TWO U-BOATS SUNK

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24151, 10 January 1944, Page 4

TWO U-BOATS SUNK

NORTH ATLANTIC ACTION

DESTRUCTION WITHIN 1 8 HOURS C8.0.W.) RUGBY, Jan. S. !r During a patrol in the North Atlantic \ some weeks ago sloops of the Royal ? Navy under the command of Captain || F. J. Walker destroyed two U-boats -|| within the space of eight hours, states® an Admiralty communique. The first#! U-boat was encountered at night in allf position north-west of the Azores, and was illuminated by a star shell. . 1 The enemy submarine was a large patrol or supply U-boat, and sub-. >! merged 700 yards ahead of the sloop -lij which fired the star shell. The sloop then carried out three attacks with j depth charges. , ]J Meanwhile, other ships proceeded at speed to the spot and one gained contact with the enemy U-boats, which had. been forced to go deep. It was then decided to postpone further attacks "’’i until daybreak, and for four hours •; three sloops kept in contact with the' .. enemy U-boat, which tried to elude v the surface craft by proceeding very , ■; slowly on a south-west course. The attempt was unsuccessful, andV" at the first light of dawn depth charges',, were again dropped, and after the first -vi? pattern noises of cracking, rending, "Tv and breaking were heard coming from / a point deep under water. Two ex-'; plosions followed, the second being i ; near the surface and clearly audible'- 1 ; to the ships’ companies. Afterwards a"’, considerable quantity of oil and wreck- ■ s ,i age floated to the surface. v v

Early in the afternoon of the same ■/ day a second U-boat was detected by the sloops, which attacked with depth ~ charges. Again breaking noises and explosions were heard, and oil, foodstuffs, and clothing of German origin '', floated to the surface, the oil spreading more than a mile in all directions.