ON THE SEAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 May 1944, Page 5

ON THE SEAS

SINKING TWO U-BOATS LONDON, May 12. Two more U-boats have been sunk by a British frigate. Spey, in the North Atlantic. The Spey forced the , U-boat to the surface with depth charges, and after the enemy had ; engaged for a few minutes with gunfire she was sent to the bottom. Forty-five survivors were picked up. The Spey found another U-boat, which was brought to the surface at a steep angle, bow first, by depth charges. German prisoners from the first U-boat were exercising on deck when the second attack opened, and they were hustled down below. The bows of the second enemy reared out of the water, and she sank when the last direct hits were scored from each of the frigate’s four-inch guns. There were 16 survivors. The frigate suffered neither casualties nor damage. KIEL “CEMETERY” LONDON, May 12. A Swedish shipmaster, Captain Hcdberg, who recently made trips between Sweden and the Kiel Canal, told the Stockholm correspondent ol '•Tlie Times” that Kiel Bay had become a veritable shops’ cemetery because of mines. The mastheads ol steamers sunk by mines stud the approaches to the harbour. • Captain Hedberg’s motor schooner was sunk last Wednesday by a British magnetic mine off the Danish island of Mooen. ENEMY LIGHTER SUNK. ~RUGBY, May 12. An Allied communique states: Light coastal forces encountered two southbound lighters on Tuesday night. They sank one without themselves suffering casualties or damage. Lieutenant M. V. Rout, R-N-Z, N.V.R., who was recently awarded the D.S.C., commanded light coastal forces. U.S.A. DESTROYER TRAGEDY. (Rec. 11 a.m.) NEW*YORK, May 12. There were only seven survivors of the crew’ of the United States destroyer Leopold, which was reported to have been sunk in the Atlantic by U-boats, in a Navy communique, yesterday, says the Associated Press Washington correspondent. The survivors told how 40 men clung to the destroyer's severed stern and watched another escort speed by. As the 50ft waves lashed the wreckage, the’men on this ship called out: “We are dodging torpedoes. God bless you. Will be back.” Eighteen men struggled to one raft, but only four were picked up. Twenty mon reached another raft, but only three of them vzere rescued. One man was pinned in the galley by wreckage and begged to be shot, but eventually he was freed, only to die in the water. Men were washed off the stern one by one until the wreckage finally sank. The highest rank saved was the Chief Commissionary, Stewart.