Evening star., 1943-12-29
British Sink 3 Nazi Destroyers
In Battle off Coast Of France;
Allies Blast AirfieIds Near Rome
Other Ships Hit;
Action Perhaps
Still Going On
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, Dec. ga brilliant
new victory in the British Navy
campaign to destroy the last
effective strength of the German
f1eet-the sinking by combined
warship and air action of three
German destroyers in the Bay
OF BiScay and Gripping of others
was announced today.
A joint Admiralty and Air Min
istry communique telling of these
blows in southern waters off the
coast OF France followed by only a
few hours publication of the full
story OF the sinking of the German
battleship Scharnhorst in the Arctic
by the 35,000-ton battleship Duke of
York and force of cruisers and
dcstToyers.
Full details Of the Biscay action
are vet to be told, but it plainly was
a lar9e-scale enterprise and one
which perhaps still is continuing
Other details are awaited" the
AolilIliulfitu ut SdlQ.
Planes Sink Blockade Runner,
III the same area an Axis blockade
runner was sent to the bottom by
coastal command planes.
Nothing was said OF any British
loss.
This new squirt of British naval
fire-tire which already has dealt a
crippllng II not a mortal wound to
German capital ship poWer-brought
to at least AZ the number of German
oeStroycrS and torpedo boats known
sunk since the start Of the war.
This total is exclusive of ships
known to have been hit and prob
ably lost.
The first announcement did not
say when the action had taken
place. II was assumed from the
wording of the communiQue that
the German naval vessels may have
been eSCortlng the enemy convoy
through the Bay of Biscay. which
lies west OF France and due north
Of Spain.
tTOday'S German cOmmunique,
broadcast from Berlin, said the
fight began Monday and ended
today. Engagements took place
between German destroyers and
torpedo boats and light British
naval forces" the Nazi high COM
mand announced. Our own and
the enemy air force took part
constantly III the actions. In the
course of hard fighting there were
damages on Doth sides
The United States Foreign
Broadcast Intelligence Service
pointed out that German broad
casts for European press con-
sumption made no mention of
the lost deStroyerS but said e
British cruiser about to take part
in the fighting was damaged to
the point where it had to break
of the engagement and leave the
area Of tighting.'D
Follows Sinking of Scharnhorst.
The new blows against Hitler's
fast dWindling navy came on the
heels of the sinking Of the 26,000-
ton Scharnhorst late Sunday off
NorWay's north cape after she and
other German surface units had
ventured forth to attack a Russia
bound convoy.
The Admiralty disclosed yesterday
that the Scharnhorst had fallen be-
fore the guns and torpedos OF the
British attackers.
Some SURVIVORS were picked up
and were made prisoners of wal" the
announcement declared The bat
tloshIp had probably 1400 men
abCardD
The account OF the fight told how
the SchaInhOrSJ was intercepted by
cruisers when she sought to attack
the convoy, then attempted to es-
cape The Duke Of York, flagship
OF the home fleet, called up by the
covering force, engaged the Scharn-
horst with her 14-inch guns,
Slowed Down by Torpedocs.
When the Scnarnhorst again at
tempted to escape she was slowed
down with torpedoes fired by de-
stroyers The Duke Of York again
engaged her, ana the final torpedo
attack which completed her de-
struction was flled by the British
cruiser Jamaica.
The British force was disposed
In two main divisions under the M
mediate command of Admiral Sir
Bruce A. Fraser, commander in
chief of the home fleet, who was
aboard the Duke of York, the Ad-
miralty disclosed.
The Jamaica and four destroyers
were with the Duke of York.
The other formation consisted OF