High-Class Manoeuvring

Northern Advocate, 15 December 1939, Page 7

High-Class Manoeuvring

Commenting on the naval action in which the British cruisers Achilles, Ajax and Exeter engaged a German pocket battleship, believed to be the Admiral Graf Spee, an eye-witness, in an interview with the Monte Video correspondent of the Associated Press of America declared that the British cruisers magnificently used smoke screens to avoid exposure to the Graf Spec’s heavier guns. It is reported that one of the Graf Spec’s shells struck the Exeter’s turret early in the battle. The British, manoeuvring at high speed behindj dense smoke screens, threw the Germans off their target, and worked close enough to enable their smaller guns to range the Graf Spee, whose battered state attests to the accuracy of the British gunnery. Casualties Might Equal German

The British naval attache announces that H.M.S. Barham did not participate in the battle.

He said British casualties might equal the German. Despite the reported damage to the Exeter, the United Press correspondent at Monte Video reports that the Ajax and the Exeter went to sea early on Thursday. The authorised German spokesman says it is not confirmed that it was the Graf Spec and not the Admiral Scheer that took part in the action.

It is claimed that six British sea captains, presumably from a British chip sunk by the Graf Spee, were aboard her during the fight. It is also claimed that all three British cruisers are sheltering at Monte Video. Doubtful as to Identity London sources, however, are , still doubtful as to the ship's identity. It is suspected that one pocket battleship has been changing its name frequently since it escaped from Germany, one day as the Admiral Scheer and another as the Graf Spee.

There is no confirmation in London that the British cruisers put into Monte Video.

Heard Running Story

The lightship at Punta del Este at the mouth of the River Plate, 70 miles east of Monte Video, radioed details of the naval engagement, says the Monte Video 'correspondent of the Associated Press,

South Americans heard a running story, broadcast like a round-by-round prize fight. It was not known, when the ships made contact.

The lightship reported the German ship at 4 p.m. (8 p.m., Greenwich time), with “a battleship, believed to be H.M.S. Barham, following.” How the Barham was identified was not explained, but it is* thought that the mistake was due to the similarity of the profiel of the Barham to that of the Achilles and Ajax.

An Uruguayan port official sighted two British warships 20 miles astern of the German vessel at 8 p.m. The Punta del Este lightship then reported that the ships had disappeared, but 30 detonations were heard, lasting 10 minutes. Heavy Gunfire

At 8.15 p.m. the ships were nine miles off Punta Ballenas, heading south-west, and there was further gunfire. It was thought the German was attempting to escape into a neutral Uruguayan port.

At 8.45 p.m. there was further heavy gunfire. '' .

The Ajax is reported to have opened the fight. The Achilles was nearby, off Piriapolis, on the north shore of the River Plate entrance, some 50 miles east of Monte Video, defending a French liner. Twelve shots were heard by the lightship in the first engagement and when the firing ceased a pall of smoke blotted the German ship from view. The Ajax was seen steaming to the west toward the River Plate. The Uruguayan gunboat Uruguay was on neutrality patrol eight miles away.