ANOTHER SEA VICTORY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 December 1943, Page 3

ANOTHER SEA VICTORY

GERMAN ARMED BLOCKADE-RUNNER SUNK IN BAY OF BISCAY

By Aircraft of Coastal Command BRITISH CRUISERS SINK THREE ENEMY DESTROYERS NUMBER OF OTHERS DAMAGED IN. RUNNING EIGHT ‘ I LONDON, December 29. A JOINT ADMIRALTY AND AIR MINISTRY COMMUNIQUE ANNOUNCES THE SINKING OF THREE GERMAN DESTROYERS AND AN ARMED BLOCKADE RUNNER IN THE BAY OF BISCAY. The blockade runner was a fast, modern ship of about 5000 tons.. She was first sighted on Monday morning by a Sunderland flying boat, apparently inward bound for a port on the coast of France. The cruis’ers Glasgow and Enterprise and Coastal Command aircraft were directed to attack. Soon after the planes attacked, the whole ship was ablaze and the crew abandoned her, there being' about 70 survivors. Soon after dawn on Tuesday a Liberator of the United States Navy, operating with the Coastal Command, sighted eleven German destroyers about 200 miles from the scene of the previous day’s action. The enemy force was proceeding at about 20 knots in a westerly direction, apparently with the intention of keeping a rendezvous with an inward bound blockade runner. The Liberator signalled the cruisers Glasgow and Enterprise, which proceeded at full speed to make contact with the enemy destroyers. Early in the afternoon they sighted the enemy force and a running fight ensued, in which hits were scored on several of the enemy ships. Coastal Command aircraft also joined in, including Liberators of the United States Navy and Beaufighters of the Coastal Command and Mosquitoes provided cover for the British ships. There was very little air opposition from the enemy. The Mosquitos destroyed one enemy aircraft. The enemy showed no eagerness to fight and split up into small groups in an effort to escape. In their chase the British forces concentrated on four of the enemy destroyers. Three were sunk by gunfire and several others are known to have been damaged. The Glasgow suffered a few casualties and only minor damage. One Halifax and one Beaufighter are missing'. The blockade runner sunk was the ninth that has failed to get through in the past 12 months. With the loss of three destroyers in the Bay of Biscay, Germany has now lost at least 42 destroyers and torpedo-boats since the outbreak of war. '