BRITISH NAVAL EXPLOIT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 124, 24 April 1940, Page 9

BRITISH NAVAL EXPLOIT

VALIANT ATTACK AT NARVIK THRILLING STORY NOW TOLD .(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) lteceived April 24, 9.20 a.m. LONDON, April 23. The thrilling story of the greatest sea battle iii modern times can now be fold from authorised sources—the story of the battle of Narvik on April 10. It adds a, glowing page to British naval history and is based on preliminary reports to the Admiralty of the surviving officers of the Hardy, which led the destroyer flotilla consisting of herself, the "Hotspur, Hostile, Havoc, and Hunter in the attack on the German forces.

GALLANT DECISION. At -I p.m. on April 9 the Hardy landed two officers at the Norwegian pilot station of Tranoy, near the head of West Fiord. They learnt that Narvik was strongly held and that in Ofoten Fiord were at least six German destroyers larger and more powerful than the Hardy and her consorts. This ntelligence was' communicated to the Admiralty, who thought an attack in lie face of those strong German forces s hazardous that at 1 a.m. on April T Captain AVarhurton Lee was told tlat lie must be the sole judge whether tc attack or not, and that the • Admralty would support him wliatever lia.pened. Captain Warburton Lee replid that he intended to attack at dam at high water. A, 3 a.m. the five destroyers proceed'd into the narrow channel leading nto Ofoten Fiord. There was a sligh east wind. It was misty and snowng heavily and visibility was 60 low hat fog lights had to be used to onabl the ships to keep touch. The Hard’ led the flotilla. , The narrative of one of her officers states; “AA’c never saw either side of the .fiod except early when we nearly hit it mce.” The passage was, however, siccessfully accomplished and at about 430 a.m. the flotilla was off Narvik. The Hardy entered Narvik Harbour alone. At first nothing but a mcrchan ship near the entrance could be seen. ENGAGEMENT BEGINS.

When 'he Hardy had passed the ship, however, a mass of other shipping cam© into view, including a large German destr*yer. The Hardy at once turned to port and fired torpedoes at the same tme increasing her speed to 20 knots, js the Hardy was swinging under her lelm two more largo German destro.ers came into view. Torpedoes were fired at them and the Hardy openid fire with her guns.

At that moment there was a loud explosion aid a sheet of red flame from the frst German destroyer and thousands if rounds of tracer ammunition lagan to go off in the air, looking like bright stars. One of the Hardy’s torjedocs had found its mark and one of he enemy ships had been accounted fir.

Hotly engag'd by two German ships of superior gui power, and also by guns mounted ashore, and having fired her torpedoes, I the Hardy withdrew and the other British destroyers went into the attack. Their torpedoes made havoc among the German supply ships and transports! and the German destroyers were hit by gunfire. Then the Hirdy attacked again. She was immediately heavily engaged by the shore batteries and the heavy guns of the two remaining German destroyers in the harbour. Again the Hardy withdrew anel the other British destroyers attached in turn, hammering at the Gorman destroyers and batteries. which quickly ceased fire, so that it was thought all opposition had been broken. Tim time as the Hardy withdrew six torpedoes passed close to her. HARDY- ST!IKES AGAIN. The Hardy led tie third attack, but as she withdrew from this she sighted three largo Germar. destroyers steaming towards her fron the direction of Ilombaks Fiord. The signal to witlidraw was immediately given and the speed was increased to 30 knots. At tie same time the Hardy opened fire on the leading German ships which were firing at her. As the Hardy, leading tin flotilla, turned down the fiord two more large German destroyers were sighted ahead. Action was at once joined. The’Hardy was hit almost immediately by’, the heavier shells of the German slips. (Gorman destroyers of the Boeder class mount five sin guns against tie five 4.7 in guns of the Hardy and four 4.7 in guns of the others in the flotilla engaged). BRIDGE A SHAMBLES. The Hardy’s bridge was hit and reduced to a shambles, Captain Warbuiton Lee being mortally wourded. The only man on the bridge not killed or rendered unconscious was the captain’s secretary, Paymaster-Lieutenant Stunning, and his left foot was useless. Aft First Lieutenant-Commander Mansell was keeping the remaining guns in action.

Idealising'the ship was still steam ing fast and without anybody at the helm Lieutenant Stunning dragged himself to the wheelliouse. Ii was a shambles and there was nobody alive, so Lieutenant Stunning took the wheel himself and steered the ship, looking through a shell hole.

Soon afterwards an ahle-senrnan appeared and Lieutenant Stanning turned the wheel over to him and made his way back to the bridge where he took charge of the ship. He had no idea what was happening aft, but lit has reported he had a vague idea ol ramming the enemy now abreast of the Hardy and firing at almost point blank. At that moment, however, a shell struck the Hardy in the engine-room Steam escaped and the vessel immediately began to lose way. Lieutenant Stanning put the helm over to beach the ship in order to save life. One gun was still in action and the ship was under heavy lire at short range. ENEMY HAMMERED. Meantime the Hunter had been sunk and the Hotspur and Hostile had sutfered damage. The Germans, however, were by no means unscathed. In addition to the six supply ships sunk in Narvik Harbour and the German destroyer torpedoed by the Hardy, three of the other German destroyer;, bad been heavily hit and were seriously on fire. The enemy made no _ attempt to pursue tlie remaining British destroyers and these sank the German ammunition ship Eavensfeld on the way down the fiord. The ship’s company of the Hardy under Lieutenant iVlansell were endca vouring to abandon the ship under fire. This was no easy matter as the only remaining boat proved unseaworthy and there were many badly wounded. The German destroyers, however, soon drew off.

FORTITUDE OF WOUNDED. Captain AVarhurton Lee was lashed in a stretcher, lowered into the water and towed ashore by a gunner and one rating, but he was dead when they reached the shore. There' were several wooden houses about half a mile from shore, and the survivors distributed themselves among these for warmth and shelter. The majority went into the house of Mrs Christiansen, where about 80 men huddled together trying to restore their circulation. Mrs Christiansen and her daughter distributed food and all the clothes they had.

Surgeon-Lieutenant AVaind, himself wounded, did what he could for the wounded, the bearing of whom was very courageous. Particularly was this so of Able-Seaman Bailey who, half-frozen with cold and with one hand shot off, sat for If hours and never once murmured. The Norwegians succeeded in getting an ambulance from Ballanger, a small town 15 miles away, which took some of the wounded. Others were lashed to a sledge and dragged to Ballanger over a track full of holes. It must have caused great pain to the wounded but they bore their sufferings with the greatest fortitude. On the way the survivors fell in with British merchant seamen from North Cornwall who were captured by the Germans the day before and released during the action when the supply ship on which they had been prisoners was among others sunk. At Ballanger the survivors made contact with the Norwegians and were reorganised and consolidated. They were taken off by 11.M.5. Ivanhoe on April 13 after the Warspite and other British naval forces had accounted for the whole of the German naval forces in Narvik and the Rombaks Fiord.