Evening star., 1942-01-03
Sinkings
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verted into a warplane-bearing con-
voy guardian.
These latter two were sunk by
torpedoes in a four-day running
battle against German submarines
raiding a convoy. the Admiralty
said in rare report on such opera
tions, but 1t declared the Germans
lost at least three submarines and
at least two of their big, far-ranging
Focke-Wulf bombers in the attack
and succeeded only in sinking two
merchant ships, together only 6193
tons. out Of more than 80 freighters
In the convoy.
Maxi Claims Refuted.
This lengthy communique was
issued partly to show that week
after week our conveys continue to
arrive bringing vital supplies to our
shores and partly to counter Ger
man claims that nine ships aggre-
eating $1,000 tons and an aircraft
carrier had been sunk In the attack
which, the Admiralty said, lasted
from December II to December 81.
TT is known that at least three
of the attacking U-boats were sunk,
since prisoners of war from these
three U-boats were TAKEN" the Ad-
miralty said. Two of the German
long-range Focke-Wulf aircraft were
shot down into the sea and a third
was so severely damaged it may
not have regained it's base"
The convoy was led by Vice Ad-
miral Raymond Fitzmaurice, a
veteran as commodore of conveys
who was named a knight of the
British Empire in King George Wis
New Year honors list.
U-Boat Sunk BY Gunfire.
THE attack on the convoy de-
veloped December II and before
noon that day the first U-boat was
sunk" the Admiralty said. The
U-boat was sighted on the surface
and sunk by gunfire from ships of
the escort.
prisoners taken from this U-boat
stated it had been forced to the
surface by damage inflicted in depth
charge attacks earlier in the day.
Two German bombers attacked
in the afternoon. but were driven
off by the Audacity's gunners. and
another U-boat was sent to the
bottom the following day in an &C
ton in which the Stanley partici-
pated. the Admiralty said.
Some hours later the Stanley her
self was torpedoed and sunk Other
escort vessels countered with heavy
depth charges and another U-boat
was forced to the surface.
1T was rammed and sunk by H.
NJ S. Stork, some prisoners being
taken" the official account went on.
Two Aircraft Shot Down.
The two Focke-Wulf aircraft were
shot down December 10 and the
third was badly damaged and driven
off by the Audacity, the Admiralty
said, and the Germans carried on
the attack with submarines.
The Audacity was torpedoed and
sunk in the hunt for the surviving
U-boats, which last attacked De-
cember 81.
AN Americana built Liberator air.
craft of the coastal command of the
r. A. F. joined the convoy at this
STAGE" the Admiralty said. land
played 4 conspicuous part in the
final series of counterattacks which
eventually freed the convoy from
further pursuit.
Although no prisoners were
taken as a result of many depth
charge attacks carried out during
the last two days of the attack, it
is possible they achieved further
successes against the enemy's u
boats"
The Admiralty said German
communiques laid great stress on
the scale and duration of the attack
made on this convoy.
Enemy Claims Refuted.
They claimed nine merchant
ships of 1000 tons were sunk out of
this convoy in addition to naval
units sunk and two more merchant
ships damaged. This claim of the
enemy was an exaggeration Of over
600 per cent"
Concerning the Mediterranean
losses, the Admiralty reported that
the Neptune was sunk by a mine,
and said the Kandahar, sailing with
the Neptune at the time, also suf-
fered damage from a mine and had
Men Are Picked Up.
Statements made by the enemy
indicate some of the ships company
of H. NJ S. Neptune have been
picked up and are prisoners of war, -
the Admiralty said. The greater
part of the crew of the Kandahar
was rescued, however, it declared.
The Neptune, built in 1888, nor
mally carried a complement of $50
officers and men. The Kandahar, a
1,600-ton craft completed in 1899,
carried about 180 men.
The italian high command re-
ported Christmas Day that "in the
central Mediterranean British sail
ors from the ship Neptune, men,
toned tin an Italian communique)
December 10, we're rescued. They
were found near our shores, brought
in by the tide"
The December 10 communique
had told Of attacks by Axis planes
in which i've British cruisers were
torpedoed.