SEA BATTLES

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25203, 16 May 1945, Page 7

SEA BATTLES

ACCOUNT NOW GIVEN U-BOATS IN CHANNEL ATTACKS ON TANKERS (Reed, f1.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 15 An explanation can now be given of the terrific explosions heard early in the year off the south-east coast of England. They were due to constant battles by large and midget U-boats and E-boats against Allied ships and planes guarding the Allied lifeline to Antwerp. The Daily Telegraph's Deal correspondent states that the enemy's main objectives were tankers and landingcraft carrying petrol and oil. A small tanker was hit and its stern blown off on February *2O. A large landing-craft laden with petrol in cans was sunk off Broadstairs two days later. Spasmodic U-boat attacks continued in the English Channel all the spring. One tanker was left adrift and blazing for many days between the Thames and the Scheldt Estuaries. Destroyers and corvettes were often seen racing into deeper waters and the explosions of depth charges soon followed. The Trinity House steamer Alert vanished one night with all hands on the Goodwin Sands. The Germans in March and April, although continuing the attack around the Scheldt Estuary, suddenly changed their main offensive to the Dunkirk-Bover-Dungeness triangle, where they concentrated a large force of midget submarines which hunted in packs. Sea and air counter-measures operated for 24 hours of the day. Deal, Dover and Folkestone rocked to the explosions of depth charges and torpedoes. It is believed that a force of about 50 midget U-boats assembled at Dunkirk early in April. Four ships were hit off Dungeness on April 9. A refrigerated ship was torpedoed amidships a day or two later. The enemy incurred losses but these are not known.