U-BOATS SUNK

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1944, Page 6

U-BOATS SUNK

CONVOY ATTACK FAILS

RUGBY, November 4. An Admiralty communique says that in a combined action ships of the Home Fleet and naval aircraft operating from escort carriers frustrated determined attempts by strong U-boat forces to interfere with a large and important convoy which recently made the double passage from Britain to Russia and back. The whole convoy was brought through in safety—no merchantman sustained any damage either on the outward or homeward passage. The sloop Kite was lost in the course of these operations. The enemy losses were three U-boats sunk and several others damaged during the engagements, which were all fought within the Arctic circle. Wildcat fighter aircraft shot down an enemy aeroplane which attempted to shadow the convoy. The operations were carried out under the command of Vice-Admiral F. H. G. DalrympleHamilton, flying the United States flag in the escort-carrier Vindex. The first reports of contact with the enemy were made by aircraft

operating' from the Vindex and the escort-carrier Striker. The U-boats immediately took avoiding action by submerging. Later, Swordfish aircraft from the Vindex sighted a Üboat some miles from the convoy. The Swordfishs’ depth charges crippled the enemy, which sank by the bows. Flotsam and oil later welled to the surface, and one survivor was seen swimming. Later, Hurricanes, equipped with rocket-firing apparatus, attacked two surfaced Üboats. One succeeded in submerging, but the second was hit by cannon fire and damaged before being forced to dive. Rocket-firing Hurricanes and Swordfish attacked another U-boat as it was submerging and signalled the enemy’s position to nearby surface forces. The escorts, including the destroyer Keppel, the frigate Loch Dunvegan, and the sloops Peacock and Mermaid, carried out depth charge attacks, and from oil and much other evidence of destruction later seen on the surface it is considered that this U-boat was sunk. A third Üboat was sunk by concerted action of naval aircraft and the British ships. Constant patrols maintained by car-rier-borne aircraft kept the enemy at

a considerable distance from the convoy and prevented him launching any concerted attack.