NAZI FAIRY TALES

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 October 1939, Page 7

NAZI FAIRY TALES

BRITISH NAVAL “LOSSES” MORE FALSE STATEMENTS [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] (Recd. October 17, 10.45 a.m.) RUGBY, October 16. It is authoritatively stated that the British Admiralty has no intention of denying all the mendacious reports .of British naval losses circulated’ by the German .Press and wireless. The loss of the Courageous and the Royal Oak have duly been made public. Not content with this, the Germans have repeatedly announced the loss of the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal, and have now “definite proof” that she has been replaced by the Glorious. These tales are entirely without foundation, as are the stories that the battle-cruiser Hood was recently damaged, and that it will take six to eight months to repair her, that a heavy cruiser was damaged by aircraft off May Island', and that ten hits from aircraft, bombs were registered upon British naval units in the engagement last week off the coast of Norway. On this last occasion, German aircraft dropped more than 100 bombs in- a series of attacks lasting for nearly eight hours, and did not obtain a single hit. A few spent splinters fell on board one cruiser, but that is all.

The latest report is that the battlecruiser Repulse is damaged and unfit for action. This also is untrue. Unless it is for the purpose of misleading neutrals or heartening their own people by exaggerating the success of the German arms, it is difficult to see the reason for these lying statements as to British “losses,” which have not taken place. Of course, Herr Hitler himself has said, in “Mein Kampf,” that, provided one lies hard enough, someone may eventually believe the wildest misstatement.

The Admiralty has made it clear that it has no intention of denying every rumour or every lie circulated in the German Press or by wireless, which may assist the enemy to discover facts that might be useful to them. REVISED COMMUNIQUE BERLIN, October 16. A Navy High Command communique claims that H.M.S. Repulse was badly damaged and disabled by a torpedo from the same submarine which sank the Royal Oak. It adds that the submarine is safe in German waters. A later message, however, stated that the Navy High Command has issued a revised communique, omitting all references to the results of the “torpedoing” of the Repulse. ROYAL OAK SURVIVOR. LONDON, October 16. Commander Nicholls, a survivor of the Royal Oak, formerly commanded H.M.S. Dunedin and H.M.S. New Zealand. LIGHTNING ATTACKS. ■ GERMAN NORTH SEA PLANS. (Received October 17, 1.10 p.m.) LONDON, October 16. The British United Press 'Berlin correspondent states: Well-informed circles believe that Germany is conesntrating on submarines and the Air Force for lightning attacks, designed to. drive the British Navy from the North Sea, and to cut off Scandinavian supplies by a blockade of the Skagerrak. to which destroyers and light tor-pedo-boats steal out nightly from Wilhelmshaven, Cuxhaven, Heligoland, and Kiel.