NAVAL ACTION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1940, Page 5

NAVAL ACTION

FOUGHT IN ENGLISH CHANNEL GERMAN DESTROYERS PUT TO FLIGHT. AIR ATTACK BEATEN OFF. The Admiralty and Air Ministry report that a brush occurred between British and German naval forces in the English Channel, the 8.8. C. states. Four German destroyers were sighted by British aircraft west of Brest in poor visibility. British light forces at once proceeded to intercept the enemy. Shortly after 4 p.m. .a British cruiser engaged at extreme range, 100 miles from Land's End, but the enemy in the failing light, escaped into Brest. Two attacks were made on the British ships by air, but the ships were not hit. Coastal Command aircraft attacked the enemy and a bomb was seen to drop close to the bows of one destroyer, but the result could not be ascertained owing to the gathering darkness. The Germans claim that the action took place at the entrance to the Bristol Channel, but the Admiralty states that it did not take place there. The Germans also say that a torpedo hit a British warship. No damage, the Admiralty states, was received by any British warship. OFFICIAL REPORT ENEMY’S PRECIPITATE RETREAT. REFUTATION OF GERMAN FALSEHOODS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.52 a.m.) RUGBY, October 18. An Admiralty and Air Ministry communique states: “Yesterday morning a force of German destroyers was sighted and reported by an aircraft of the Coastal Command. The enemy flotilla, consisting of four ships, was steering west, off Brest. Visibility was low, but British light forces in the vicinity proceeded at high speed to intercept and endeavour to bring the enemy to action. During the afternoon visibility cleared and soon after 4 o’clock one of our cruisers engaged the enemy at extreme range, in a position about 100 miles south-west of Land’s End. The enemy retired precipitately on being engaged. Our force gave chase, but the enemy, in the failing light, were able to escape into Brest. During the pursuit enemy aircraft made two attacks on our ships, but obtained no hits and bombers of the Coastal Command of the R.A.F. attacked the enemy. A bomb- was seen to fall close to the bow of one enemy destroyer, but the results of the attack could not be ascertained, owing to the gathering darkness.” “Today’s German High Command communique not only states that an action between German destroyers and a British cruiser and destroyers occurred at the entrance to the Bristol Channel, but claims that the German forces scored a torpedo hit on one of our warships. No damage in fact was sustained by any of our ships.”