TWO U-BOATS SUNK
VICTIMS OF BRITISH SLOOPS (Rec. 7 p.m.) . RUGBY, Jan. 8. During a patrol in the North Atlantic some weeks ago sloops of the Royal Navy under the command of Captain F. J. Walker destroyed two U-boats within the space of eight hours, states an Admiralty communique. The first U-boat was encountered at night m a position north-west of the Azores and was illuminated by a starshell. The enemy was a large patrol or supply U-boat, and it submerged 700 yards' ahead of the sloop, which fired a starshell. The sloop carried out three attacks with depth charges. Meanwhile, other ships proceeded at speed to the spot and one gained contact with the enemy, who had .been forced to go deep. It was then decided to postpone further attacks until daybreak. and for four hours three sloops kept in contact with the enemy, which tried to elude the surface craft by proceeding very slowly on a southwest course, but the attempt was unsuccessful. At the first light of dawn depth charges were again dropped, and after the first pattern noises of cracking. rending, and breaking were heard coming from a point deep under the water. Two explosions followed, the second being near the surface and clearly audible to the ships’ companies. Afterwards a considerable quantity of oil and wreckage floated to the surface.
Early on the afternoon of the same day the second U-boat was detected by sloops and attacked with depth charges. Again breaking noises and explosions were heard, and oil, foodstuffs, and clothing of German origin floated to the surface, the oil spreading for more than a mile In all directions.
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Otago Daily Times, Issue 25429, 10 January 1944, Page 2
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275TWO U-BOATS SUNK Otago Daily Times, Issue 25429, 10 January 1944, Page 2
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