First U-Boat Kill From New Azores Base

Northern Advocate, 13 December 1943, Page 4

First U-Boat Kill From New Azores Base

(8.0. W. 1 p.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 12. Within two weeks of the R.A.F forces beginning operations in the Azores, Coastal Command aircrafft from the islands, have sunk a U-boat in the Atlantic. This speedy destruction of a submarine emphasises the great value of air facilities granted Britain by the Portuguese Government which enable the Atlantic gap to be closed. It can now be disclosed that commined British forces consisting oi naval, military and air units which went to the Azores following an agreement with Portugal, are commanded by Air Vice-Marshal G. R Bromet. He is senior British officer in the islands and has with him a senior naval officer.

Air-Vice-Marshal Bromet has had long experience in air and sea warfare. Recently he has been directing a relentless air offensive against Üboats in the Bay of Biscay as air officer commanding the Coastal Command group in west England. Principal units of his new command consist of squadrons which have already, been successful in antisubmarine operations in the battle of' the Atlantic. Use of these important facilities enables the Coastal Command to patrol 1,000,000 square miles of sea in addition to 12,000,000 square miles over which the command has been previously operating. Thus, vast areas of ocean hitherto unguarded by land-based aircraft are now being regularly searched for submarines. This great transatlantic ail umbrella from the islands links up in mid-Atlantic with other R.A.F. patrols from Gibraltar, Iceland, Newfoundland. Canada and the United States. Refuelling Facilities Use of the Azores brings further benefits to the United Nations’ air effort by providing refuelling facilities for smaller Allied escort vessels. The first U-boat kill from the islands was made by an R.A.F. Fortress. It sighted a fully surfaced submarine and carried out three attacks. The first was made with machine-gun fire and the second with depth charges which exploded alongside the submarine from stem to stern. In the third, depth charges straddled the U-boat. After the second attack, the submarine settled by the stern and heeled over to port. At the end of the third attack it appeared to disintegrate, wreckage, thick oil and 15 survivors being seen in the water by the Fortress'" crew.