Show S NAVY ADMITS LOSING FOUR WARSHIPS Huge Sea Battle Costs Nazis Three Boats U LONDON Jan Jim Jan 3 AP The AP-The The loss of four British warships was acknowledged by the admiralty Saturday but breaking a longstanding longstanding longstanding long long- standing rule of silence it told the British people the price Germany Germany Germany Ger Ger- I many is paying to attack Atlantic Atlantic Atlantic At At- lantic convoys and the royal navys navy's success in guarding that vital bridge of ships Two of the lost British warships were the ton cruiser Neptune and the destroyer which a said w went nt down in inthe inthe inthe the Mediterranean after striking mines The other twp were the destroyer destroy destroy- er Stanley a former American warship and the auxiliary warship Audacity the the erstwhile ton G German e r m man a n Hannover which the British had captured and converted into a warplane- warplane bearing convoy guardian Battle Hattie Lasts Four Days These two were sunk by torpedoes torpedoes torpedoes torpe torpe- does in a four-day four running battle against German submarines raIdIng raiding raiding raid raId- ing a convoy the admiralty said in a rare report on such operations buff but bu it declared the Germans lost at least thre submarines and at least two least two of oJ 4 big far raI far ranging Fock Wulf Focke Wulf bombers and succeeded succeed succeed- ed only in sinking two merchant i ships totaling ot only ly tons out I of more than 30 freighters in the I convoy This lengthy was issued partly to show that week after week our convoys continue to arrive bringing vital supplies to our shores and partly to counter German claims that nine ships aggregating tons and an aircraft carrier had been sunk inthe in inthe inthe the attack which the admiralty said lasted from December 17 to December 21 Capture Prisoners It is known that at least three of the attacking U-boats U were sunk since prisoners of war from these three U-boats U were taken the admiralty said paid The convoy was reported to have consisted of more than 30 merchant merchant merchant mer mer- chant ships led by Vice Admiral Raymond Fitzmaurice veteran as commodore of convoys who was named a knight of the British empire in King Georges George's New I Years Year's honor list I The attack on the convoy developed developed developed de de- de- de December 17 and before I noon that day the first U-boat U was sunk sunIe the admiralty said I The U-boat U was sighted on the surface and sunk by gunfire from ships of the escort Prisoners taken from this U-boat U stated it had been for forced ed to the surface by damage inflicted inflict Inflict- ed in depth charge attacks earlier in the day Two German bombers attacked in the afternoon but were driven off by the Audacity's gunners and another U-boat U was sent to the bottom the following day in an action in which the former American American American Ameri Ameri- can destroyer Stanley participated ed the admiralty said Some hours later the Stanley herself was torpedoed and sunk Other vessels countered with heavy depth charges and another U-boat U was forced to the surface It It was rammed and sunk by byH byH byH I H M r S Stork some prisoners being taken the official a ace account c c o 0 u un n t went on |