WAR ON COMMERCE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 35, 21 November 1939, Page 5

WAR ON COMMERCE

SUPPOSED RAIDERS. DEPARTURE FROM LOBITO BAY. DISGUISED A,S BRITISH. (United Press Association—Copyright.), (Received This Day, 10.55 a.m.) LONDON,.; November 20. The British United Press correspondent at Cape Town says that the Windhuk, a German liner of 16,662 tons,' is reported to be disguised as British. She is carrying ; a ;fulL armament, with her speed increased beyond peace-time requirements. The crew were picked from the crews of German vessels that are taking refuge at Lobito Bay (Por-tuguese-West Africa),, . - y ; The Adolf AVoermann} of 8577 tons, is believed to. be used as a. decoy to enable the Windhuk to get away.

A cablegram ' - received stated : The Windhuk . and_ the Adolf AVoermann left the port of Lobito Bay where they have taken refuge' since the outbreak of the war, under cover of darkness recently. Both vessels belong to the AVoermann Line, one of the largest German , shipping J -companies. Their destination is not known. Their departure aftet webks- df inactivity lias caused considerable speculation’in ‘Lo-' bito Bay. It is being : suggested that they have been summoned to a rendezvous witli the German raider which disclosed its whereabouts by recently sinking the British tanker Africa Shell insido Portuguese territorial waters 180 miles north-east of Lourenco Marques (Mozambique).

CREW OF AFRICA SHELL. CONDITIONAL RELEASE. (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 20. The “Daily Telegraph’s” correspondent at Cape Town, says that the crew of the Africa Shell werq released conditionally upon not disclosing the identity of the attacking raider. It is suggested that the AVindhuk and Adolf AVoermann were to have joined the raider in an attempt to be convoyed to Germany.