ANSWER TO DEFEAT OF THE GRAF SPEE?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 303, 23 December 1939, Page 9

ANSWER TO DEFEAT OF THE GRAF SPEE?

NAZI AIR ATTACKS.

Another Trawler Bombed

And Gunned.

SURVIVORS' LONG ORDEAL.

United Press Association.—Copyright.

(Received 10.30 a.m.)

LONDON, December 2*2.

High-placed officials say that the German aerial attacks on unarmed British fishing boats are presumably an attempt to answer the Graf Spee defeat. There w. no possible excuse for confusing trawlers with mine-sweepers, which fly the White Ensign. The Government has accepted an offer from ship-owners to share in equal proportions the cost of the wages of all survivors, officers and men of ships torpedoed, mined or otherwise fcunk by enemy action, for the period of a month, or until they reach Britain, whichever is the greater. It is reported from Oslo that two Nazi 'planes bombed and sank the: British trawler River .Annan (2')4 tons), parrying the crew of the Danish steamer Bojro (1214 tons), which was sunk by a mine early this week. British and Danes drifted together for Uti hours in a lifeboat in a rough sea. and were almost frozen when rebelled by the Norwegian steamer (U.,2 tons). The Britons decla.'d that the planes also machine-gunned their trawler, but nobody was hurt. Italian Steamer Mined. It is reported from Amsterdam that the Italian steamer Comitas (3(>,H.") tons) was mined in the North Sea. She was towed to Flushing. Thirty members of the crew, some of whom were wounded, reached the shore in the boats. The steamer Vega, which was carrying gold, was mined and sunk. s'i.\ members of the crew were wounded. All were rescued.

The British oil tanker Donisia (SOW tons) struck a mine. She reached port with a slight list.