THREE DESTROYED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25466, 22 February 1944, Page 3

THREE DESTROYED

ATTACKS ON U-BOATS OPERATIONS NEAR GIBRALTAR RUGBY, Feb. 20. A joint Admiralty and Air Ministry communique announces that three Üboats were intercepted and destroyed when attempting to make indvidual passages from the Atlantic through the Straits of Gibraltar to the Mediterranean. Several other U-boats were damaged. The attempts by U-boats to enter the Mediterranean extended intermittently for 11 days and nights during the recent moonless period. The Allied attacks were made by his Majesty’s ships and R.A.F. Coastal Command planes at Gibraltar. During these combined operations three large Allied convoys passed through the straits without interference. The first U-boat was discovered at midnight in the approaches to the straits by a Wellington bomber, which attacked and sank the U-boat. Fortynine survivors were picked up. The aircraft suffered slight damage, but returned safely to base. Destroyers maintained a constant patrol of the area, and four nights later attacks were made on two suspected U-boats without being able to observe results. Later another Wellington illuminated and attacked a U-boat which was on the surface. It submerged in a damaged condition. A destroyer carried out a wide search, but no further contact was made.

The next day a Wellington sighted a U-boat on the surface and attacked, A destroyer in the vicinity fired pattern depth charges after the U-boat had dived, but the result was inconclusive. Shortly afterwards a trawler detected a U-boat in the vicinity of a convoy passing through the straits. The trawler attacked with depth charges, and the U-boat came to the surface with its conning tower buckled and the barrel of its forward gun twisted. His Majesty’s ship Imperialist opened fire with all the guns that could be brought to bear, scoring hits on the conning tower and hull. The U-boat submerged, and the trawler dropped more depth charges. No further contact was made. That night, in the vicinity of the attack, a destroyer illuminated the U-boat. The crew were seen jumping into the sea, and soon afterwards the submarine sank. Eighteen survivors ware picked up. The following morning destroyers detected another U-boat, and carried out a combined attack, but it was not possible to observe full results.

A few hours before midnight a sloop encountered a U-boat on the surface and illuminated it. The enemy crashdived. The sloop carried out depthcharge attacks. Later a number of U-boat survivors were picked up. There were no further indications of the presence of U-boats after this action.