German Admiral Hipper
Drawing of G.J. Frans Naerebout, earlier published in Op de lange deining
An item dated London, Eng 29th reported a large surface ship of the enemy attacking a North Atlantic Ocean convoy in the morning of the 25th. One merchant ship was heavily damaged. When the escort became visible retreated the enemy and a long distance battle started. The visibility was reduced to just a half mile when the weather conditions deteriorated but it was reported that the enemy was hit amidships, further damage was unknown. The British cruiser HMS Berwick (1) part of the escort suffered 5 victims. During the pursuit of the German raider was the 8.024 tons German ss Baden (2) seen of which the own crew set her in fire and sunk by allied gunfire. The Baden was probably as supplier of the raider which was probably a Hipper-class heavy cruiser.(3)
Notes
1. County-class heavy cruiser, laid down by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Govan, Scotland on 15 September 1924, launched on 30 March 1926, commissioned on 12 July 1927, decommissioned in 1946 and sold to be broken up in 15 June 1948. Armament consisted of 4x2-20,3cm/8” guns, 4x1-10,2cm/4” anti aircraft guns, 2x4-4cm/8pd anti aircraft guns , 2x4-12,7cmm/0.5” machineguns and 2x4-53,3cm/21” torpedo tubes.
2. Cargo ship, intercepted by the Dido-light cruiser class HMS Bonaventure on the 26th 500 miles off Cape Finisterre, Spain and scuttled.
3. Heavy cruiser indeed involved in a battle with the HMS Berwick when she attacked the convoy WS-5A off the Canaries. Laid down by Blohm&Voss, Hamburg, Germany on 6 July 1935, launched on 6 February 1937, commissioned on 29 April 1939, scuttled by her crew while moored in Kiel, Germany on 3 May 1945, raised and finally broken up between 1948-1952.
