The Wilmington morning star., 1940-04-14
SEVEN WARSHIPS
SUNK AT NARVIK
Continued From Page One)

Soldiers" were seen running over
the hills behind Narvik.
..Further details are awaited"
said the admiralty.
'The admiralty is not precisely
informed of conditions in NarVlk
town Operations are still pro-
ceeding."
.sNo estimate can be made at pres
emf of German losses in personnel
but the seven destroyers sunk u
have counted over 1000 men, SAID
the announcement.
Three of the attacking destroyers
were damaged but not seriously and
British loss of life is believed to
have been very small" it continued
The stor11ling Of NarVik was nall
ed in rejoicing London as a prime
achievement in vigorous British sea
and air actions to loosen the MAJ
hold on Norway prior to a general
Allied offensive against the 1nVad-
ers.
This daring attack was a sequel
to Wednesdays dawn foray into
Narvik ford when the British re-
norted the sinking of one out OF
six German ~destroyers and the set
ting afire of three others.
Two Out Of Five
Tn that battle the British lost two
ont of five attacking destroyers, the
Hunter and the Hardy, and two
| others were damaged. CThe Germans
saw six British d~estroyers have been
sunk at Narvik.)
In addition to the Nazi WarshIps'
the British reported seven German
srpnly and ammunition ships were
sunk in Wednesdays action oe-
scribed by First Lord of the Ad-
miraltv Winston Churchill as Wor-
thv of n in the proud records Oh
the British navy.
Participating in today's eNpeftly
Unanswered fight was the British
destroyer Cossak, which, with al
miralty backing, TOOK matters into
its own hands and charged lh'o
Norwav's territorial waters Feb. 10
to rescue 800 British merchant sail
ors held aboard the Nazi prison n i
Atlmark, at n time an auAlllafN
to the now-scuttled sea raider Ad-
miral Graf Spec.
Here is the admiralty's calmly
worded story of today's battle:
Since the attack upon German
destroyers in Narvik on Wednesday
by the second destroyer flotlila, TINS
flotilla, with reinforcements, has
been %blockading the enemy in Mar
viE ford.
Around Noon
This morning at about noon H.
M. S. Warspite, accompanied by a
strong force of d~estroEeH using
minesweeping and other appliances,
advanced up the ford to attack the
German d~estroyers, some of them
already damaged, who We're shelter
ing in the harbor, and also to en-
sage any shore batteries Whlch
might have been erected.
According to reports which have
been received from the commander
in chief, Vice Admiral WhitWorth,
hosting his flag in the Warsplte.
commanded the attack, which was
extremely successful.
Enemy opposition was not found
to be remarkably severe.
"A field howitzer which had been
mounted ashore was put out of &C
ton by the fire of H. NJ. S. Cos
sack.
-Four German ~destroyers were
shattered and sunk in Narvik bay.
Three others fled up Rumbahs
ford, a small inlet eight or nine
miles long behind Narvik town.
"These also were pursued and
destroyed.
cat the moment of issuing this
communique, the admiralty is not
precisely informed as to conditions
in Narvik town.
"Parties of men, possibly German
soldiers, have been seen escaping
from it over the hills, and further
details are awaited.
This destruction of seven of the
enemy destroyers was not achieved
without some loss. Three British
d~estroyers were damaged in the
fight, but not seriously, and the
British loss of life is believed to
have been very small.
No Estimate Made
mo estimate can be made at
present of German losses in per-
sonnet, but the seven d~estroyers
sunk must have counted over 1000
men.
"The admiralty has ~signalled con
gratulations to commandments
Admiral Sir Charles Forbes, to
Vice Admiral Whitworth, and to
the officers and men engaged in
this vigorous, daring and skilfully
conducted action, which may well
tend. to clarity the situation on
this part of the Norwegian coast.
Operations are still proceeding"
By directing the audacious at
tack, Vice Admiral William Jock
Whitworth, on the bridge of the
Warspite, became the new man Of
the hour. to Britons, who love moth.
49, 1900 41.1- ,@~I f;rl,+