The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST” FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1939. A Naval Battle

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1939, Page 6

The Northern Advocate Daily “NORTHLAND FIRST”

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1939. A Naval Battle

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NEWS of a battle between three British warships and the German “pocket battleship,” Admiral Graf Spee, off the coast of Uruguay, will stir the imagination of people throughout the British Empire, but especially in New Zealand by reason of the fact that one of the warships engaged in the fight was the Achilles, which has been on the Dominion station for some years, and the complement of which includes a considerable 'proportion of New Zealanders, whose homes are in Auckland and some in Whangarei.

The story of the battle makes thrilling reading, though mtich has yet to be hold. While it is only natural that war stories from foreign sources should be regarded with caution, it is nevertheless true that a Rome radio message printed yesterday put the reading public on the qui vive for news of a naval battle.

It was reported that the Admiral Scheer had “met with bad luck” in the South Atlantic. As it was known that British warships were on the look-out for the Admiral Scheer, which is believed to have sunk the Clement and the Doric Star, the latter being laden with New Zealand primary produce, it was surmised that contact had at last been effected. Startling news which came late yesterday afternoon provided the key to the earlier message, which proved correct save that it was the Admiral Graf Spee, not the Admiral Scheer, a sister pocket battleship, which had met with bad luck.

It appears that a British cruiser, the Ajax, while convoying an American merchantman, was fired upon by the Admiral Graf Spee. A radio call brought two other British warships, the Exeter and the Achilles, who immediately joined in an attack on the Germjan ship. The advantage in armament lay with the German which is armed with eleven-inch guns, whereas the biggest guns of the Ajax and Achilles are only six-inch. The German, closely pressed, concentrated his fire on the Exeter, which is more heavily armed, and succeeded in damaging her stearing gear, causing her to drop back. This left the Ajax and Achilles to continue the running fight, which apparently lasted for eighteen hours.

The Admiral Graf Spee, badly damaged, eventually reached the shelter of the River Plate, anchoring in the outer harbour of Monte Video shortly before midnight. A correspondent at Monte Video states that three British cruisers almost immediately followed the German battleship into the harbour. The immediate development of this stirring incident cannot be predicted. In terms of the Hague Convention a belligerent ship driven by war or weather damage to seek refuge in a neutral port must leave as soon as repairs have been but it is believed that in this case internment of the Admiral Graf Spee will take place.

Whatever course may be taken, it is clear that the pocket battleship’s career has ended, for it may be readily understood that British warships in sufficient force to overpower her will be in readiness if and when she puts to sea.

The battle which was fought off the coast of South America reveals the extensiveness of the task undertaken by the British Navy. It is obviously impossible to spare great capital ships in the pursuit of German cruisers, but it is quite clear, from the story of the fight with the heavily-armed Admiral Graf Spee, that the ships which are operating on distant stations are ready to deal with any enemy warship likely to be encountered.