The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1939-12-19
Great Britain Starts
Attacks On Germany
CONTINUED from Page y

INCONVENIENCE
had been mined or torpedoed ir
the North Sea with the loss Of hel
captain and five men, bringing the
total Of Norwegian sailors lost II
the war to 90.
Germany Lost Half U-Boats
(The Scandinavian wireless in Q
dispatch intercepted in New York
last night quoted reliable sources
unofficial but well informed as as
sorting that Germany had lost one
half her submarines since the wal
started. Doubt was expressed, the
dispatch said, that Germany, as
she claimed, could build submarines
fast enough to offset her losses0
The admiralty had asserted yes
terday morning that the coastal
type submarine Ursula had pene-
trated the German mine fields at
the mouth Of the Elbe river and
sunk a cruiser of the Koln class
despite It's convoy Of six destroy
ers.
This was followed by the asser-
ton that the submarine Salmon
had attacked an entire fleet OF
German warships Off the German
coast, and torpedoed two cruisers
The admiralty specified that the
5000 ton cruiser Leipzig had been
hit hy the first torpedo fired and
said that II seemed certain that q
second cruiser, heavy one and
probably either the Bleucher or The
Admiral Ripper, new 10000 ton
craft, had been severely damaged
The Salmon reported that she
had sighted the German 10000 ton
battelship Scharnhorst and Gnei-
senau, a 10000 ton battleShip, prob
ably the Admiral Soheer, and three
cruisers, Hipper, Bleucher and Leip-
zig.
Sinks German Submarine
Lieut., L. o. 3. Bickford, COM
mandlng the 67o-ton salmon, had
sunk one German submarine when
after several days OF routine patrol
ing, he sighted the German liner
Bremen, making for Germany from
Russia, he reported. He heard the
Bremen through his ships hydro
phones while submerged. The Sal
mon rose, Commander Bickford re-
ported, and ordered the Bremen 70
halt, but as II did so German
airplane passed overhead and he
submerged. II was "a hours Ia
ter, he reported when he sighted
the German war fleet, He fired
six torpedoes at slightly different
angles.
"'rhe first torpedo hit the Leip-
gig" said the official admiralty re-
port. There was q minutes pause
and then two terrific explosions told
that two other torpedoes had found
their mark, almost certainly upon
a second heavy cruiser OF the Blue
cher class. The other three tor
pedoes obviously passed between the
enemy ships"
The Salmon dived to escape at
tack but returned TO the scene az
ter dark 10 find an area OF four
square miles so thickly coated with
fuel oil that 1t fouled the air and
she had TO leave,
winston Churchill, first Lord OF
the Admiralty, reviewing naval OPP
eratlons last night In radio
speech, disclosed that the British
cruisers which drove the Graf Spec
into Montevideo did so despite sew
ere damage. The Ajax lost the
us0 OF two OF four turrets, The
Exeter was struck between 40 anc
90 times and three OF her six o.
inch guns were put out OF action
Best Week In Any War
Turning 10 the submarine ex-
pioits, Churchill said:
"Here at home In the North Sea
our British submarines have hao
the best week I can remember IN
this or the last war"
He said British submarines had
few targets, because they could not
find targets and we're not permit
ted 10 sink merchantmen without
warning, Germany warShips, Inc
said, yentured out OF port only very
!nfrequently land then only for
furtlve dashes." The Germans were
fetailating. he said, by venting
their wrath for these heavy blows
BY redoubling their efforts to sink
the fishing smacks and drown tho
fishermen In the North Sea 49,.
They have even In some cases
machine g,inned the sailors on tho
decks OF these unarmed merchant
ships and fishing boats. I am glae
10 tell YOU. however, that The heal
OF their fury has far exceeded tht
accuracy Of their air. These out
RACES are the tactics OF guilt,
regime which feels the long arm
ofssea power laid on us shoulder
Nail Planes Bomb Trawlcrs
London, Dec. i9,-(UPl-Germaf
planes bombed and machine gunnet
the fishing trawiers Etrnr'a an'
Active, severely damaging the Etrh'
ria and sinking the Active, II wal
announced today,
The Etruria VISA towed 10 Scot
tish port In battered condition.
Three members OF the crew OF ~,
Etruria were killed by bomb which
wrecked the vessels forccnstle. Nm
other member OF the crew was IN
jured.
One member OF the Actiye's GREY
was listed as missing but the OIL