Evening star., 1939-12-15
British Prisoners
On Spec Sang for
Cruisers Victory

VIuiSCIS VIIIVIy
Confined Under 11-Inch
Turret; Cheered Each
Time Shell Hit
~ the Associated Press.
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Dec. Is
Vivid eyewitness stories of the
Admiral Graf Specs fight with
British cruisers were told last night
by members of group of 81 British
seamen who were prisoners directly
under one of the 11-inch gun tur.
rets while the Graf Spec threw stee
at her attackers.
Freed of their marine prison
several after weeks of confinement
the seamen described how they
counted hits by British guns and
cheered for the attacking cruisers
at the same time realizing they
were doomed if the Graf Spec sank
because the doors of their steel cells
were barred when the action began
Deny British Used Gas.
The British seamen offered them
selves as exhibit A" in support OF
Britain's denial that gas was used
in the battle, as the Germans said
yesterday.
One of the erstwhile prisoners de-
elared:
During the whole fight, the Ger
man sailors had gas masks-we had
none.
IF gas was strong enough to spoil
food, as they said, it certainly was
strong enough to affect us, and you
can see for yourself none of us was
gassed.
ut is true about the food being
spoiled, but it was spoiled by Brit
ish shell which exploded in the CEN
ter of the galley, wrecking every
thing.
II saw one man who was said to
be blinded by gas. He was blinded
when a shell exploded almost in his
face"
Awakened by Cannonading.
One Of the best accounts of the
drst big sea fight OF the European
war was told by a quiet-mannered
officer of the British steamer Doric
Star who was taken prisoner before
his ship was sunk by the Graf Spec
of the coast of Africa.
The prisoners were awakened at
in the morning, he said, by can
nonading.
"We knew what that sound
meant" he said, "and we knew it
was serious when the guards OF our
quarters locked and barred the
doors and left to go to their battle
stations.
"As the battle progressed most OF
us realized British victory might
mean our deaths, but nevertheless
there was singing and cheering for
the attackers.
Altogether we counted II hits
by British shells on the Graf Spec
In the various encounters that day
Probably you won't believe this
but several men who were shaving
when the cannonading began went
on and finished the job.
II had sore throat and was gar
Cling medicine when we had Brit
lsh visitor-a piece of a shell which
had exploded outside tore its way
into our quarters without hurting
any one.
But I swallowed all the medi-
cine!
Confined Under Turrets.
"Our confinement area was di-
rectly under one Of the 11-inch
turrets. Every time a shot was fired
It seemed as If the whole roof had
collapsed over us.
1.-THE grandest news we ever hac
was when an officer same dowr
last night and told us, Gentlemen
the war is over for you. We just
entered the Montevideo Harbor.'"
One of the conditions on which
the prisoners were released was that
they should not talk about what
happened on the Graf Spec.
The Doric Star officer, describ.
ing his experiences with the Ger
man crew, said most Of them were
young, and II don't think they evel
considered the possibility of having
to fight another warship. They
seemed to think their only job wa!
sinking freighters. That probably /!
one reason why light cruisers wert
able to damage the Graf Spec ane
force her to flee."
Will Return to Sea.
The officer said he expected tt
return again to the sea-and thai
he had a son who probably woule
do likewise.
Capt. Patrick G. G. Dove Of thu
tanker Africa Shell, sunk on October
I by the Graf Spec in a position
which Capt. Dove said was within
Portuguese waters, described how
the commander of the Graf Spe'
called him to the bridge just before
the prisoners were released and tole
him:
"The cruisers made gallan
fight. When people fight like tha'
personal enmity Is lost"
Capt. Dove said the first othcel
Of the pocket battleship then wished
him good luck, and added:
Those British are hard"
Another in the group Of Officers
given their freedom said that OH
GERS Of the Graf Spec told him:
"You fellows have been prisoner
for q long time-now it looks as !
It Is our time"