General Discussions
This is the place to discuss general issues related to the U-boat war or the war at sea in WWII.
Re: Photo of SURCOUF in Bermuda before 2/12/42
Posted by:
ROBERT M.
()
Date: March 22, 2005 05:31PM
Vin:
According to "Submarine Warfare: Monsters and Midgets" by
Richard Compton-Hall (page 52)........
"CDR Denis "Lofty" Sprague, captain of the large submarine THAMES, together with LT. Patrick Griffiths from RORQUAL, two
engineer officers and a small escort of ratings and Royal Marines
boarded SURCOUF at Plymouth and confronted Commandant Martin who, with calm dignity, insisted that the boarding officers
waited while he changed from pyjamas into uniform.
".......Sprague read out to them a statement which said that they
were under arrest and that they and the crew would be taken ashore. If they wished to be repatriated to French territory they
would be allowed to go or they could stay in Britain and continue the fighting against Germany.
Martin asked Sprague if he might go and talk the matter over with his Admiral, de Villaine, in the battleship PARIS, promising that he would return immediately. Sprague accepted his request and also
agreed not to remove any of the crew ubtil Martin came back.
Meanwhile, two British ratings were left to guard five French officers in the wardroom while Sprague escorted Martin up to the casing. One of the Frenchmen asked if he could go to "les poulaines" (heads) and here, evidently, a number of pistols were hidden, for moments later Sprague heard a shot. He drew his pistol and ran back down towards the wardroom where received
six bullets before the Gunnery Officer, Bouillaut, shot him fatally in the head. Griffiths, following Sprague, fired at Bouillaut and wounded him in the shoulder, tripping over Sprague's body as he turned to run for help. As he fell, he in turn was shot in the back by
the submarine's doctor who then fired his pistol at one of the British ratings, who succeded in bayonetting another member of the crew
before he, too, died.
Sprague, Griffiths, one British Leading Seaman and one French sailor were killed in the scuffle (or died soon afterwards) and two men were wounded before the remainder of the boarding party regained control."
Regards,
ROBERT M.
According to "Submarine Warfare: Monsters and Midgets" by
Richard Compton-Hall (page 52)........
"CDR Denis "Lofty" Sprague, captain of the large submarine THAMES, together with LT. Patrick Griffiths from RORQUAL, two
engineer officers and a small escort of ratings and Royal Marines
boarded SURCOUF at Plymouth and confronted Commandant Martin who, with calm dignity, insisted that the boarding officers
waited while he changed from pyjamas into uniform.
".......Sprague read out to them a statement which said that they
were under arrest and that they and the crew would be taken ashore. If they wished to be repatriated to French territory they
would be allowed to go or they could stay in Britain and continue the fighting against Germany.
Martin asked Sprague if he might go and talk the matter over with his Admiral, de Villaine, in the battleship PARIS, promising that he would return immediately. Sprague accepted his request and also
agreed not to remove any of the crew ubtil Martin came back.
Meanwhile, two British ratings were left to guard five French officers in the wardroom while Sprague escorted Martin up to the casing. One of the Frenchmen asked if he could go to "les poulaines" (heads) and here, evidently, a number of pistols were hidden, for moments later Sprague heard a shot. He drew his pistol and ran back down towards the wardroom where received
six bullets before the Gunnery Officer, Bouillaut, shot him fatally in the head. Griffiths, following Sprague, fired at Bouillaut and wounded him in the shoulder, tripping over Sprague's body as he turned to run for help. As he fell, he in turn was shot in the back by
the submarine's doctor who then fired his pistol at one of the British ratings, who succeded in bayonetting another member of the crew
before he, too, died.
Sprague, Griffiths, one British Leading Seaman and one French sailor were killed in the scuffle (or died soon afterwards) and two men were wounded before the remainder of the boarding party regained control."
Regards,
ROBERT M.
