Imperial Valley press., 1939-12-14

tSI, dIlfiOullCeu llldl lIley WOulu Dt
landed today.
News of the fight had spread along
the coast, and was the signal for
German merchantmen to start for
home in the belief that the British
navy watchdogs had been concen-
trated off the River Plate.
The crack German liner Colum-
bus. which had been refuged at
Anton Lizardo, lifted anchor and
went to Vera Cruz. 1t anchored
again there because of storm but
was waiting to run for Oslo, Nor
way. with a cargo of assorted goods
for Germany. The German mer-
chantman Arauca left Vera Cruz
suddenly for New orleans and Ger
many with a cargo of sulphur. The
German steamship Hamelin, its car
go aboard, was reported getting up
steam to make a dash from Vera
Cruz for an unknown port. Police
at Guadala jara. Mex, arrested three
young German seamen who had left
the German freighter Havelland at
Manzanilla. attempting to reach
Vera Cruz and get passage to Ger
many.
Surveyors were expected to board
the Admiral Graf Spec today TO
ascertain the extent of its damage.
It was entitled under international
law to seek the safety of a neutral
port and effect repairs. How long
it would be permitted to stay, with
out being interned for the duration
of the war, was up to Uruguay.
Hugo Ricaldone, secretary to
President Alfredo Baldomir, said
that the German ship would be per-
mitted to remain in port 80 days.
But there was every indication
that the British would establish a
close watch off the Plate to insure
that the Graf Spec never got to
the sea again.
1t was indicated that the long
fight between the Graf Spec and
the British ships started some time
yesterday. There had been persis-
tent reports of firing off the coast,
and there was strong evidence that
British sources here had reason to
believe that the British cruisers,
main part of the South American
division of the British America and
West Indies squadron, were closing
IN on the formidable German raider.
From officials who boarded the
Admiral Graf Spec as soon as it
entered Uruguayan waters, the Unit
ed Press obtained a first hand Ger
man account of the battle.
Flushed with its triumphs in weeks
of raiding, the German ship sighted
the French passenger liner For
NOSE, 1915 tons, of Havre, hundreds
of miles off the coast, and made Tor
her.
The Germans suspected today that
she was decoy, for it was not long
according 10 the accounts, that the
$685. ton cruiser Ajax, using every
ounce of ner power, raced over the
horizon.
The 10000 ton German ship had
six II inch guns against the eight
5 inch guns of the Ajax. But the
Ajax had 32.5 knots speed to the
Specs 26.
AS the Ajax closed in, she began
calling by radio to the Exeter and
Achilles for support.
Her guns opened. There was a
race in toward the coast.
AT $3.50 yesterday morning, ac-
cording to the German reports, the
real fight started at the mouth OF
the River Plate, between the Ajax
and the Spec.
Early yesterday afternoon, it was
related, the Exeter appeared, then
the Achilles. The Achilles remained
a short distance away, protecting
the Formose which had steamed
for the coast.
The ships moved slowly in toward
the Druguyan coast, their guns roar
ing.
The ships were miles apart, firing
at long range, as they neared the
coast.
They were sighted from the Uru-
guayan and Argentine coasts about
6 PIN. yesterday, the Admiral Graf
Spec far IN advance.
Heavy firing started again at 8
pm. 1t ceased and restarted at 8
pm. The Ajax closed in and the
German ship was forced up C.le
coast to port. The Formose made
for BuenoS Aires, across the Plate
estuary.