FIGHT TO DEATH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 September 1939, Page 3

FIGHT TO DEATH

EPISODE IN THE GREAT WAR TWO ARMED MERCHANTMEN. During the Great War two great armed liners met in a fight to the death, writes Admiral Gordon Campbell, V.C., D. 5.0., in the ‘Sunday Chronicle.”

The British liner Carmania, of 19,000 tons, of the Cuhard Line, under the command of Captain Noel Grant of the Royal Navy, was fitted out at Liverpool in the early days of the war, and carried eight 4.7-inch guns. After the outbreak of war she was employed in Home waters, and then sent to reinforce the-squadron of Admiral Craddock in South American waters.

A German liner was also operating in the same region, having run out from one of the South American ports. She was the Cap Trafalgar, of 18,500 tons.

On the outbreak of war she had been secretly armed, probably with, smaller guns than the Carmania, but she had a greater speed—lB knots against the Carmania’s 17.

On the morning of September 14, as the Carmania was approaching the island, she sighted a big ship, which at first could not be distinguished beyond the fact that she had two masts and two funnels.

The Cap Trafalgar at first began to make off, but before she had gone very far she turned round and began to close toward the Carmania.

The two ships were quickly converging on each other, and by noon were about 8,000 yards apart, when the Carmania fired a shot across the stranger’s bows.

The Cap Trafalgar at once replied with two shots straight at the Carmania’s bridge, which did a lot of damage.

Grant’s fire was not so rapid as the Cap Trafalgar's to commence with, but the shooting was hot and strong on both sides. Soon after the action commenced a shell exploded on the bridge of the Carmania; this upset the control arrangements from the bridge and also placed Grant and those on the bridge with tom in great danger. It was obvious that both sides wcr; receiving much damage as the shells burst all over’ the two vessels.

Neither ship had much protection for her magazines, and if either was lucky enough to place a shell in the other fellow’s magazine the game would be up.

Now and then the smoke would clear sufficiently to see what damage had been done, and Grant could see that the Cap Trafalgar had been hit on the water-line in many places.

By the steam that was hissing out of her, with a deafening noise heard above the gunfire, it was assumed that her steam pipes had been cut. Fires were also raging in many parts of the ship.

The Carmania was not much better off, as she, too, was on fire, and her water-pipes had been cut, but the greatest damage was to the bride itself, on which the Germans had quite rightly concentrated.

Both ships now must have appeared to be doomed. The Cap Trafalgar had already begun to take a heavy list, the water was gaining, and the fire was spreading through her decks; the captain, too, had been killed. The Carmania also was making water and was in great danger of being burnt; in addition to this her forebridge had by now been destroyed, and many of her crew wore lying killed or wounded about the decks. Neither side would give in, and the crews continued to load and fire their guns with the hope of getting in a knock-out blow. The fight was developing into a chase, as the Cap Trafal-

gar was apparently trying to make for shore.

Having the better speed she soon got out of range, and by 1.30 p.m. neither side was firing any longer, and it looked as if the Cap Trafalgar was nearing her end, as her list was increasing every minute.

Shortly afterwards the Cap Trafalgar slowly heeled over, and eventually turned turtle and disappeared with the whole of her crew.

The officer in command of the Cap Trafalgar had refused to strike his colours and as the ship went down the German ensign was still flying at the mast-head.

The Carmania was still in great danger herself, and it was only by the tremendous exertion of Grant and his crew that she avoided a similar fate.

Eventually Grant met two British cruisers, the Bristol and the Cornwall, and with their aid patched up the Carmania’s wounds.

Thus ended an action which was unequalled during the whole course of the war.