LIST TO PORT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24347, 11 July 1940, Page 7

LIST TO PORT

BATTLESHIP RICHELIEU STORY OF THE ATTACK DEPTH CHARGES DROPPED DARING MOTOR BOAT CREW f 'British Official Wireless) 'United Prpss Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY, July 9. The First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr A. V. Alexander, made a statement on the action at Dakar against the French 35,000-ton battleship Richelieu, which he described as "one of the most modern and most formidable capital ships in the world immediately available for active operation." In accordance with the decision announced by Mr Churchill on July 4, the Government decided that steps must also be taken to ensure that this vessel did not fall into enemy hands in a condition in which it could be used against Britain. A force was accordingly despatched to Dakar with orders to present to the French admiral proposals similar to those offered the French admiral at Oran. In view of the misrepresentations from Vichy, Mr Alexander reiterated the four conditions —namely, that the French ships should sail with reduced crews and under escort to a British port with a guarantee that the crews would at once be repatriated and at the end of the war the ships returned to France; secondly, that they should sail with reduced crews to a French port in the West Indies, where they would be demilitarised or perhaps entrusted to the United States for safe- • keeping; thirdly, that the ships should be demilitarised in Dakar within 12 hours; or, fourthly, that they should be sunk within a time limit When it' became clear' that the French authorities at Dakar would not accede to any of the four Eritish suggestions the flag officer had no alternative but to carry out his painful duty in the early hours of Monday. The operations were two-fold. A ship's boat under the' command of ,a lieutenant-commander was sent into the harbour carrying depth charges. With great daring it successfully passed the boom defences and went alongside the port quarter of the Richelieu. Depth charges were at the right moment dropped close under the warship's stern as she lay at anchor in shallow water, in order to damage her propellers and steering gear. The motor boat began to withdraw immediately after dropping . the depth charges, but while still \ in the harbour broke down and lay helpless for a time. The crew, however, succeeded in getting one engine running just as they were discovered, and the boat, which was pursued, managed to escape by crossing the defence nets, which fouled its pursuers. The main attack was entrusted to the Fleet Air Arm, and this took place after the attack by the motor boat. These aircraft were successful with their torpedoes, a number of which hit the Richelieu. The motor boat, which was still in the harbour, witnessed the aircraft attack, heard five explosions, then saw smoke issuing from the battleship. Air reconnaissances carried out after completion of the operations established the fact that the. Richelieu had a list to port and was down by the stern. A large quantity of oil fuel covered the water round the ship. The British motor boat and aircraft which carried out the operations returned undamaged. Navy's Work in Evacuation Having described the operations, Mr Alexander said: " The House will permit me to add a word of thanks to the naval staff which had to plan this and recent operations immediately following evacuation in the face of the enemy troops and refugees totalling not fewer than 600.000—the greatest - achievement of the kind in the history of naval operations. . It is a remarkable tribute to the value of our sea power—the power we do not intend to lose. Rather do we intend to prevent a seaborne invasion of these islands pr the escape of any marauders who otherwise dare set foot here. "Of course," added Mr Alexander, "there is no member of .the Government and certainly no officer or man in the British Fleet who does not regret to the utmost that this action has been • necessary. The commanding officer in charge of these operations, after they were over, sent a personal signal to the French admiral expressing regret, at. having had to carry out this painful duty, and hoping that there have been no casualties." Reviewing the results of the operations which had had unhappily to be undertaken against French ships which Marshal Petain had agreed to put within control of the enemy, Mr Alexander said that when the armistice was signed France had eight capital ships fit to form lines of battle. Of these, three of the Bretagne class hail now passed into British control, one had been sunk, and one badly damaged and immobilised. Of the two modern battle cruisers, one was driven ashore at Oran and would be out of action for a long time, if not permanently, and the other had managed to escape and was presumed to have reached Toulon, but only after having been hit by a torpedo, which would immobilise her for some time. The state of the Richelieu he had already described. As to the sister ship of the Richelieu, the Jean Bart, it would not be completed for operational service for some months. Mr Alexander added: " I need not emphasise that the transfer of this modern, powerful capital fleet to the enemy would have altered the whole balance of naval strength, with incalculable results to our cause. As the result of the measures we have taken, this anxiety is now removed." After reviewing the results of the operations against the French capital ships, Mr Alexander said some cruisers under control of the French would be watched, but he must refrain at present from disclosing the name of the officer commanding this operation, or where the Jean Bart was lying, nor would he reveal Whether other smaller ships were lying at Dakar. The Richelieu is one of the four 35,000-ton battleships included in the French naval programme at the outbreak of the war. She was launched at Brest in 1939, and was only recently completed. Her armaments consist, of eight 15in guns. 15 6in guns, and eight anti-aircraft guns, and she carries four aircraft operated from catapults. Her lengths is 794 ft, the same as that of the British battle cruisers Renown and Repulse. D.akar, a port of Senegal, French West Africa, is a naval station, and although not the capital of the colony, is the seat of the Government. Situ-. ated on the extremity of Cape Varde, it forms an important port of entry to Upper Senegal. It is a coaling sta- ; tion and the terminus of the French cable from Brest and two others from Spain and America. . .