NAZI WARSHIP DAMAGED

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 82, 31 December 1940, Page 7

NAZI WARSHIP DAMAGED

Attack On Convoy HIT DURING CHASE BY ESCORT German Supply Ship Sunk (By Telegraph. — Press Assn. —Copyright.) LONDON. December 29. Units of the Royal Navy have engaged and damaged a powerful German warship in the North Atlantic. The action took place on Christmas morning, when a raider attempted to attack a convoy. . One shell was seen to burst amidships of the enemy.

During the action, which was fought at long range’with the German warship beating a hurried retreat, a German ship, the Baden, was intercepted. The Baden, which was probably acting as a supply ship for the raider, was set on fire by her crew and had to be sunk by gunfire from a British warship.

The official Admiralty communique states: “On the morning of Christmas Day a powerful enemy surface warship attempted to attack a convoy, in the North Atlantic. One ship of the convoy was hit and received slight damage. The enemy retreated at high speed as soon as he realized that the convoy was escorted, but the escorting force immediately gave chase and was able to engage the enemy at long range.

"The visibility, which had been variable, decreased rapidly until it was reduced to half a mile. One shell w’as seen to burst amidships of the enemy, but it was not possible to state the extent of the further damage inflicted by our gunfire. “H.M.S. Berwick, one of the escorting force, sustained slight damage and live casualties. She remains at sea as an effective unit of the Fleet. The next-of-kin of casualties have been informed.

"During the pursuit of the enemy raider the German steamer Baden (8204 tons) was intercepted, but immediately set herself on lire, and had to be sunk by one of the British warships It is considered probable that the Baden was acting as supply ship to the German raider.” The Berwick is a 10,000-ton cruiser of the Kent class, an'd was completed in 1927. She was in action in November when the Mediterranean Fleet chased Italian warships. She was hit twice during that action, but received only superficial damage.

Two vessels bearing the mime Baden are listed in Lloyd’s, but the scuttled supply ship is presumably an 8204-tou Ship belonging to the HamburgAmerika Line. The name Baden already has a certain notoriety attached to it* for there was a supply ship of the same name in the 1914-1 S war, one of a fleet that abused the neutrality of Latin American States by lying in little-used harbours, from which a raider short of fuel could summon them to a suitable rendezvous.