GERMAN ACCOUNTS DEFINITE HITS BOMBER SQUADRON'S CLAIM

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 39, 16 February 1942, Page 4

GERMAN ACCOUNTS

DEFINITE HITS

BOMBER SQUADRON'S CLAIM

SHIPS NOW READY FOR NEW TASKS

LONDON, February 14,

The German radio broadcast the following account of the Channel action, compiled from official reports:

"The warships left harbour shortly after an air-raid on the evening of February 11, after receiving orders to pass through the Straits of Dpver and be ready for operations elsewhere. Except for the loss of a patrol bpat and damage to a torpedo-boat, the German navy suffered no damage, and only a few casualties among escort crews as the result of low-level at> tacks.

"Escorts frustrated an attack by torpedo-boats, of which two were sunk and the remainder pursued as far as the Goodwin Sands. The Prinz jEugen sank a destroyer and set fire to another. The German warships outmanoeuvred coastal shelling, and also avoided all torpedoes. There was magnificent collaboration between the ships and air force in warding off air attacks. Escorts alone destroyed ten British planes. The warships are now ready for their new. tasks,"

A German war reporter's account of the action stated that before the warships sailed, an order of the day issued by Admiral Calliaz stated: ''The Fuhrer expects every man, to do his duty." It adds: "This time yesterday we were in the brunt of the battle. Now, though anchored in Heligoland Bay, our nerves are still so tense that we are hardly able tp grasp the greatness of our success."

Rear-Admiral Lutzow, broadcasting from Berlin, said: "British propaganda blames the weather for tha German penetration of the Channel, but this is untrue. The weather was excellent till noon, when the ships had passed .the Straits of Dover. Visibility then became bad. favouring the attackers. British public opinion is rightly shocked by this event. This war has imposed on the British Navy a great number of heavy tasks, which it is not in a position satisfactorily to fulfil. The United States is now able to toss back the British reproach about being caught asleep."

DESTROYERS' SUCCESS

RUGBY, February 14.

Captain Mark Pizey, who led the destroyer force in the Channel action, told Press representatives last night how his flotilla obtained hits with torpedoes in spite of the protecting screen. "When we sighted the German ships," he said, "they were proceeding in single line ahead. In the lead were the two battle-cruisers, and the Prinz Eugen was following. A number of large destroyers formed a protective screen. We were within close range of the enemy when we let them have our torpedoes, and we definitely got hits."

The British ships were within pointblank range of the battle-cruisers' 11----inch guns and the cruiser's 8-inch guns. Officers spoke of the great aerial activities during the whole course of the engagement, which lasted only about twelve minutes. The German bombers were at high level and did glide bombing, but none of their bombs scored a hit. The action took place about 14 miles from the Dutch coast.—©.O'.'W.

LONDON, February 15,

A Blenheim squadron claims at least one direct hit on the German warships. The squadron leader said: "We dropped two semi-armour piercing bombs, weighing 4401b, from 800 feet, with the object of getting velocity, be- ' cause we wanted to do more than • knock the captain's pipe out of his mouth. The stick of bombs fell right across a big ship in the middle of the convoy, either the Scharnhorst or the Gneisenau, and one of the big bombs hit it."