UNKNOWN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 305, 27 December 1939, Page 7

UNKNOWN.

MTACK BI W4QAZ

ffhree Hours From Port On Christmas Morning.

FOUBTEEU MISSING.

Bnited Press Association.—Copyright

(Received 11 a.mj

LONDON, December 26

A U-boat sank the steamer Stannolme without -warning on Christmas morning, three hours after leaving a west coast port. A deck hand saw the submarine too late to raise an effective alanm

Two terrific explosions occurred and the ship began to sink. The crew jumped overboard, and 11 persons* including the chief engineer's wife, clambered into a boat and were -picked up later by a Norwegian steamer.

Fourteen are missing, presumably drowned. The ship sank in four minutes.

The JKorth Geraan Lloyd liner Dusseldorf (#930 tons), which was captured on December 16 by a British cruiser, while carrying foodstuffs and 700 tons of oil, has begun her transit through the Panama Canal, according to a cable from Balboa.

The German captain, Peter Peterson, is navigating the vessel under e British naval commander and a prize crew is aboard. *=

A 17-year-old seaman jumped overboard and was drowned after the capture of the ship. r

German Protest.

Despite a German diplomatic protest, the United States Army authorities in the Canal zone granted the Dusseldorf a clearance.

A Bergen message says it is revealed that the Norwegian steamer Carl Henckel, which picked up the survivors of the Swedish ship Mars (1450 tons), that went down off the north-east coast of Britain, was sunk by a mine shortly afterwards. A total of 36 members of the crews from the two vessels have been drowned.

The British motor tanker Inverlane (9141 tons), which was mined last week, has been burned out and must be considered a loss, says a British official wireless message.

The British losses during last week and their tonnage are:—Pearl (195), Compaganus (270), Serenity (487), Isabella Greig (210), Active (185), Zelos (227), Trinity N.B. (203), City of Kobe (4373), River Earn (203), and Eileen Wray (227). Neutral Vessels Lost. Neutral losses are composed of two Danish vessels, four Swedish, one Norwegian and one Panamanian. Two Norwegian ships and one Swedish, totalling 4604 tons, were sunk on December 16, but the news arrived too late for inclusion in last week's total.

Fuller information is now available regarding the torpedoing of the Danish vessel Scotia (2400 tons) on December 7. It is learned on reliable authority that the Danish steamer, Hafnia, which went to her rescue and was attempting to pick up the survivors, was prevented from doing so by the Germans.

The attackers hailed the Hafnia from their submarine, which had come up in darkness, and ordered them to steam away and not attempt any rescues under threat of also being torpedoed.

ANOTHER CLAIM.

Against German Vessel In

ILS. Waters.

BRITISH OIL FIRM.

(Received 2.30 p.m.)

MIAMI, December 26.

The Asiatic Petroleum Corporation, a British firm, has filed a 114,000-dollar Court action against the German freighter Arauca, claiming that the sum was due for fuel oil supplied to other Hamburg-Amerika Line vessels prior to the outbreak of war.

: The total claims against the freighter are now 253,000 dollars, representing four Court actions.

The German motor ship Arauea, which anchored at Port Everglades after being chased by a British cruiser has been attached by the Imperial Sugar Company of Galveston, Texas, in a 38,000-dollar Court action, which will prevent her sailing until a bond is posted, even if the skipper is willing to nek running the gauntlet of a waiting British destroyer, said a cable from New York last Friday. Treasury officials said a partial investigation disclosed no reason for a warrant for detention.