Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare D.S.M. group of five awarded to Temporary Corporal L. J. Walters, Royal Marines, whose gallant command of a gun in the cruiser Enterprise assisted in the demise of three destroyers in a single action in the Bay of Biscay in December 1943

Distinguished Service Medal, G.VI.R. (Corpl. (Temp.) L. J. Walters, PO. X. 3161 R.M.); 1939-45 Star; Atlantic Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939-45, mounted court-style as worn, contact marks, very fine and better (5)
£1200-1400

D.S.M. London Gazette 14 March 1944: ‘For gallantry, skill and devotion to duty in a successful engagement between H.M. Ships Glasgow and Enterprise and eleven enemy destroyers in the Bay of Biscay on 28 December 1943.’

The recommendation states: ‘Corporal Walters displayed great qualities of leadership while acting as captain of a gun. His power of command was absolute and the fact that his gun remained in action and his crew steady under continuous fire is largely due to his superior character. He showed consideration for subordinates and was very courageous throughout.’

This highly successful action originated from “Operation Stonewall”, an Admiralty initiative to blockade enemy activity in the Bay of Biscay. One resultant order was to seek out and destroy the enemy blockade runner Alsterufer, but a Liberator of No. 311 (Czech) Squadron accomplished the task with a well-delivered attack before the Navy arrived. Also late on the scene were eleven enemy destroyers, all of whom had put to sea to join up with the Alsterufer as her escort, and it was this formidable force that quickly ran into the prowling Enterprise and Glasgow.

The King’s Cruisers by Gordon Holman takes up the story: ‘Far from promising a one-sided action between powerful cruisers and light destroyers, the odds were on the Germans, because five of the light destroyers were modern “Narvik” class ships of 2400 tons, each mounting five 5.9-inch guns. The other six destroyers were of the “Elbing” class, with four 4.1-inch guns. In addition, the destroyers had their torpedo armament and the advantage of an extra 5 knots turn of speed over the two British cruisers. Against the nineteen 6-inch guns of the British, the Germans had forty-nine 5.9 or 4.1-inch guns, and they had a superiority of seventy-six torpedo tubes to fourteen.

Our aircraft continued to shadow the enemy ships until the Glasgow and Enterprise came into sight of them early in the afternoon. At long range, both cruisers opened fire and the enemy quickly replied. For an hour there was a running fight as the opposing ships steamed hard on a south-easterly course. A number of hits were scored on the destroyers, and, with our aircraft joining in, the Germans split up, first into two or three groups and then into smaller units, as they tried to escape. Although this meant that some of them were bound to get away, it was also fatal for those on which the cruisers decided to concentrate. Smoke screens and their extra speed failed to save them, and three of the destroyers were sunk, while others only escaped after receiving damage.’

And as confirmed in M. J. Whitley’s Destroyers! German Destroyers in World War II, the Enterprise accounted for two of them: ‘In the meantime T25, her bridge and upper deck over the forward boiler room a shambles and her after superstructure wrecked, remained afloat. Her engineer officer was still hopeful that he could re-start the port turbine for low speed and thus have a chance of escape, but all thoughts were dashed when, at about 1635 hours, Enterprise hove into sight, having despatched T26 with a torpedo; she closed to 3000m, but her shells were met with only a feeble reply from two guns, and another torpedo sealed the fate of the German boat. Abandoned and on fire, T25 soon sank out of sight.’

Leslie John Walters, who was from Trowell in Nottinghamshire, received his D.S.M. at an investiture held on 16 May 1944.