“ROCKET SHIPS”

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 September 1944, Page 6

“ROCKET SHIPS”

BRITAIN’S “SECRET WEAPON” 0 LONDON, September 25. The first detailed description of the rocket ship in action is given by a “Daily Telegraph.” correspondent, who says that these rocket ships are one of Britain’s secret weapons. They made their debut in Sicily. The correspondent saw rocket ships during the invasion of Normandy, operating against the village of Franceville, which was then crammed with Germans. He says that it was the most concentrated bombardment in the history of warfare. “The rocket ships are known in the Navy as ‘pipe-racks,’ because of their curious outline,” says the correspondent. “They have been the subject of awed discussion throughout the Fleet, and incredible stories are circulated about their devastating effect. These stories are not exaggerated. The shoot was timed to last four minutes. Each craft sent up a handful of ranging shots. They soared up with a tremendous swish and were visible for several seconds. Then smoke-plumes at the water’s edge showed the accuracy of aim. The shoot then began in earnest. “The nearest rocket ship suddenly disappeared from sight as a monstrous volcano of fire swept her decks. The salvo of rockets from this eruption leapt into the air and flew to the shore. The colossal racket of tire discharge had hardly subsided when the craft again erupted and her sister ships joined in. It was a terrifying sight. Battleships working their big guns were nothing like it. “Ashore, it seemed as if all the artillery in the world had suddenly opened up against Franceville. The entire village was absolutely blanketed by explosions in a matter of seconds. There was just one carpet of shell-bursts, fire, and smoke along a frontage of about a mile and to a depth of half a mile. There could hardly have been a house, let alone a German alive, in Franceville after a second wave of rocket ships had come in and added its deadly quota.”