STILL SECRET.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 46, 23 February 1940, Page 8

STILL SECRET.

BRITISH TACTICS. DAMAGE TO THE GRAF SPEE. GERMAN GUNNERY ACCURATE" Chatting informally with Pre« representatives in his stateroom on arrival this morning. Captain Parry said that so far the Admiralty had not released the official dispatches, and therefore his account of the action in which the Achillas was engaged in December necessarily could not be full. "Probably the Admiralty will not make the storv known in all its detail until the war is over," he added. Captain Parry explained that he coulil not say any thin? in respect to tactics because it would bo tantamount to giving information to the enemy. When lie was informed that a cable message from England had recounted what was termed a "clever ruse" 011 the part of the Exeter in dropping depth charges to delude the Graf Spee into the belief that her shells were on the target, Captain Parry's only comment was "pure nonseme." Ho added that when a ship went into action it was nccessary to get rid of depth charges as a precaution against enemy shells hitting them and the ships that carricd them. No Direct Hit. The Achilles did not receive any direct, hit durhisr the action, said Captain Parry. The Railing «hrapiiel hole* near the control tower which could !>.• wen by all who vinitcd the cruiser indicated that the Achilles had not come out of the fivht unscathed. Among the souvenirs 011 the cruiser was a Graf Spee cap ribbon secured by one of the New Zealand ratings. When meeting in a hotel bar in Buenos Ayres 110 unfriendly spirit had been shown between the German and British sailors. Captain Parry said the German gunnery was very accurate. "Incredible Manoeuvre." A statement attributed to the Graf Spec's commander to the effect, that the Achilles by "an incredible manoeuvre" plunged into a smoke screen made bv the Graf Speo and got within a mile of the pocket battleship was not confirmed by Captain Parry. He Bald the Achilles was 110 closer than four miles to the Graf Spee. While not divulging the number of shots flred by his ship, Captain Parry said that those who had examined the Graf Spee when she put into Montevideo said that she had received 50 hits. That statement had to be received with reservation, as it was possible for one shell to make several holes. Little wa« known of the internal dam ago to the Graf Spee. Captain Langsdorff said that he took his ship into Montevideo to make her seaworthy. That indicated that sufficient damage had been inflicted to make the Graf Speo unseaworthy. "I cannot imagine linn putting into port unnecessarily," he added. "Nobody had any reliable information of the actual damage done." Keenness of Men. The keenness and enthusiasm of all the men tinder his command was commented upon by Captain Parry. "The sailors have been frightfully good," he said. "I did not see much'of" them in the actual 'battle, but when it was over I had never before seen so many smiles and happy faces. For four days we had an anxious time when we were standing off the coast, but the spirits of the men Were wonderful. They would plav stringed instruments and also engage in games on deck."

When shore leave was granted the men had to go a«hore in organised parties in Buenos Ayrws, said Captain P*rry. The. reason was that thev had to be careful that no member of the crew was kidnapped. Some time previojis to the Achillea' arrival an attempt had been made by local Germans to kidnap a rating of a warship in port, and that -was the reason why strict orders were given for organised parties.