Perils Of Heroic Sweepers, Trawlers

Northern Advocate, 27 November 1940, Page 4

Perils Of Heroic Sweepers, Trawlers

[British Official Wireless.l (Received noon.) RUGBY, November 26,

A senior naval officer told Press representatives in London today something of the dogged and unremitting devotion to duty of the officers and crews of trawlers, fleet sweepers and paddle minesweepers in fighting the peril of German mines round Britain’s coasts. The work, he said, continued day and night, and the task was also complicated by air attacks. A Close Call, The officer recounted how he went with a sweeper flotilla to clear a channel for a convoy. . A Messerschmftt swooped down dropping bombs. / .“Tlie whole flotilla opened fire, and we turned her away at 2000 feet, though not before she dropped two bombs so close that we saw them coming down,” said the officer. Another danger was tnat of hitting mines on the seabed while pitching in shallow water.

The officer told a dramatic story of three trawlers, the Cord, Berberis and Fleming, which set out on a sweeping mission.

Heinkel for Breakfast.

The captain at the base makes a practice of personally bidding Godspeed to sweepers, and he said: “Goodbye. Bring me back a Heinkel for breakfast.”

The Fleming was attacked by two Dorniers, receiving a direct hit and sinking. The skipper went to the bottom in the wheelhouse, but he smashed the glass and came up. Twentyfour hours after his rescue he was back on duty. The Berberis held fire until one Dormer was very close and then blew it to smithereens. The crew was able to salvage only a collapsible boat. They tied it up and put it on the captain’s doorstep next morning, with a notice: “For the captain’s breakfast, with the compliments of the officers and crew of the Berberis.” The speaker made an interesting point that the man who shot down the Dornier was a wildfowler in civilian life, and stated that such men should be encouraged for anti-aircraft squadrons.