GOOD BRITISH SHOOTING

Southland Times, Issue 24002, 18 December 1939, Page 7

GOOD BRITISH SHOOTING

Praise By German Captain (United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received December 17, 7.30 p.m.) MONTEVIDEO, December 16. The commander of the Admiral Graf Spee, Captain Hans Langsdorff, told the port authorities that a-fuel shortage'and the British cruisers’ herding tactics “placed him between the devil and the deep blue sea," reports the Montevideo correspondent of the Associated Press of America. Captain Langsdorff added that when he sighted the Exeter at 6 a.m. off Brazil the Admiral Graf Spee’s fuel was almost exhausted because he had been unable to make contact with the supply ship Tacoma, so he headed south. Off Uruguay he encountered the Achilles and Ajax, which manoeuvred, keeping the Admiral Graf Spee between them and the shore. Captain Langsdorff was afraid of risking shallow water to the starboard and was without sufficient fuel for a run to sea for a freer combat position, so he opened fire on the Exeter. In the lively exchange which followed the Exeter was damaged severely before the Ajax and the Achilles could get into action. It was the latter’s six-inch guns, however, that really rocked the Admiral Graf Spee. Captain Langsdorff praised the British marksmanship and said that enormous damage was inflicted by powerful shells which exploded after piercing the Admiral Graf Spee’s armour. He added that with the ship holed, many dead and attempts to manoeuvre frustrated he was forced to run for port. A German sailor who is in hospital stated that Captain Langsdorff at the height of the battle took the wheel himself and steered so skilfully that the ship avoided 17 torpedoes. DORIC STAR’S OFFICERS Only the captain and four other officers of the Doric Star were aboard the Admiral Graf Spee. The members of the crew were placed aboard other enemy ships and are still missing. The Admiralty has now traced the approximate course of the Admiral Graf Spee. After sinking the Clement on September 30 off Pernambuco, she sank the Newton Beach on October 6, the Ashlea on October 7, the Huntsman on October 10, and the Trevannion on October 22 all north-east from St. Helena. Thence she rounded the Cape and sank the Africa Shell on November 1, north-east from Lourenco Marques. Then she again rounded the Cape and sank the Doric Star on December 2 south-east from St. Helena. She sank the Tairoa on December 3 and then steamed to Montevideo, sinking the Streonshalh en route. The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company has been advised from Montevideo that seven members of the crew of the Tairoa were aboard the Admiral Graf Spee, but the commander and the remainder of the crew are aboard an enemy auxiliary.

Captain Pottinger, of the Ashlea, said that his vessel was sunk on November 2. They were given 10 minutes to abandon ship and the crew was transferred to the Newton Beech which followed the Admiral Graf Spee. Provisions were seized and the Ashlea was sunk with bombs. The Huntsman followed the Admiral Graf Spee for a week to disguise her position because she had wirelessed a warning. She was later sunk with bombs.

Denying the German allegations that the British cruisers use gas, the British prisoners who were in the Admiral Graf Spee, emphasize that the Germans wore gasmasks, but the prisoners, who were not masked, were not affected by gas. They added it was true that the food was spoiled, but this was caused by a shell exploding in the galley. A British Admiralty Spokesman stated that the Admiralty had not heard anything from the British ships for some time. As they were still at sea and were not operating their wireless for this reason there was no knowledge of damage suffered. There was no reason to suppose that the Achilles and the Ajax had suffered severe damage, though there was no doubt

that the Exeter had had a hard knock, An Admiralty spokesman paid high tribute to the men on the Achilles for their part in the naval battle emphasizing the fact that the New Zealand ratings were as efficient and keen as any in the Royal Navy.