TNA ADM 199 790

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CONFIDENTIAL.
252
From
The Commanding Officer. H.M.S. Sheldrake.
Date
3rd. June. 1940. Reference RDA/C/38.
TO
The Commander in Chief. The Nore.
Through The Commodore in Charge. Sheerness.
boby to Senior Officer. Conettes.
1.
The following renort of operations carried out in accordance
with C-in-C. Nore's 1121/2 is submitted.
2.
Sheldrake sailed from Sheerness at 1615 with an additional
demolition party of 12, with orders to destroy the asdic gear in
Basilisk ashore off La Panne. On passage zig zagging was employed
where submarine attack could (be) reasonable expected.
3.
Routed via T Buoy (2005), Oostdyck (2053), Middlekerke (2128),
Nieuport Bk. (2024) Buoys I closed the shore in stages as the light
failed, and was able to identify Basilisk by 2131 andthen waited
till 2230 for darkness before closing in. She was awash up to her
FX deck in position Latitude 51degs. 08mins. 20secs. North. Long-
itude 2degs. 34mins. 50secs. East., 2 miles off shore.
4.
The demolition party was immediately placed abcard, while
Sheldrake lay off about a cable from the wreck. A Lew minutes after
midnight the fuzes were lit, and the whaler hoisted at 0017. The
officer in charge of demolitions has submitted a separate report as
to the location of charges, which were lowered as far below water
level as possible. The ship apperas to have already been pretty well
gutted by fire forward, and her bridge wrecked. He was unable to
make his way aft, but reports that her back had apparently been broke
en by an explosion in the vicinity of the engine room. one empty
C.B. chest was found.
5. a few enemy aircraft were seen. Sever fighting was taking place
Throughout the operation I was apparently not located though
up till midnight, the right 01 the enery be on the
beach abreast the ship, with their gun batteries on the left and
Dunkirk illuminated by firexas usual) to my right. This fighting died
down as the repeated bombing of gun positions by the R.A.F. took
effect. I regret it was not possible to close the reported position have
of Crested Eagle on the beach as Sheldrake would undoubtedly
been illuminated by our own parachute flares. I had also hoped by
placing been done depth to Wakeful, in addition to the internal demolitions, the
charges to complete the destruction of the ship, as but had
this possible: nor would a Mk. VII. charge fired from
throwers was have not operated in the shallow water in which she was lying.
6.
Apart from tide, there were no navigational difficulties, as the
buoys were lit.
continued overleaf