. Destroyers Go In "The Duke obtained one certain hit during this phase and, others were suspected, while the Scharnhorst began to open the range, so destroyers Avcrc sent in to make torpedo attacks. This-began the second ami really spectacular part. The destroyers Avent right in. especially the; Saumorez and. released their torpedoes, getting at least two to three hits, and so they came out again, with Aveapons filling the sky with streams of inter-weaving tracer. The Seharnhorst returned their fire, but scored only one hit 011 the Saumorcz, Avhile her speed Avas considerably red need. The destroyers then fired more star shells, lighting her up beautifully, and we Ave re able to close to practically pointblank range. The Duke's broadsides were finding their mark now and soon the enemy mammoth was* seen to be on fire aft. Her fire now became a little more erratic and she was forced to divert sonic of her main armament lo the other cruisers Avho Avere coming in on the other side. In For Finish "Soom after this we were ordered to go in and. make a torpedo attack, so. avc turned ninety degrees and pointed our bows straight 011 her gun flashes. We closed in to torpedo range and fired our port torpedo, but with no result. Then came a nasty few minutes, a star shell burst right overhead, lighting everything up like day and making us feel quite naked under its glare. As there was no point in keeping quiet any longer we opened lire with our main armament and at that range it was hard to miss. Her fire control must. (niA'e been .-badly knocked around by r,«w, for although a iut oi travel - came our way

she scored, no hits. We then turned ami fired our remaining torpedoes.' getting two. hits and what proved to be the final blow. We then steamed away out of the area and as Aye did so there came a penetrating smell of oil fuel. Then the destroyers switched on their searchlights to look for survivors—and it was all over. Tribute To Those Below "Everything was very unreal and it was hard to realise that it was not another practice shoot and that the red (lashes oil the horizon were being pointed, at you. My feelings during the whole time were hard to describe, but one gets a sort of fatalistic attitude and thank goodness I had plenty to do to keep my mind oIV the. possibilities. The damage control people below who just have to wait, until Ave are hit and all others shut in water-tight compartments are the ones who must haA'e ltad a rotten time. "Still that is enough of the action. It was quite a thrill to hear our own names on the radio at first, but one soon gets tired of it. Parcels Appreciated "Your parcel was very well timed. It arrived j.ust before we sailed so I had it on board for Christmas Day. > There were also two. other parcels one from the Morrinsville Ocsl f tllub and the other from patriotic funds, .so you can imagine 1 11ad plenty to celebrate with."