GERMAN MOTOR BOATS

Grey River Argus, 19 August 1942, Page 5

GERMAN MOTOR BOATS

Attacked in Dover Straits ONE SUNK AND OTHERS DAMAGED LONDON, August 17. The Admiralty states: On Sunday night patrols of our light coastal forces engaged a force of five or six enemy R-boats in the Straits of Dover. R-boats are motor mine-sweepers, R standing for the 1 German word “Raum.”

One of our patrols set on fire one enemy R-boat, and this vessel was seen to sink, the German commanding officer being killed, but our patrol picked up 15 German ratings, who are now war prisoners. Another of our patrols engaged the enemy and rammed one enemy boat. This boat was so seriously damaged that it is unlikely to have reached its base. Two of the remaining R'-boats were severely damaged by gunfire from our boats. All our boats returned to their base. There was a small number of casualties. Our coastal batteries co-operated in this action and contributed to its success.

Convoy Battles

ANOTHER IN PROSPECT IN MEDITERRANEAN LONDON, August 17. An Admiralty communique states that information has been received that most of the complement of the cruiser Manchester are safe although no names are yet available. Three officers and 142 men were picked up by British ships and the remaining survivors are in French hands. The Breslau radio declared the aircraft carriers Illustrious and Furious, one battleship, and seven destroyers are being repaired at Gibraltar. The bridge of the Illustrious and one twinturret are completely smashed. Observers at La Linea state that the arrival of a number of British warships at Gibraltar has increased the fleet in the harbour to three battleships, four aircraft-carriers, four cruisers, 26 destroyers, 12 tor-pedo-boats and six submarines. The Vichy radio said the concentration of warships at Gibraltar will, it is believed, escort a “very important” convoy leaving shortly. Loss of H.M.S. Manchester ATTACKED BY E-BOATS RUGBY, August 17. The loss of the cruiser Manchester was described to an Agency correspondent, who had himself been on the Eagle when she was torpedoed on the previous day, by one of the Manchester survivors, now at Gibraltar. He said the Manchester was with the Malta convoy when the ship was attacked by E-boats, at 1 a.m. on Thursday, August 13. “We were about seven miles off the coast of Tunisia, when the E-boats came in. It was difficult to see them. Suddenly We saw a tiny light, and realised it was an electric torch shining dimly. As the torpedp-man in the E-boat was setting a depth torpedo

we let fly with a 6in high-explosive shell and scored a direct hit. She was blown to pieces. Another E-boat let fly with one torpedo and missed and slewed round and fired a second torpedo, which struck the ship a few seconds later. When we were on the quarter deck another E-boat sprayed the deck with machine-gun bullets. We replied with an Oerlikon gun and scored a hit. We abandoned ship and on a raft we tried to make the coast of Tunisia, and had been in the sea for eight hours when a British destroyer rescued us. “A French ship came out several times, picking up survivors and taking them to the shore. As it got hgnt we could see them lined up on the beach. Then we sighted a British destroyer, which picked us up ana brought us on to Gibraltar. He added that many, officers and men reached the Tunisian coast sate y. More were rescued by the destroyer.