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HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire?
Posted by: Nick Clark ()
Date: January 30, 2006 12:34PM

I've recently been sent an article taken from 'The War Illustrated' (March 20th 1940) entitled 'We Chased a UBoat and Destroyed It'. This story had previously appeared in the 'Daily Telegraph', and describes an action on March 14th 1940, when armed trawler HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire after a dramatic chase on the surface.

According to the article, Spray's 1st Engineer George Leonard Westerden, managed to push 18 1/2 knots out of the trawler's engine in order to catch the U-Boat! Subsequently Westerden was awarded the DSM for his stirling efforts.

This seems quite a story, and although I know that HMT Northern Spray did see a lot of action during the WW2, I've no reference to her ever sunking a Uboat? Also the 'The War Illustrated' article fails to state where this action took place and what U-boat had been sunk by the trawler? Maybe as this was war-time such information couldn't be disclosed?

If anyone out there could help, I would be most grateful

Nick Clark
www.harry-tates.org.uk

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Subject Written By Posted
HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire? Nick Clark 01/30/2006 12:34PM
Re: HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire? john 01/31/2006 06:12PM
Re: HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire? W Richthofen 02/01/2006 04:18PM
Re: HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire? Nick Clark 02/01/2006 08:32PM
Re: HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire? W Richthofen 02/02/2006 09:22AM
Re: HMT Northern Spray sunk a U-boat by gun fire? Robert Broome 03/07/2006 10:33AM


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