COLOURFUL STORY

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

COLOURFUL STORY

THE ACHILLES' PART. SEEN FROM CONTROL TOWER.' "TWISTING, TURNING IJNEXY.fi t .A colourful account of (he battle of the River Plate from the time the first smudge of smoke front the Graf Spee «'M observed until the time of the inglorious scuttling of the ship, given by Lieutenant-Commander R. F Wasliboiirn, of Nelson. Lieutenant* Commander Washbourn, who hag in the Navy for 12 years, was slight!? wounded during the engagement. "I was on the bridge when smoke was sighted aft of the i>ort beam, and we very rapidly identified the vmk! which was coming towards us at hish sf»eed as the German pocket-battleship, the Admiral Graf Sj>ee," said LieutenantCommander Washbourn. "Captai# Parrv at once ordered the alarm to be sounded and all boilers to be connected. I clambered up to my control tower above the bridge. Reports that tht turrets were ready cams through quickly and without any excitement, and we immediately opened tire at a range of 10 miles. The enemy had beta quite unmistakable because of her gnat control tower. "Exeter turned to port, and went off to engage the enoiny from the other flank." went on Lieutenant-Commander Washbourn. "and we followed in clow support of the Ajax. The enemy continued to steer towards us to close the range. This was very obliging of her, for that covered the dangerous zone ia which lier 11-incli guns were effective, and our little 6-inch guns were ma paratively out-ranged. She contained da her course for about 15 minutes aid then turned away, and never showed any stomach for the figH. It appeared from this that we had hit her fairly hard. Broadside Straddles Arhffln "After about twenty minutes in aeUoa the Graf Spee's 11-inch broadside straddled Achilles, splinters pepptriag lier from truck to waterline. We Van unlucky in my control tower as tit 'visitors' came to call and infliHed fit* casualties. The remaining half of wj control tower crew took 0.-er the dtt* of those who were casualties at If nothing had happened, and fire contused unaffected. The same broadside cawed | casualties in other parte of the «iip, wounding the Captain and Chief Ytoata of Signals Martinson. "Prom the personal point of view," said Lieutenant-Commander Waskbourn, "I was far too busy observing the fall of niv broadsides to give any tim» to observing what was happening to the rest of our squadron. However, I have a very clear picture in my mind of the enemy twisting and turning, making smoke, and splashes arising close round lier as a result of the gun fir* of tht three British ships. "The engagement contfataed for about 80 minutes without say hill. He only time when I saw another of our squadron was when Ajue erosasd oar ton towards the end of thia first phase of the battle. She presented a magnificent sight, travelling at 32 knots, tad firitg at the enemy. "Shadowing the Enemy." "We closed the range to about four iniles. This was very nearly point blank for the Graf Spee's llin guns. We then disengaged under cover of smoke, and In'gan to shadow the retreating enemy Exeter was now out of sight astern of lis. and Ajax liad only three guns in action. Wc on tlic Achilles had been very lucky, n« we received lio direct bite, although we had been straddled a number of times. "As soon as it was certain that we Would not close in again for some tiflrt»" •aid Lieutenant-Commander Washbourn, "I obtained permission from the captain to go round and visit my turrets. Tie spirit of everyone was magnificent. I told the men what I knew about the engagement so far, because it is oftca forgotten that in a naval action tht majority of those who fight fees nothing whatever of the enemy. "The Chase.'* '"We talk of that phase now as the cliase, but it did not seem much like it at the time. There was disappointingly little visible damage to the Graf Spee, and lier speed and gun power did not seem to be much affected ibv ottr effort*. "There was one very bad moment in the afternoon when we sighted a ship, which, at a great distance bore a very strong resemblance to an enemy Wn cruiser. We thought this was the explanation of the Graf Spee's flight from two small cruisers, and that we had been led into a trap. We continued to close, however, and reprieve cam# when a merchant ship's high forecastle appeared above the horizon. "The Graf Spee fired at. us several times during the day. Shortly after sunset, when we were closing to keep her in sight as the visibility lessened she opened lire oil us again. This time she was within range of our Oin guns, and wc let her have it. We gave her five salvoes, and then turned away under smoke again. She anchored about midnight, and wc began our four days' watch off Montevideo, awaiting » renewal of the action. We were most grateful when the cruiser Cumberland arrived on tlie scene the next afternoon. "On Sunday, December 17, when we knew that the time allotted by the Uruguayan Government for the Graf Specs stay at Montevideo was about to expire, the three ships, ready for action, closed in towards Montevideo. We picked up the Graf Spee's smoke at a very groat distance soon after she emerged from Montevideo harbour, and trained our guns on her. Shortly after sunset one of my control tower ere* called my attention to a flash and a puff of smoke in the direction where we had last seen the enemy's funnel smoke. A moment or two later we received a signal that the Graf Spec had just blown herself up. "Captain Parry immediately ordered all hands on deck, and in a moment every vantage point on the ship wa< crowded. Everyone came up to see the last of the old enemy. We then steamed close pa-t Ajax. and there was a magnificent, spontaneous expression of relief—each ship's company exchanging cheers and roaring themselves hoarse."

Town Hall reception and other Achilles news an Baa* Tea.