THE NARVIK EXPLOIT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23001, 22 April 1940, Page 9

THE NARVIK EXPLOIT

First Encounter Described HARDY’S CREW IN LONDON (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —COPYRIGHT.) (Received April 21, 7 p.m.) LONDON, April 19. Details of the gallant action fought by the Second Destroyer Flotilla against stronger German forces in Narvik fjord were revealed when 130 survivors of H.M.S. Hardy, which led the British attack, were welcomed on their return to London. In spite of heavy rain, large crowds flocked to the Horse Guards Parade to cheer the men on their arrival to be inspected by the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Winston Churchill) and the Board of the Admiralty. After being damaged in the first naval action in Narvik fjord, the Hardy had run for the beach. She kept firing as she made for the shore, and the crew believe that a number of hits were made on the German vessels. After scrambling over jagged rocks for a mile, the crew eventually reached a farmhouse, where a woman and her daughter “were simply wonderful to us.” They then went to a small village, where they remained for four days before being taken off by British warships. The normal complement of the Hardy was 175. The heroes of the Hardy gave a stirring account of the battle. One member of the crew acting as spokesman said: “We sailed up the fjord at dawn on that Wednesday morning. Our first torpedo hit a German destroyer, which was torn apart. Other destroyers fired in relays, sinking nearly every ship in Narvik harbour. “It was a shambles. We could see ships sunk or half sunk everywhere. The German batteries opened up, but caused little damage. “We were preparing to attack again when three heavy German destroyers slipped out from the fjord behind us. Firing from 3000 yards they could not help hitting us, and we were hit badly, “Captain Warburton-Lee fell down and the signals-offlcer, Lieutenant Cross, was killed. The navigating officer, Lieutenant-Commander Gordon Smith, was seriously injured. The skipper’s secretary. Lieutenant Stanning, took command and kept ttie guns working, but more shells wrecked the steering gear and the main steampipe, “We were in a bad way and ran into, the shallows and grounded on the rocks 300 to 400 yards from the shore. We got our last order from the ship, the last order Captain Warburton-Lee ever gave, “Abandon ship. Every man for himself and good luck.” One man swam with Captain Warburton-Lee to land through 100 yards of icy water and then waded 300. yards and got him ashore, but there was no hope for him and he died shortly afterwards. “We all piled into the water under fire all the time. The Germans fired shrapnel at us. The torpedo officer, Lieutenant Heppell, was a real hero. He saved at.feast five men, swim-' ming back and forth helping nonswimmers. About 170 got shore. Seventeen were killed and two are missing.” Another yivid story of the exploit was told by a petty officer. “Just after midnight we entered the fjord in a blinding snowstorm, the Hardy leading the other destroyers,” he said. “As wd neared the mouth of the harbour, visibility was very bad. We sighted our targets and there were So many ships, both warships and cargo vessels, that it seemed impossible to miss them. Salvo Through Bows “When the gunnery officer spotted a German destroyer we opened fire and a signalman said that the first salvo went straight through her bows. The German ship opened fire with her anti-aircraft guns thinking that it was an air’attack. “Going round the bend, the Hardy led the other destroyers and our gunners had a dim outline at which to fire. Shells and torpedoes exploded on all sides. Then we came for another run at the destroyer, but a large British merchantman lay in a position partly protecting her. We silenced the fire of a small fort near the harbour held by the Germans, with our second salvo. . “Again we tackled the German destroyer, and up to this time, no one was hurt. When we altered our course we found three German destroyers and we gave them the concentrated fire of the British destroyers. * “Then we sighted two more German destroyers trying to head us off from the exit of the-fjord and a sjalvo fell on us. There was a terrific crash and Captain Warburton-Lee and others were badly wounded. It was now about 6 a.m. and we had, lost all headway, and the Hardy gradually drifted towards the beach. One of our guns was still firing as we went aground.” Mr Churchill, in welcoming the men, who made an odd picture from the varied assortment of clothing in 'which they were dressed, said: “Your countrymen are well content with the manner in which you’discharged your duty. You have shown courage and readiness to take opportunity by the hand' and make your way through difficult situations which are always associated with flotillas of our destroyer forces. You were placed in a situation where danger and difficulty surrounded you. Annies for Norway “Youf gallant captain was killed. Captain Warburton-Lee, who took the responsibility of ordering this determined attack on the enemy, sealed his great decision with ms life, but you, although your vessel was sunk, did not hesitate, with rifles in hand, to carry bn the war on another element, and you thus proved again the amphibious character. of Britain and her Navy. You are actually the vanguard of the armies which we and our French allies will use this summer to purge and cleanse the soil of the Viking—the soil of Norway—from the filthy pollution of Nazi tyranny." In connexion with Mr Churchill’s reference to the Navy fighting on another element, an interesting report has now been received that after their hazardous »escapade in reaching the Norwegian shore, the Hardy’s ■ men captured 120 sailors

from German destroyers and handed them to the Norwegian police. A survivor said: “When the Hardy was beached many of the crew jumped into the sea and scrambled up the jagged rocks. The villagers gave us spare clothing. We stayed in Norway for four days and watched the second great battle of. Narvik fjord. The Warspite and her escort of destroyers played hell with the Germans.” So far as is known there were no survivors from H.M.S. Hunter, which was commanded by Lieutenant-Com-mander L, de Villiers. The Financial Secretary- to the Admiralty, (Sir Victor Warrender) said in reply to a question in the House of Commons that the Admiralty would certainly consider the possibility of .salving the destroyer Hardy. Fleet Air Arm’s Part Further details o { the Fleet .Air Arm’s part in the Royal Navy’s attack on Narvik, which was their first major offensive, reveal that on the day before the main attack, April 12* the Fleet Air Arm attacked German destroyers at Narvik, scoring two hits on one destroyer and one on another, says a British Official Wireless message. Synchronised attacks the next day were made on various defended positions. Two hits were registered on German destroyers. Fleet Air Arm aeroplanes have since raided a large number of German aircraft on frozen lakes and destroyed several. They continued their reconnaissance work as well. On April 17 fighters of the Fleet Ai£ Arm were protecting a cruiser which was damaged by German aircraft after the naval bombardment of Stavanger, and brought down one Heinkel 111 and one Dornier and damaged two Heinkels and one Dornier. During the whole of the operations/there were no casualties to the naval aeroplanes, but there-was one casualty among the personnel. It is revealed that German aeroplanes dropped 115 bombs on British warships after the bombardment of Stavanger on Thursday, but scored only one hit.