QUEST FOR ALTMARCK

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 February 1940, Page 5

QUEST FOR ALTMARCK

BRITISH AIRMAN’S STORY “VERY SPECIAL JOB” WELL CARRIED OUT. THREE PLANES FLASH OVER SHIP. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, February 19. A full account of the location of the Alttnarck on Friday was given by the leader of a formation of three R.A.F. Coastal Command planes, which were sent to find the vessel: —“I was roused at 6 a.m. and told that a very special job was in hand,” the airman stated. “I was given verbal pictures of the ship, and I was told that she was a 20,000tonner of the tanker type, and that when last seen she was painted black, with yellow or white upper works. A distinguishing feature of the ship was her large single funnel aft.”

After describing the flight over the North Sea and the combing of an area near Norway, the story proceeds:— “Flying well outside territorial waters, I examined every mile with binoculars. Then I saw a smudge of smoke, and a minute later a ship with a black hull and cream upper works steaming directly towards us. My heart sank when I recognised, from her lines, that she could not be our quarry, but fifteen seconds later I spotted something else, a grey shape with a funnel aft, the distinctive feature of the Altmarek. As we dived my eyes were riveted on her stern, searching for a name, and I saw letters about a foot high. Because of the speed at which we were diving the letters seemed to dance in a jumble. I could not suppress a whoop of joy when I saw they read 'Altmarek.’ Of course, we know now that the German ship reverted to her own name earlier in the week. As we swept across the Altmarck’s decks, "at funnel height, 1 could see only one man on deck. There was not the slightest evidence of any alarm. No shot was fired from the Altmarck’s hidden guns, but we could guess that after our three aircraft had flashed over the ship the German crew mus.t have been a bit uneasy. We took note of the Altmarck’s position, and. having accomplished the task of finding her, headed for home." The three British aircraft returned safely without incident.