WITHIN EIGHT HOURS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22786, 10 January 1944, Page 6

WITHIN EIGHT HOURS

Two U-boats Destroyed

(Rec. 8.50 p.m.) LONDON. Jan. 8. During a patrol in the North Atlantic some weeks ago sloops of the Roval 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 in a position north-west of the Azores and was illuminated by a starshell. The enemy was a large patrol or supply U-boat and submerged 700 yards ahead of the sloop which fired the 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 the 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 again were dropped and after the first pattern noises of crackling, 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 crews of the ships. Afterwards a considerable quantity of oil and wreckage floated to the surface.

Early in the afternoon the same day the second U-boat was detected by the 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.