A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 43, 14 November 1940, Page 8

A BACKGROUND OF THE WAR

Jervis Bay’s Convoy A GALLANT ACTION

The attack on a homeward-bound convoy of 38 merchant ships made by a German warship in the North Atlantic last week was the heaviest single blow at British seaborne trade ever made by the enemy, either in this war or the last. Coming at a time wheu German submarines and aircraft are inflicting serious damage on our merchant shipping, the apparent loss of nine large deep-sea traders out of 38 in a single attack reaches disastrous proportions. The high relief in this grim encounter at sea is the very gallant tight against greatly uneven odds made by H.M. auxiliary cruiser Jervis Bay which sacrificed herself in saving the great convoy she was escorting from complete destruction. H.M.S. Jervis Bay The Jervis Bay, a twin-screw steamer of 14,164 tons gross register, was one of the famous five “Bay” steamers built in 1922 for the Commonwealth Government, the others being the Esperance Bay, Hobsons Bay, Largs Bay, and Moreton Bay. A few years ago they were sold to the Aberdeen and Commonwealth Line, under whose flag they continued to run in the service between London and Australia. The Esperance Bay was subsequently acquired by the Shaw Savill and Albion Company, Limited, who renamed her Arawa, her original name being given to the Hobsons Bay. At the beginning of the war aff except the Largs Bay were taken over by the Admiralty and armed and commissioned as auxiliary cruisers in tlie Royal Navy. Captain E. S. F. Fegen, R.N., who commanded the Jervis Bay, previously served in the rank of commander in H.M.S. Curlew, anti-aircraft ship, which was sunk by German aircraft in one of the Norwegian fjords last April. Hopeless Odds Whether it was a "pocket battleship” or a heavy cruiser which attacked the convoy, the result of the action could scarcely be in doubt. The Jervis Bay was armed with eight 6-inch guns, but she was no lighting match for the heavily-armed and protected German warship. Past experience has shown that converted merchant steamers are ill-suited to fight naval actions. In one respect it was fortunate that the attack on the convoy was made late in the day, as darkness was coming on. The gallant delaying action fought by the Jervis Bay would enable 38 ships in the convoy to scatter and a large proportion of them made good their escape in the gathering darkness, which comes early in the North Atlantic at this time of the year. New Zealand has good cause to thank tlie Jervis Bay for the fortunate escape of the big liner Rangitiki which was home-ward-bound with a full cargo of frozen meat, dairy produce and other foodstuffs. The list of 24 ships which have arrived in port gives some idea of the immense value of the convoy. It includes the names of no fewer than eight oil-tankers, all of which were loaded. Gallant Seamen Serving in the Jervis Bay were a number of officers and engineers and other members of her original crew who were retained as Royal Naval Reserve ranks and ratings. The deathroll in the ship was deplorably heavy, today’s messages accounting for only 65 members of her large crew. The very gallant action fought by the Jervis Bay is yet another reminder of the close association of the Merchant Navy with the Royal Navy in this war as in many wars of the past. In the present savage struggle at sea the men of the Merchant Navy are carrying on the trade of the Empire in spite of the worst a barbarous and treacherous enemy can do. They are in the very front line of the war at sea. The fight of the Jervis Bay for two grim hours was in keeping with the high traditions of British seamen. The ship was fought most bravely ami she went down with her colours Hying. Rawalpindi’s Action The fate of the Jervis Bay recalls Hie "most gallant light against overwhelming odds” of H.M.S. Rawalpindi in action with the German battleship Deutschland (sister ship to the inglorious Admiral Graf Spec) off the coast of Iceland barely a year ago. be Rawalpindi, formerly a P. and O. Uucr, was an auxiliary cruiser on contraband control duty, maimed by metchant seamen, reservists and pensioners of the Royal Navy and by men ot the Royal Naval Reserve and R.NA .K. Late in the afternoon of Novembet 23, 1939, the Rawalpindi sighted the Deutschland and as her crew went to action stations altered course to bring the enemy on her starboard quartet. Smokefloats were lit and cast into the water to make a screen, when a second enemy ship was seen to starboard. The Deutschland opened tire with tier 11-inch guns and the Rawalpindi replied with her four starboard six-uieb The third salvo from the Deutschland put out all the lights and broke the winches of the British sliip s ammunition supuLv. The fourth salvo shot awav the whole of the bridge and the wireless room. The second German ship then joined in. but the Rawalpindi fought till every gun was out of action and the whole ship was ablaze, rliere were few survivors, most of whom were taken prisoners. Incidents Of Last War

Jt argues a lack of enterprise on the part of the German Navy that no previous attack on a British convoy has been made in this war: but it also implies that British patrols in the North Sea ami along the coast of Norway have made it difficult for German warships to get out into the AtlanticAt all events, this is the first attack on a British convoy by German surface ships since 1917. when two successful coups were made in the North SeaOn October 17. 1917. the British destroyers Mary Rose and Strongbow were escorting a west-bound convoy of 12 ships from Norway when they were attacked by two fast Ger cruisers about 70 miles from In the unequal action which followed both destroyers and nine ships were sunk. A trawler and three British ships escaped. , Eight weeks later, on December 1 — 11117. the destroyers Bellow and lariridge with two armed trawlers . were escorting an east-bound convoy when thev were attacked by six German dost rovers. The convoy was ordered to scatter while the Bellew and Partridge engaged the enemy. The latter ship was quickly sunk. The Bellew was hit in the engine-room but was hidden n a sudden rain squall. The enemy destroyers then ant ships and trawlers, all of which were sunk. The Bellew ultimately reached a Norwegian fiord where she made temporary repairs. She snb-e quentlv returned to England. \fter these attacks the Scandinavian convoys were always escorted by powerful ships, a squadron of battleships frequently cruising as a covering force. __(S.I'AV.)