THREE U-BOATS SUNK

Grey River Argus, 16 March 1942, Page 6

THREE U-BOATS SUNK

PRISONER'S ACCOUNT

RUGBY, March 13.

In January the Admiralty announced two Foche-Wulf long-range bombers and at least three U-boats had been destroyed in an exceptionally determined and sustained attack on qn Allied convoy. The Admiralty now states that the U-boats, from which prisoners were taken were Ul3l, P 434 and U 574. Ul3l was of 740 tons and was built at the Deschigmag yard at Bremen and commissioned for service about the middle of 1941. She carried out only one operational war cruise prior to that during which she was sunk. This first war cruise had. been in the North Atlantic and the U-boat succeeded in sinking only one ship. Prisoners said that during .the cruise they were repeatedly forced to dive by air patrols. After this patrol in the Northern Atlantic waters, U. 131 with 41 of a crew, all of whom are prisoners, sailed south. During the night of December 16-17 she located a convoy. Next morning the U-boat was seen on the surface by one of the air escort of the convoy. Warships proceeded at high speed to attack. Depth charges were dropped and some exploded very close to the hull of the U-boat. She took on a big list and her motors were damaged. Water was coming and she .was forced so deep that the doors jammed and the steel plates buckled and cracked. The wonder was that U. 131 ever reached the surface,-but she just managed to do so, though she was unable to dive again. As she came to the surface the convoy escorts closed on her at high speed and opened fire. The crew opened the vents and abandoned ship aiid the U-boat sank early that afternoon.

The. second U-boat from which prisoners were taken during this attack on the convoy was U. 434, a 500-ton boat built at the Sphichau yard in Danzig and commisisoned about the midsummer of 1941. Like U. 131, U. 434 had carried out a patrol in North Atlantic waters before being ordered south. This lasted nearly three weeks, but U. 434 failed to make any attacks. On the morning of December 17, U. 434 came up with the convoy, and witnessed the sinking at a distance of U. 131. The

following morning U. 434 was sighted by destroyers which closed at high speed and attacked with depth charges. One caused water to stream into the control room and succeeding charges rapidly increased the damage. The steering gear and hydroplanes became useless, instruments and the gauges were shattered, and all lights put out. The U-boat was sinking rapidly when the commander gave the order to blow the tanks in' an attempt to reach the surface. U. 434 did reach the surface and two of her crew of forty-four were drowned. The remainder were picked up and are prisoners.

The third U-boat from which prisoners were taken during this attack on the convoy was U. 574, a 500ton boat built at the Blohm and Voss yard at Hamburg, which was also commissioned about the middle of 1941. She, too, had been operating in Northern Atlantic waters before being ordered south, but she had met with no success. U. 574 came up with the convoy on the morning of December 17 and shortly after noon witnessed the destruction of a FockeWulf by naval aircraft from H.M.S. “Audacity.” It appears that U. 574 lost touch with the convoy during the destruction of U. 131 and did not again come up with it until the evening of December 18.

BRITISH DESTROYER SUNK. In the early hours of the following morning U. 574 attacked. One torpedo hit and sang the former American destroyer H.M.S. “Standley”, which had taken part in the destruction of U. 434 on the previous day. H.M.S. “Stork” at once attacked with depth charges. These put both the U-boat’s main motors out of action and caused short circuits and fires which shattered the compressed air bottles. Even one of the main pressure hull frames was fractured. Water was entering the U-boat and it was certain that she was sinking, yet the commanding officer was reluctant to bring her to the surface and abandon ship. It is reported that a heated altercation broke out between the officers before the commander was forced to give the order to blow the tanks. U. 574 reached the surface and the crew abandoned ship just as H.M.S. “Stork” rammed the U-boat over so that she sank.

Of a total complement of six officers and thirty-seven men, two officers and twenty-five ratings Jost their lives.

Each of these three U-boats had been in commission for nearly six months but the aggregate successes achieved by all three consisted of the sinking of H.M.S. “Standley” and one merchant ship. H.M.S. “Audacity” was sunk while escorting a convoy. She was described as an auxiliary vessel and was the late German s.s. “Hanover,” which was intercepted by a naval patrol in March, 1940

AGAINST AXIS ELEMENTS

.BRAZIL’S ACTION-

(Rec. 11.50.) NEW YORK, Mar. 14

The “New York Times’s” Rio de Janeiro correspondent says: High official sources asserted Brazil is not contemplating a declaration of war against the Axis or the arming of Brazilian merchantmen at present. Her future course will be determined not only by further sinking of Brazilian ships, but also by internal (happenings. The Government hais been alert to the danger of Axis Fifth Column activities, and during the past forty-eight hours has instituted drastic measures of repression, including arrests of Japanese farmers in Bahia, the confiscation of illegal arms, and the detention of Germans in Florianopolis, in possession of incriminating documents. The authorities also have decreed a five p.m. curfew in the State of Rio de Janiero for Axis subjects.

■ Brazil has ordered a total stoppage of navigation to the United States, which is Brazil’s only market to-day. It is rumoured that the United States will replace the lost (Brazilian ships. It also is formulating plans to protect Brazilian shipping. The Uruguayan Government has reinforced its garrison along the Brazilian frontier to. prevent Germans in Southern Brazil from entering Uruguay to ceate unrest. From Argentina there comes disquieting news of prorAxis disturbances. '