THE WAR AT SEA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 168, 15 June 1940, Page 7

THE WAR AT SEA

ARMED CRUISER LOST. SCHARKHOHST STRUCK. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) . (British Official Wireless.) Received June 15, 9.7 a.m. RUGBY, June 14. . An Admiralty communique states:. “The armed merchant cruiser Scotstoun was sunk yesterday by a U-boat. Two officers and lour ratings ire missing and it is feared they have lost their lives. The remainder of the officers and ship’s company have been landed at a British port. The Scotstoun sank with her guns firing and the gunners deep in water, holding the shells over their heads as they were loading and shelling the U-boat, whose periscope was 250 yards away. The survivors believe tlie gunners sank the U-boat. The crew, totalling 350, came on the deck in their pyjamas after the explosion.- A reconnaissance ’plane picked up the crew after eight hours. The German High Command states that the U-boat which sank the Scotstoun also sank six Allied transports and damaged three near Le Havre. Another Admiralty eommui i jue states: “Aircraft of tlie Fleet . Air Arm carried out an attack oil German naval units in Trondheim Fiord early yesterday morning. “Information has now been received that one hit abaft the funnel was obtained with a heavy bomb on the battleship Scharnhorst. It is also reported that a possible second hit was registered on the same ship.’’ The Scharnhorst is a modern, light battleship of 26,000 tons, completed in 1939. She carries nine llin guns, two aircraft and has a speed of 27 knots. She was damaged by gunfire by H.M.S. Renown in the Norwegian operations on April 11. Off Narvik, the Renown perceived the Scharnhors: and a 10,000 ton Hippcr class cruiser. After an exchange of fire at 18,000 yds the Renown observed hits forward on the Scharnhorst’s superstructure. The Renown chased the German ship through heavy seas. The Hippcr class vessel later threw a smoke screen to cover the Scharnhorst, and the Renown opened fire upon the former ship, which turned away and both enemy ships retired at high speed. In the end they succeeded in getting away.