A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 70, 15 December 1939, Page 10

A SUMMARY OF THE SITUATION

One of the German battleships operating as raiders has been brought to bay. She is the Admiral Graf Spec, sister ship of the Admiral Scheer, and she lies damaged in Montevideo harbour after a running fight with three British light cruisers—H.M.S. Exeter, H.M.S. Achilles (of the New Zealand Division) and H.M.S. Ajax. Details of the engagement are meagre, but it appears to have continued for many hours off the coast of Uruguay. The Exeter, with eight-inch guns, was forced out of action with her steering gear damaged, but the smaller twins, Achilles and Aj’ax, with six-inch guns, continued to harry the Graf Spee. Under cover of darkness the enemy escaped into neutral waters. The light cruisers are standing by. No information as to how they fared in the action is to hand, but the indications are that neither is severely damaged. ***** The first vague hint of the engagement was given 24 hours ago by Rome radio, which on a number of occasions since the outbreak of war has demonstrated that it has speedy access to naval information. From this source came the first news that the German battleships were at sea. ***** A German U-boat has been sunk, and a cruiser torpedoed, by the British submarine which, earlier this week, spared the liner Bremen. The Royal Air Force has taken the offensive against German mine-laying aircraft. Heavily-armed bombers are patrolling the enemy coastal air bases in the Heligoland Bight in order to deal with mine-layers before they can reach Home waters. The campaign might be described as an air blocade. ***** Reports from Finland make it increasingly plain that the weight of the Russian offensive is causing the defenders great anxiety. The Finnish army is fighting with remarkable efficiency and is yielding ground only at high price, but all reserves appear to be in action and the strain of having to move from one threatened point to another, without surcease, is beginning to tell. A notable feature of the Finnish effort is the success of the republic’s small air force. Up to the present it has not only held its own, but appears to have taken the initiative. ***** The Finland Appeal Committee appointed by the League af Nations has passed on to the Assembly a resolution setting out Russia’s failure to honour her pledges to Finland. '1 he document also condemns the Soviet as having “placed itself outside the Covenant, and appeals to member States of the League to give Finland all possible material and humanitarian assistance.” If this resolution is approved by the Assembly it will go to the League Council. Power to expel Russia from the League rests with the Council, but the vote, must be unanimous.