U=BOAT DESTROYED

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22137, 8 September 1943, Page 5

U=BOAT DESTROYED

INhYV ZEALAND AIRMAN MANY HITS SCORED (Uni tod Press Assn.—Klee. Tel. Copyright) (Received Sept. 7, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 7 The destruction of one of the seven U-boats in the Bay of Biscay reported yesterday was shared by two Wellingtons, one of which was manned by three Australians, a New Zealander, a Canadian and a Scot. The New Zealander was Flying-Offi-cer J. Whyte, ot Auckland The other Wellington made the first attack and was hit by flak and forced down into the sea. Only one member of the crew survived. Flying-Officer Whyte said: “The first Wellington’s depth charges hit and severely damaged, the U-boat which I found circling slowly down by the stern, trailing oil. The Üboat put up heavy flak when I dived to attack. The front gunner opened up from 1000 yards and scored many hits on the rear turrets. The gunner opened fire as we passed over the submarine and they shot a lot of Nazis from the deck. We dropped a stick of depth charges, the first of which must have exploded underneath the U-boat. Its ' stern was forced out of the water and it rolled slightly, then sagged down. We circled and saw the rest of the Üboat’s crew diving from the conningtower. A number were hurled into the air by the explosion. The survivors clustered together in one-man dinghies, which British naval men picked up, also the survivor from the other Wellington.”