TRAIL OF THE RAIDER

Evening Star, Issue 23451, 16 December 1939, Page 11

TRAIL OF THE RAIDER

TRACED THROUGH HER NINE VICTIMS LONDON, December 15. (Received December 16, at 12.25 p.m.) The Admiralty Spokesman stated that the Admiralty had not heard anything from the British ships for some time, since they were at sea and were not operating their wireless. For this reason the Admiralty had no knowledge of the damage sustained. There was no reason to suppose that the Achilles or the Ajax suffered severe damage, though .no doubt the Exeter had a hard knock. The Admiralty had now traced the approximate course of the Graf Spee after the sinking of the Clement on September 30 off Pernambuco, after which she sank the Newton Beach on October 6, the Asfilea on October 7, the Huntsman on October 10, the Trevannian on October 22, all north-east from St. Helena, whence she rounded the Cape and sank the Africa Shell on November 1, north-east from Lourenco Marques. She then again rounded the Cape and sank the Doric Star cn December 2. Sou'th-east from St. Helena, in latitude 20deg, she sank the Tairoa on December 3, and then steamed to Montevideo, sinking the Strenonshalh en route.

The Shaw, Savill Company is advised from Montevideo that seven members of the crew of the Tairoa were aboard the Graf Spee, but the commander and the remainder of the crew are aboard an enemy auxiliary. THREE WOUNDED A British Official Wireless message from Rugby states that at 7.35 p.m. the Admiralty announced the casualties sustained in action by H.M.S. Achilles on Wednesday. They comprised four killed and three wounded. The announcement added that the casualties from the other ships engaged would be issued as soon as they were received. SUPERIOR SEAMANSHIP AND GUNNERY BRITISH PRESS TRIBUTES (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 15. (Received December 16, at 11 a.m.) ‘ The Times,’ recalling that the broadside of the Graf Spee is in weight of metal half as great again as that of her three assailants put together, says: "So powerful a ship was bound to do damage, and the Exeter was forced to drop out pt the swiftly-mov-ing fight, but not before her guns, the heaviest, jn the British, squadron, had done severe execution. Indeed, by the time the Exeter was crippled the German ship’s retreat had already become something like flight, and she was forced to take refuge with her syle breached, her bridge blown away, and several guns out of action, in the territorial waters of Uruguay. As notable a discomfiture of greater by lesser armament can only be explained in one way—by outstanding superiority of seamanship and gunnery on board the ships possessing the lighter guns.”

In their tributes to the magnificent seamanship shown by the Exeter, the Ajax, and the Achillea the ‘ Manchester Guardian ’ and the ‘ Daily Mail ’ do not overlook the fact that it was due to the tactical disposition of the Admiralty in dealing with commerce raiders that the Graf Spee was so soon brought to bay. Emphasis is also laid on the fact that if the Graf Spee, which' it is believed had already sunk seven merchantmen, had been permitted to continued to operate at the focal point of ocean commerce traversed by the neutral shipping of all nationalities, she might havfe become even more menacing than during her predatory career to date. '

Besides the six ships’ masters already mentioned as captured there were nine chief engineers, 25 officers, and 21 men. These have been released. The British Minister at Montevideo has been instructed to convey the thanks of the British Government for the prompt action in securing their release.