Evening star., 1942-03-29
Nazis Say Enemy Ship,
In St. Nazaire Bay
Failed 10 Escape
Several Destroyers at
Mouth Of Loire Fled,
However, Berlin Admits
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
BERLIN (From German Broad
casts March 28.-The German high
command, in a special statement
tonight ON the British raid at ST
Nazaire. said it was modelled after
the "Zeebrugge enterprise" OF the
first World War-a British naval
action which bottled up the Ger
mans in the Belgian harbor.
Noteworthy in this third OFF,
cial German story of the raid Is
the fact that the Germans re-
Trained from repeating the ear
lier specific claim that nine mo-
tor torpedoboats and four larger
torpedoboats were sunk.
CThe statement declared, how
ever, that none Of the British
craft which entered the bay at
St. Nazaire was observed to have
escaped" Several British de-
stroyers which lay at the mouth
of the Loire, however, admittedly
made a getaway
A Berlin newspaper said the raid
ers were accounted for before they
were able to inflict heavy damage"
(The high command earlier had re-
ported not even the slightest dam
age to the occupied French naval
baSe)
Text Of Statement.
The text OF this statement, the
high commands third account of
the British raid within the day, fol-
lows:
"On March % shortly after mid
night enemy planes flew over the
area of ST Nazaire in several waves
and dropped some bombs which
caused no damage. The flights ap-
parently were intended to divert
attention of the coastal defenses.
While the guns were still firing
at the aircraft large British naval
forces attempted to penetrate into
the Loire Estuary, but were dis
covered by naval batteries and fired
upon.
The enemy had drawn up his
plans on the model OF the Zeebrugge
enterprise of the World War which
also was directed against a German
U-boat base.
THE events transpired at great
speed. While speedboats and as
sault boats were rushing toward
various points on the coast a de-
stroyer set its course toward the
lock gates.
Batteries Divide Fire.
NAVAL batteries divided their fire
and after . short time the destroyer
blew up with q thunderous explosion
before reaching the dock. 1t has
been ascertained from the wreckage
that the destroyer was one OF those
old American ones which was ex-
changed some time ago for British
bases. The ship was loaded with
explosives.
Almost at the same time at vari-
GUS points of the Blight torpedo
boats, speedboats and assault boats
went down under the fire of coastal
batteries.
In the course of the maSsed ac-
ton several boats managed to land
troops on the shore. These were
Immediately engaged by instantane-
Gus attack, in which all three Sec
tions naval. air and land forces,
participated. and dispersed and fled
IN small groups into the surround
ing houses after their retreat had
been cut on.
"A concentric mopping-up OPERA
ton DESTROYED and dispersed the
troops which. in part, surrendered
In body. After a short time calm
was established in the town and
harbor. All attacks were repulsed
and the enemy landing troops were
wiped out.
Clash With Destroyers.
I'm pursuit Of the enemy which
fled with weak forces. German tor
pedo boats clashed with a superior
destroyer formation which the en-
emy had left there tat the mouth
OF the Loire to keep watch. m-
stead OF the expected British mo-
tor torpedo boats, German motor
torpedo boats dashed at full speed
against the destroyers, opened gun
fire and went into q torpedo attack.
Although the enemy destroyers
laid . smoke screen, they proved to
be . clear target for our boats and
were only partly able to evade our
torpedoes. Five torpedo hits were