NAURU ATTACK

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 81, 30 December 1940, Page 8

NAURU ATTACK

Methods Of Raider Described SIGNAL TO SHORE Opened Fire At Point-blank Range (Received December 29, 11.40 p.m.) SYDNEY. December 28. The Minister of the Navy, Air. Hughes, stated that radio communication with Nauru Island is now re-established. He disclosed that the name used by the raider was either Nanyo Mani or Manyo Marti, both of’ which appear in Lloyd’s register. Giving an account of the bombardment, Mr. Hughes said that in the semi-darkness just before dawn on Friday the German raider signalled a warning to the Nauru radio station not to use its wireless. It added that it was going to shoot at the phosphate ' loading jetties in order to save destruction to human life and property. Then, having satisfied itself that there were no warships in sight, it hoisted the Nazi flag and opened fire at pointblank range.

The raider shelled the potash store and loading gear, the cantilever on the loading jetty, the cantilever for shore storage, and all the oil storage tanks. The oil fuel tanks were still blazing, but the power station was intact. No private houses were tired upon and nobody was injured. Mr. Hughes added: "An Australian warship is on the raider’s trail:” He said lie did not think the damage done was as great as at first feared; he did not think it would amount to £1.000.000, as estimated in one quarter. SYDNEY, December 27.

Mr. Hughes supplementing Mr. Menzies’s announcement of the action of the raider, emphasized that it was typical that she never approached British merchant shipping under her own colours but always under the colours of a neutral or friendly Power. It was also apparent that her supply ship was not very far away. It could further be presumed, he said, that the raider was getting her supplies from one of the many isles in the Pacific belonging to a Power whose watchful eye was “conveniently turned the other way.” In Melbourne it is stated tliat the raider is believed to have done nearly £1,009,000 worth of damage to the Phosphate Commission’s plant and buildings. Haider’s Purpose. The general manager of the Phosphate Commission, Mr. A. H. Gaze, said that the damage done would probably be irreparable. The buildings and plant were valued at £2,000,000. He believes that the raider's purpose was to destroy the huge cantilever loader, the power-house, the administrative buildings, the wireless station, and any ships loading at the island.

Mr. Menzies said that the public could rest assured that the Navy was doing everything possible to destroy the enemy ship. He had communicated the facts of the shelling to the Japanese Government.

“In this latest manifestation of the German methods of waging war.” he said, “the peoples of the world have yet another example of German duplicity and lack of regard for any of the common decencies which exist among civilized nations. Among such nations this action will only deepen, if that is possible, the disgust with which Nazi Germany is regarded.” [ln his first announcement of the raid, Mr. Menzies said: “The raider attacked under a Japanese name and Japanese colours. Nauru is entirely undefended against such an attack, and must be so under the terms of the League of Nations mandate by which it is administered. This fact is well known to the enemy, and in itself removes any justification whatsoever for his action. His crime is aggravated by the fact that lie used neutral colours —those of a country with whom we are at peace.”]