NAZI RAIDS ON SHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 23525, 14 March 1940, Page 12

NAZI RAIDS ON SHIPS

INACCURATE GERMAN BROADCASTS f BERLIN UNEASY OVER SINKING OF ITALIAN VESSEL LONDON, March 13. Naval circles in London point out that a German broadcast on March 8 claimed that in German raids on the nights of March 6 and 7 “ 11 merchant ships sailing in British convoy or with dimmed lights, with a total tonnage of about 30,000, were sunk or heavily damaged.’’ The facts are that 15 small ships, mostly fishing vessels, were attacked, of which the only one to be seriously damaged was the Italian ship Amelia Lauro, which was proceeding independently and was brilliantly illuminated with her name and Italian flag painted on her sides. Attacks were also made on three convoys, but all raiders were driven off and not one ship was sunk,, heavily damaged, or even damaged at all. It is noted, however, that the German broadcast seems to have felt uneasiness regarding the bombing and machine-gunning of the Amelia Lauro, for a Zeesen broadcast in German to the Far East on March 9 stated that the “ British ” steamer Amelia Lauro was set on fire as the result of an air attack on the North Sea. SAFETY IN CONVOYS SMALL PERCENTAGE OF SHIPS LOST (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 12. (Received March 13, at 5.5 p.m.) Up to March 6, 27 ships were lost in convoy out of a total of 1,774 British, Allied, and neutral vessels convoyed. Two neutrals only were lost out of 1,360 convoyed.