ENGAGED AND DAMAGED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1940, Page 5

ENGAGED AND DAMAGED

POWERFUL GERMAN WARSHIP IN NORTH ATLANTIC Following on Attempted Attack on British Convoy LARGE ENEMY SUPPLY SHIP SUNK RAIDER MAKES OFF AT HIGH SPEED Units of the Royal Navy have engaged and damaged a powerful German warship in the North Atlantic, a 8.8. C. broadcast states. The action took place on Christmas morning. The enemy ship attempted to attack a convoy. One shell was seen to burst amidships on the enemy vessel, during an action fought at long range, with the raider making off at high speed. An Admiralty communique states that on the morning of Christmas Day, a powerful enemy surface warship attempted to attack a British convoy in the North Atlantic. One ship of the convoy was hit and received slight damage. The enemy withdrew at high speed as soon as he saw that the convoy was escorted. The visibility, which had been variable, increased rapidly to half a mile. One shell was seen to burst amidships on the enemy ship. The British 10,000-ton cruiser, H.M.S. Berwick, sustained slight damage and five casualties, during the pursuit of the raider, but remains at sea as an effective unit of the Fleet. A German ship of 8,204 tons, which is considered probably to have been acting as a supply\ ship to the raider, was intercepted. She was set on fire by her crew and had to be sunk by one of the British warships. The German supply ship intercepted and sunk was the Baden,