U. S. IGNORES NAZI MEDIATION PLEA (10/14/39)

Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 10/14/39 | Felix Belair Jr., Raymond Daniell

[tcrlaf]

Soviet Volunteer Air Forces in China launch a 2nd attack on the Hankou Airfield-

Twelve DB-3s flew to the target, again led by squadron commander Kulishenko. But just after dropping their bombs they were attacked by Japanese fighters and three bombers received damage.

Wounded, Kulishenko flew his bomber as far as the city Wangxian, where he landed on the Yangtze River about 100-150 m. from the bank. After the aircraft came to a halt, he lowered the landing gear and the aircraft began to sink. Kulishenko died of his wounds. The aircraft was later pulled from the water and repaired.

At Hankou 36 Japanese aircraft were destroyed by the bombing. It is possible that the Japanese suffered even greater losses - about forty naval and army machines. Later there was a third attack which raised Japanese losses (according to Soviet reports) to 136 aircraft.

One of the wounded airmen at Hankou was the ace-to-be Mototsuna Yoshida of the 12th Kokutai (14 victories) while PO3c Isamu Ochi (Pilot 41) from the same unit was killed.

[BroJoeK]

PzLdr: "Prien, along with Schepke and Kretschmer [the three aces of the U-boat arm], were all taken out of action on the same convoy ambush in 1941[?]."

The death of Günther Prien:

"Günther Prien was killed when U-47 was lost with all hands (45 men) on 7 or 8 March, 1941.

"U-47 left Lorient (France) for her tenth patrol on 20 February, 1941. Just four days later they attacked convoy OB-290 and sank four ships for a total of 16,310 tons. The last radio message from U-47 was received in the morning of 7 March."

"This incident is now being questioned, as the traditional credit for U-47's sinking has always been attributed to the British destroyer HMS Wolverine, but new data suggests that the destroyer was actually attacking Eckermann's UA which had to withdraw from the battle with heavy damage.

"It is now speculated that U-47 was hit by one of her own circling torpedoes. (Two US submarines in the Pacific are also believed to have been lost to the same sort of equipment failure.)"

Joachim Schepke was killed...

"Joachim Schepke was killed when U-100 was sunk at 0318hrs on 17 March, 1941 southeast of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W after being rammed and depth charged by the British destroyers HMS Walker and HMS Vanoc. Vanoc spotted U-100 with her early radar in heavy fog and chased the contact. 38 men were killed, including Schepke, who is said to have been caught on the bridge when the boat was rammed. Six crew members survived."

Otto Kretschmer

"On his last patrol he was also very successful and attacked 10 ships. He was captured after scuttling U-99 at 0343hrs on 17 March, 1941 (Schepke was lost in the same battle) south-east of Iceland in approximate position 61N, 12W after depth charge damage inflicted by the British destroyer HMS Walker.

"Kretschmer managed to surface his badly damaged boat and save 40 out of his 43-man crew (his chief engineer died) before the boat sank again for the last time."