ATTACK ON PRINZ EUGEN

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23642, 20 May 1942, Page 5

ATTACK ON PRINZ EUGEN

TWO DEFINITE HITS BY TORPEDOES DESCRIPTION BY R.A.F. PILOTS LONDON, May 18. Two definite hits with torpedoes and another probable hit on the German cruiser Prinz Etigen are claimed by pilots of Beaufort torpedo-carrying aircraft of the Coastal Command who attacked the vessel off Norway on Sunday. A thrilling description of the attack has been given by Squadron Leader J. Dinadale, of Te Kuiti, New Zealand, a Beaufort pilot of long experience who has taken part in a number of previous attacks on enemy warships. “As I went in, five Messei'schmitts, came on my tail,” he said, “but they did not attack. Our covering Beaufighters must have frightened them off. Flak poured up from the Prinz Eugen and from the destroyers, but I went in low and let go my torpedo. As I swung round to get away I saw a column of smoke leap up from the stern of the Prinz Eugen. It was a great pillar of black, dirty smoke which "rose above the superstructure. Fifteen seconds later there, was another large explosion.” A sergeant pilot who attacked almost immediately afterwards saw a sheet of flame spring up from the cruiser. “1 got a glimpse of other torpedoes running well towards the ship after my own attack," he said. After the first formation had gone in, the Prinz Eugen swung out of the line from her escort and when he attacked she was a good target. Flight Lieutenant E. G. Pett, who was awarded the D.F.C. for his part in attacking the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Prinz Eugen when they passed through the English Channel, was also in Sunday’s attacks. He took advantage of a gap between two of the escorting destroyers to dash in and drop a torpedo, but he was unable to see the result. Many Dogfights Dogfights were numerous, and before the attack had been long in progress a number of columns of black smoke rising from the sea marked the places where aircraft from both sides ' had gone down. Beaufighters swept down ahead of the Beaufort torpedo-bombers and raked the escorting destroyers from v stem to stern with cannon and machine-gun fire at close range, causing a noticeable slackening in their anti-aircraft fire. One Beaufort dived to 200 feet, and, . flying parallel with the enemy force, • attacked the leading destroyer. Closing from 800 to 100 yards, in spite of‘intense heavy and light flak, another Beaufighter: raked the bridge and the deck,of a destroyer from 30 yards, * third Beaufighter. made three separate attacks on one destroyer. The warship • • had a pall, of black smoke hanging:. over it when/the aircraft climbed away, and the ship's flak fire had decreased •" considerably. ! . . A 23-year>-old rear gunner of a Beaufort, who had only one serviceable gun - and who was wounded in ' several . places, helped to account for three enemy aircraft. Bis pilot, a former ‘ Fleet street journalist, said: “After a ' • few moments our rear - gunner found - 1 only one gun in his turret working. He shouted through the ihtercommunlca--tion system that three Messerschmitt ' 109’s were on toy tail. I opened up. the : throttle and the wireless operator managed the side gun. The .Messer- • schmitts opened.fire and bullets ripped into the Beaufort V “The rear gunner began firing, and we saw orte 109 peel' off on -fire,- apd' . crash into the sea.. A second Messerschmitt attached, and the Beaufort ' rocked as we were bit by a burst from f 100 yardsi Then ,our side gun Opened ’ up, and the fighter went down .in ' flames. The third-was persistent, but after a few bursts it dived away: with ’ smoke belching; from it. "Then the rear gunner came out of. -i the turret. With the {first burst‘from a. Messerschmitt, he 'had been wounded v in the face, hands, legs,' and head,- but, did not say a word.- The fight lasted - 35 minutes, and for 20 minutes he bad - been wounded and firing the' one serviceable gun. Our aeroplane Jiad' V 32 holes in it, and we . crash/ landed when we arrived at the base.” 7 PETITION FOE LENIENCY N.Z. PRISONER IN TASMANIA GOVERNOR AND PREMIER V AMONG SIGNATORIES ■ -'HOBART, May 19. A petition signed, by leading citi- ' zens pf Tasmania has been drawn .up for presentation to the New' Zealand / Minister for Justice (Mr H. G- R.’ Mason), praying that leniency be . ex-: tended to Richard/-Humphreys, who * : was recently extradited from Tasmania. , Among the signatories . are the 1 Lieutenant-Governor (Sir John Eyans), : Premier (Mr R. Cosgrove)', the Leader of the Opposition (Mr H, S. Baker), the President of the Legisla- rtive Council (Mr T. Murdoch), the - President of the Council of Churches (the Rev, L. A, Bpwes), the Chief Secretary (Mr.E. Brooker). the Lord . Mayor (Alderman J, Soundy), and a former Premier (Sir John McPhee). The bid for freedom of Humphreys, who escaped from the Borstal Insti- : tution at Invercargill arid stole a - yacht, which he sailed across the Tasman, ended in t,he Supreme Court at . Hobart on April 28; when Mr Justice ■ Morris, Chief Justice of Tasmania, * dismissed an appeal dgainst the Magistrate’s extradition order. . The Chief Justice recalled previous convictions against the accused in New Zealand, covering the theft of a yacht valued at £250, and an outboard motor-boat, and also a previous escape from custody. , . RECEIVING OF MONEY ADMITTED BOMB REMOVAL SQUAD OFFICER (Received May 19, 11 p.m.) . LONDON, May 18. Captain Robert Davies, of the Royal Engineers, who personally removed the bomb from St," Paul’s Cathedral and was awarded the George-Cross in 1940, pleaded guilty at a court-martial to receiving improperly in October, 1940, £SOO from Charrington and Company. He pleaded not guilty to other charges, including an allegation of obtaining money by false pretences, improperly using the services of soldiers and War Office transport to construct a civil air-raid 'shelter for which he received £25, and charges of stealing. Fleet Air Arm Officers.—Temporary commissioned New Zealand members of the Fleet Air Arm are Sub-Lieuten- . ants W. L. Griffin, C. B. Hamblett, E. J. Gilberd, P. J. M. Canter, and Midshipman C. B. Taylor. Special branch members are Sub-Lieutenants N. Blake (Christchurch), G. G. Leigh, J. A. Pollock, M. R. Wren, and B. McClelland. —London, May 18.