CRUISER BELFAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 November 1939, Page 5

CRUISER BELFAST

DAMAGED WHILE GOING TO SEA TORPEDO OR MINE EXPLOSION IN THE FIRTH OF FORTH. SHIP RETURNS UNDER HER OWN ' POWER. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON, November 25. The Admiralty announced that the ]0.0()0-ton cruiser Belfast was damaged by a torpedo or a mine in the Firth of Forth in the vicinity 01. May Island on November 21. The casualties numbered 20 wounded. The ship has been taken in hand for repairs. It is revealed that the Belfast was badly damaged while going to sea. An explosion rocked the cruiser, but the complement of 800 men were completely calm and moved swiftly to the emergency stations. An accompanying cruiser stood by. but the Belfast steamed back under her own power and docked at Rosyth. The injured were taken to hospital. According to a Berlin message a U-boat commander reports torpedoing the Belfast in the Firth of Forth. H.M.S. Belfast, a 10-000 ton cruiser of the improved Southampton class, is a new vessel. Built at Belfast by Harland and Wolff, Ltd., she ran her acceptance trials early in August. Her geared turbines develop a total shaft horse-power of 80,000 and drive four propellers. The estimated speed of the vessel on full-power trial was 321 knots.

The Belfast is armed with 12 6-inch guns, eight 4-inch anti-aircraft, and several machine-guns, she also has six torpedo-tubes. She carries three aircraft which are housed in a hangar under the navigating bridge. The Belfast was commissioned during August by Captain G. A. Scott, D.S.C. DESTROYER GIPSY FEWER CASUALTIES THAN WAS FEARED. LONDON, November 25. The casualties among the erpw of the destroyer Gipsy, which was sunk by a mine, are announced as 22, which is fewer than was feared.