BATTLE REFUSED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 December 1943, Page 3

BATTLE REFUSED

BY GERMAN WARSHIPS IN NORWAY CHALLENGING CRUISE OFF COAST MADE BY ANGLO-AMERICAN FLEET. TIRPITZ & CONSORTS STAY IN HIDING. (By Telegraph—-Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. December 13. The pride of the German Fleet in northern waters has had a chance to engage a combined Anglo-American naval force, but it refused to give battle, reports Reuter’s correspondent, with the Home Fleet, The biggest Allied naval force that has ever been assembled in northern waters sailed under British command within 200 miles of the Norwegian coast. It did everything possible to make its presence known to the Germans, but the mighty battleship Tirpitz and her satellites the Luetzow, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Admiral Scheer and the rest would not come out and fight—much to the disgust of the thousands of fighting men in the Allies’ ships. The operation was under the command of Admiral Sir Bruce Fraser Commander-in-Chief of the Home Fleet, and the American ships were operating as an integral part of the Home Fleet. The force included, among other ships, the battleship Duke of York (King George V class) in which Admiral Fraser flew his flag, the new cruiser Scylla, and the aircraft-carrier Furious, with an escort screen of British and American destroyers. When near the objective the Fleet’s guns opened up. The ships sailed nearer to the German-occupied coast, and 1 a German plane flew over but nothing more happened. The Germans either were completely unaware of our movements, which was unlikely, or they just lay in the fiords. If they were not hoodwinked tflfey were intimidated.