1939-12-15 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 15, 1939

GRAF SPEE A WRECK! Striking Evidence of Excellence of British Gunnery CREEPS INTO MONTEVIDEO HARBOUR, BATTERED, LIKE A WOUNDED ANIMAL

Buenos Aires, To-day.

WITHOUT FOOD, WITH confusion on board and

her decks a shambles of dead and wounded, the Nazi pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee crept into Montevideo harbour like a wounded animal worried by terriers.

GUNMEN

SENTENCED

Pleading guilty to charges of rob- bery, possession of arms and ammuni- tion and shooting at a Chinese detec- tive, three Chinese were sentenced to

terms ranging from two and a half

ing.

ARK ROYAL AND RENOWN IN CAPETOWN

Capetown, To-day.

The South African press re- veals that the aircraft-carrior Ark Royal and the battle-cruiser Renown recently visited Cape- town.

This gives the lie to Zeesan radio announcements that Ark Royal had been punk.-Router.

Uruguayan officials stated that her officers were

to five years' hard labour by the

was sentenced to two and half years thoroughly dispirited when they reached port.

Chief Justice, Sir Atholl MacGregor, for robbery, and Kwok Kwai-sum, Members of the British Legation returning from alat the Criminal Sessions this morn-

was sentenced to three years for rob- bery, 12 months for possession of a visit to the British cruisers, which are also an-

sentenced to revolver and four rounds of ammuni- chored off Montevideo, assert their crews are in- tact and that they suffered no casualties.

Press reports state that Commo- dore Harwood, before the action, made Nelson's famous signal "England ex- pects this day that every man will do his duty" from the cruiser Ajax,

Press representatives who made a launch trip around the Graf Spee reported the vessel's state as "shocking"-eloquent evidence of

excellence of the British

the

gunnery,

The Nazi warship bore shell marks all along her waterline.

A huge hole gaped in the control- tower, which was completely per- forated, and there was another hole in the bows.

Her aeroplane had lost its wings and tail, and its engine had fal- len to the deck.

Seen from the side, the superstruc- ture looked like a mass of twisted iron, which included even the heavy guns.

HEAVY WARSHIPS LYING IN WAIT

(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

MONTEVIDEO, TO-DAY.

AN ARGENTINIAN DESTROYER HEADED ΤΟ SEA YESTERDAY MORNING CARRYING AN UNDIS- CLOSED MESSAGE FROM THE AR- GENTINE GOVERNMENT TO THE BRITISH CRUISERS NOW LYING IN WAIT FOR THE ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE.

WHICH ARE

SUPPLIES RUNNING SHORT

Meanwhile, local naval The battle is believed to have been

quarters directly due to the recent sinking of praise the British tactics in attacking the German supply ship Ussukuma the German warship, which was com- and the failure of another supplypelled to navigate near the coast, vessel, the Tacoma, to leave Mon- thus reducing her speed as coastal tevideo owing to the presence of the navigation is dangerous off Argentine

shores. British cruiser Achilles.

The Admiral Graf Spee thereupon decided to seize supplies from a French steamer, the Formose, de spite the known presence of the crui- ser Exeter in the vicinity.

She was about to seize the Formose when the Ajax loomed up and open- ed fire, at the same time calling up. Exeter and Achilles.

EXETER CLOSED

|

•

The Graf Spee became an easy tar- get for the British shells, suffering heavy damage: the control turret was completely destroyed, the heavy guns disabled and the aircraft wrecked. There are many holes in the hull.-- Havas.

BARHAM ON SPOT (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") It is reported in Montevideo that the British squadron has now

been joined by H.M.S. Barham, 31,100 tons, with 8 15-inch and 12 6-inch guns, and H.M.S. Cumberland, formerly on the China Station, and latterly at- tached to the 2nd Cruiser Squadron,

Ajax manoeuvred to avoid the Graf Spee's fire, and the action ceased dur- ing the greater part of the morning, Achilles and Exeter then joined Ajax, which was lying between the Graf Spee and the Plate Estuary. Home Fleet.

Exeter closed while Ajax and Achilles stood off, Their combined fire drove Graf Spee towards coast.-Reuter.

The Admiralty announcement of the presence in South African waters the of the Ark Royal and Renown denotes

the possibility that these ships may be in the vicinity-Havas.

SMOKE-SCREENS PLAY

IMPORTANT PART Further details which have now be come available regarding the South Atlantic naval battle show that Exeter was patrolling in the South Atlantic early on Wednesday when she con- the tacted the German warship in latitude of south Brazil.

too

The Royal Engineers Old Comrades' Association are. holding a Carnival Dance on Boxing Day, at the Penin- sula Hotel, Kowloon.

trol searchlights damaged, evidently A running flight ensued, during feared a night attack by the British which Achilles and Ajax arrived.

cruisers, and made direct for Monte-

The two latter vessels gradually | video where she anchored inside the forced Graf Spee southward and west- harbour at 11.15 p.m. ward.

It is thought here that Graf Spee The British cruisers used smoke-will hardly dare to leave Montevideo, screens and

made lightning thrusts and consequently will be out of action with such skill and daring, that Graf for the duration of the war. Spee was eventually forced to attempt

to retreat to neutral waters.

do

When 12 miles off Punta l'Este, and in full vlow of the

ahore, Graf Spee

convorted her

retreat into open flight..

In view of the fact that the British cruisers had only six 8-inch guns against the 11.2-inch weapons of the German battleship, this 15-hour netlon is regarded here as one of the most daring and brilliant in the history of

The battleship, with her main con- the Royal Navy.-Reuter.

Hui Sing-chiu, was

three years for robbery and 12 months tion, and five years for shooting at a for possession of one revolver and five Chinese detective. The sentences are rounds of ammunition; Cheng Kiu to run concurrently.

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