The German light cruiser Nurnberg
From the Patrol Report of Lieutenant-Commander Edward Bickford, on HM Submarine Salmon:
0945. My First Lieutenant called me to the periscope and I observed enemy forces to the northward, steering to westward at a range of about 12,000 yards. At ten o’clock, by coming up to 28 feet on the gauge, I was able to identify the enemy as two or possibly three heavy ships from the following: Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Admiral Scheer, Graf Van Spee and four cruisers who were two Hipper class, the Leipzig and a Konigsberg class.
1030. Blucher, Leipzig and Hipper, in that order, turned to the south in line ahead. Salmon turned to the westward to attack.
1036. Fired spread salvo at eleven-second firing intervals. At this moment Leipzig was on a 90 degrees track, range 5,000 yards and Hipper appeared slightly out of station on the starboard quarter of Leipzig. I gave their speed as twenty knots, but on further consideration I now think that that was an under-estimation. I fired a spread salvo with point of aim just ahead of Leipzig’s bow with the object of winging two ships rather than sinking one, hoping thus to provoke a fleet action. Went deep and altered course to 90 degrees from firing course at full speed.
1040. Heard a loud explosion and said, ‘That’s the Leipzig.’
1041. Heard two loud explosions which were either hits on the third ship or the commencement of depth charging.
Until this moment I had been attempting to regain trim for a periscope observation, being very heavy forward after firing (I had flooded ’1′ to keep her down). Now, however, I considered it unwise to return to periscope depth as I was still not under slow speed control. I continued at full speed.1046. Heard three explosions which were considered to be remainder of the salvo hitting the bottom…
1050. Took evading action… Salmon was subsequently depth charged until noon …
See TNA ADM199/1839
Salmon had hit and damaged the light cruisers Nurnberg and Leipzig, the latter so badly damaged that she was only used as a training ship, even after repairs.
Lieutenant-Commander Edward Bickford was promoted to Commander and awarded the DSO for leading this “epic” patrol.
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