SHIPS RAIDED

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 118, 12 February 1940, Page 9

SHIPS RAIDED

Nazi Plane Down, Two Others Disabled

FOUR AIR COMBATS Steamers .And Trawlers Damaged (British Official Wireless and Press Assn.) (Received February 11, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, February 9. One German raider was brought down and two others were so seriously damaged when they tried to attack shipping off the north-east coast this morning that they were unlikely to reach home. They were engaged by R.A.F. fighter command patrols and naval anti-aircraft fire. One of them crashed near North Berwick, north of the Firth of Forth. Two naval trawlers were lost, and the unarmed British merchantmen Cliftonia (3106 tons) and Boston Trader (371 tons), the mudhopper Foremost and several trawlers were damaged. All reached port.

The Germans used aerial torpedoes in addition to bombs and machineguns. Trawlers arriving in port have brought stories of the typical courage with which the men manning Britain's little ships faced the repeated attacks from planes diving from tlie shelter of low clouds.

The Nazi plane which was brought down close to North Berwick missed telegraph wires and struck a fence. Shortly before the crash lighter pilots on patrol in Spitfires far out at sea sighted another Heinkel climbing steeply toward tlie clouds. One of the fighter pilots flew into the clouds on the tail of the enemy. As soon as they emerged into a clear patch the German gunner opened fire. “I saw red flashes from the rear top gun,” said the Spitfire pilot, who was not hit. He fired a burst with his ■own guns before the Heinkel again disappeared into thick clouds'. After making sure that the enemy was not flying above the clouds, he dropped below and continued, on patrol. • Crowd Watches Attack.

Almost at the same time, shortly after noon, two Heinkels were attacked by a patrol of Hurricanes off the north-east coast- When sighted, one was flying north and the other west. Before they reached the clouds a fighter pilot, turning from one to the other, managed to fire bursts of bullets into both.

Large crowds on the seashore saw two Nazi planes bomb a vessel off the Scottish coast. Another plane bombed and machine-gunned vessels off the English coast. A plane machinegunned and bombed a fishing boat but scored no hits. Fighters chased off the enemy. There were four combats between fighters and bombers. In addition to those previously reported Hurricane planes chased into the clouds Junkers which attempted to attack a tanker off the north coast of Scotland. Another squadron pursued three Heinkels off Arbroath. An unnamed British warship surprised two Nazi planes which were attacking the Aberdeen trawler Barnsness, off the north coast. One Nazi plane flew toward the warship when the latter appeared and dropped what seemed to bo an aerial torpedo, but it missed. The warship opened fire and the planes immediately departed.

A British steamer of 3000 tons sent out an SOS, and fighter planes went to the help of a third tanker. The loss is announced of the Glasgow steamer Cliagres, of 5400 tons, which: was sunk by enemy action early this morning. Sixty-four of her crew have been landed, but two men are missing. Her captain was Captain Hugh Roberts, who received the 0.8. E. for evading a German submarine on the fourth day of the war. The Chagres sank after an attack on the north-west coast. Bombs made direct hits on rhe hopper-dredger Foremost mid an unnamed tanker, both: of which subsequently reached port, but two of the crew of the Foremost were drowned when a lifeboat swamped. The Nazis machine-gunned vessels which went to the assistance of the Foremost. Casualties from Sphinx.

’J’lie Secretary to (lie Admiralty regrets to announce that: “as a result of enemy aircraft attacks on trawlers, the IL Robert. Bowen and Fort Royal were sunk will) I lie loss of four officers and IS ratings.” The German news ngenev claimed thal air patrols attacked six ships, either British or’sailing under British convoy, which were oil her sunk or so seriously damaged that they eouhl be

reckoned totally lost. Only one German plane was missing, in spite of the heavy anti-aircraft fire and chaser planes. Tile steamer Gripfast, which ran aground since the Nazis’ bombing attack last week, lias been reheated and towed to port. The Admiralty announces the follow ing casualties from 11.M.5. Sphinx, the minesweeper which was damaged by enemy air attacks on February 3, and was reported Io have capsized while being towed to port on February 5. One officer was killed and four are missing, believed dead. Three ratings were killed, one died of injuries, and 45 are missing and presumed to lie dead. Tile survivors of I lie Sphinx reveal that oil poured from the vessel to cabr Hie I (impositions sens choked many of the crow who wore thrown into the water by the air-bomb explosions.