DIRECT HITS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1940, Page 5

DIRECT HITS

MADE ON BATTLE-CRUISER SCHARNHORST BRITISH NAVAL AND AIR ATTACK. ENEMY DESTROYER TORPEDOED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, June 22. It is officially stated that naval and air forces considerably damaged the 26,000-ton German battlecruiser Scharnhorst and also torpedoed a German destroyer. The communique states: “The Scharnhorst received considerable damage through an attack by our naval forces. One of our submarines sighted the Scharnhorst soon after she left Trondheim Fiord, when she was clearly on a passage to a safe port where she could repair the damage sustained when she was hit by at least one heavy bomb during the attack by Fleet Air Arm planes on June 13. The Scharnhorst was heavily escorted. “The submarine attacked and hit her with a torpedo. Shortly afterward Fleet Air Arm torpedo bombers delivered an attack. They scored no hits on the damaged battle-cruiser, but torpedoed one of the escorting destroyers. Two of our planes failed to return. “Coastal Command planes carried out a bombing attack on the Scharnhorst an hour later. In spile of intense opposition resulting in the loss of three of our planes, the bombing attacks were pressed home and three direct hits with heavy bombs were made on the Scharnhorst. Two enemy fighters were also shot down in flames. “The Royal Navy immediately was dispatched at high speed to intercept the German forces, but with the visibility rapidly deteriorating further contact was not made.” FURTHER DETAILS PARTICULARS OF DAMAGE TO SCHARNHORST. ATTACK THROUGH STORM OF FIRE. LONDON, June 22. Fuller details of the attack on the Scharnhorst show that notwithstanding her escort of destroyers and a guard of 50 Messerschmitt fighters, at least three direct hits were made with heavy bombs. Two struck alongside Nos. 1 and 2 gun turrets and the other was full on the stern, from which a great quantity of debris rose in the air. The enemy ships were shadowed by a relay of Lockheed Hudson reconnaissance aircraft for nearly nine hours. Often the Hudsons, with which a Sunderland flying-boat co-operated, were themselves intercepted by enemy aircraft and a number of fierce combats took place. The British aircraft continued their observation of the movements of the Scharnhorst till the fight became suitable for the bombing attack, which was carried out by a mixed striking force of Beauforts and Hudsons. What the pilots described as an avalanche of light and heavy anti-aircraft shells met the striking force as it went into position for the attack. Five of our aircraft failed to return. All the time combats were' taking place between the attackers and the Scharnhorst’s escort. At least two Messerschmitts were destroyed, one of them by the Sunderland flying-boat. Other enemy fighters were seriously damaged. ENEMY VERSION BERLIN, Juno 22. The German High Command announced: “Three enemy planes were shot down yesterday afternoon off the Dutch island of Texel. British bombers and torpedo planes unsuccessfully attacked a German battleship, whose anti-aircraft guns shot down six planes, and German fighters, intervening, destroyed a further seven. The total enemy losses in the operations yesterday were 25 planes. One German plane is missing.”