WAR ON THE SEAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 February 1940, Page 7

WAR ON THE SEAS

SINKING OF U-BOATS

AT LEAST TWO EACH WEEK

[BY CABLE —PRESB ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

RUGBY, February 21.

Asked in the House of Commons whether he could give the latest information of the results of the action against U-boats, the First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr Churchijl) said that our success was greater than expected, and that, though the results, of course, vary from week to week, the average rate of weekly sinkings,—not less than two per week — which he gave in December, was in no way exaggerated. Replying to further questions, Mr Churchill reaffirmed the Government’s intention to arm all ships, including fishing vessels, as rapidly as possible, and said that strong air patrols would be provided for the protection of fishing vessels. '> ■

TORPEDOED DESTROYER.

RUGBY, February 21.

The Admiralty announces a list of nine officers and 147 ratings missing, believed drowned, as a result of the loss of H.M.S. Daring.

TRAWLER ATTACKED. (Received February 22, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 21. Two German planes which attacked a trawler yesterday, wounded three men with machine-gun fire and incendiary bombs. The Nazi planes dived from the clouds, and quickly retreated. LATER. Four trawlers opened fire with machine-guns, when an enemy plane swooped down on them. The trawlers’ cross-fire struck the plane’s starboard wing and tail. No bombs were dropped. The trawlers communicated with the land, and the plane departed. A Dutch trawler was mined in the North Sea. The crew were picked up. GERMAN CLAIMS. BERLIN, February 20. The German Official News Agency, in a statement, says that in raids today German planes sank two British minelayers and also an armed British merchantman. ANOTHER SHIP TORPEDOED, (Recd. February 22, 1 p.m.) ROTTERDAM, February 21. The steamer Tara was sunk near Finisterre, believed 1 by a U-boat. The crew of 34 were saved.

TANKER’S CREW RESCUED.

RUGBY, February 21

Adrift in their small boats after their ship, the Imperial Transport, 8000 tons tanker, had been torpedoed, the crew saw a ship coming towards them through the darkness. They hailed' it only to find it was half the Imperial Transport which had been cut in two by the torpedo. The crew returned to the stern half of their ship and after navigating it in the North Atlantic for three days, were rescued by a warship.

CONVOYS’ SAFETY

RUGBY, February 21.

Through this week’s total shipping losses, it is believed, are the bigge.st in the war, it is recalled that they are considerably smaller than the weekly average of last war's unrestricted U-boat sinking—los ships, totalling some 203,000 tons. Up to February 14, the number of ships escorted in British convoys since the beginning of the war was 8969, and the number lost while in convoy was 19, being at the rate of one in 472. The only ship lost in convoy during the week was the British Triumph, which struck a mine. Only two neutral ships, one of which was mined, have been lost in British convoys since the beginning of the war. In the week under review 160 neutral ships were escorted to their destinations without loss.

After five days adrift in a crippled motor-boat, 11 members of the crew of a Norwegian steamer, believed to be the Teenstad, landed in Eire. A U-boat followed the Teenstad all night on February 14. It then ordered the crew to the boats and sank the shin. SWEDEN’S EXPERIENCE. (Recd. February 22, 1 p.m.) STOCKHOLM, February 21. M. Guenther, in Parliament said; To our knowledge, -no Swedish ship has been sunk while in British or French convoy.. Sweden has lost 32 cargo vessels,.. aggregating 64,000 tons, during the war, while 228 Swedish seamen have perished and 15 are missing. U-boats definitely sank seven ships. One-third of the tonnage lost by U-boats was destined for Britain. Fifty-three per cent, of the total was lost while plying between neutral ports. Parliament passed a motion of confidence in the Government’s foreign policy. U-BOAT’S CLAIMS (Recd. Feb. 22, 1 p.m.). STOCKHOLM, February 21. A U-boat which has returned from a voyage reports that it sank 27,795 tons of shipping.

DUTCH SHIP LOST

(Recd. Feb. 22, 1 p.m.), LONDON,' February 21.

It is feared that the Denhaag, one of whose lifeboats was washed up near The Lizard, has been sunk. She was en route from New York to- Rotterdam, with 11,000 tons of oil products.

GERMAN FALSE BROADCASTS.

RUGBY, February 2

In a German broadcast from Bremen last night to Holland and Belgium the following statement was made: “Eye-witnesses’- reports have been received to the effect that lifeboats of the German ship Watussi, which was attacked by British bombers off the Cape of Good Hope on December 2, 1939, and scuttled herself, were machine-gunned by British bombers and chasers.” . A complete refutation of this story is obtained by reference to the South African newspapers, which contain a verbatim statement made by Captain Steamer, master of the Watussi,.. on December 4, in; which he describes in detail the preparations to sink the

ship while a single aeroplane was overhead. He continued: “When everything was ready and when there Was no danger to life by abandoning the ship, I gave the order to haul up the German flag and for the passengers and crew in the lifeboats to be swung overboard. Shortly before the giving of the order the sea-cocks had been opened and the passengers’ quarters set on fire. We were only in the lifeboats for an hour before we were picked up by a British warship. We could not have been better treated by the Royal Navy. The captain stood me a drink—believe me, I needed it—and the passengers were all given coffee and food. Nor was my crew forgotten. They received . every attention possible.” Although it is not surprising, last night’s story was not| included in the German broadcast to, Africa. .

A similar story was broadcast in English from Hamburg on February 17, and was also put out to Italy, Sweden, Holland, and Greece. A later story referred to the German ship Wakama, which also was scuttled to avoid capture, a lifeboat of which, according to the German broadcast, was found off the Brazilian coast “riddled with machine-gun bullets.”. The broadcast continued: “In a lifeboat washed ashore the address of the Society of German Seamen and clothing bearing the name of a member of the crew of the Wakama were found, as well as many documents. Machine-gun bullets were found in the side of the boat.”

Although the value of this story is about equal to the value of the broadcast about the Watussi, the British Government has been at pains to inquire into the facts, and called for a report from the captain of the British warship which rescued the Wakama’s crew. The captain’s report states that he rescued the complete crew of the Wakama and no casualties resulted from the scuttling of the vessel. As the German broadcast alleged that their information had been derived from the radio at Rio de Janeiro, inquiries were also made from the British Ambassador, who informed the British Government that, the Chief of Police at Rio de Janeiro had issued the following statement: “A lifeboat has been found on the coast of Stanna Island, but; up to now it has not been identified. The boa’ is being guarded by the police, according to orders from the higher authorities.”

GERMAN COAL FOR ITALY.

RUGBY, February 20.

Asked in the House of Commons whether he was aware that some 16 Italian ships during the last three weeks had been loading German coal in Rotterdam for shipment to Italy, ■the Minister for Economic Warfare (Mr R. H. Cross) said he was aware of the fact, but naturally these vessels, although liable to search for enemy exports, had not yet been so searched, since they had not yet left D Mr Cross explained that the Government’s intention with regard to the reprisals order was to introduce as little inconvenience as possible tc neutrals, and that in this particulai case time, which was now drawing to a close, had been allowed in which negotiations might take place to enable the Italians to obtain coal supplies from an alternative source.

CARGO RELEASES.

RUGBY, February 21.

Reporting to the London Chamber of Commerce on the circumstances leading to the breakdown of the negotiations with German shipowners, regarding the release of British caigoes, Colonel .Harding said that concession after concession had been made to the Germans, but, at the very moment it was expected that an agreement would be signed, they advanced the first demands, such as a refund to German exporters of moneys surrendered to the British custodian of enemy property. These demands could not be accepted, and the negotiations were broken off.

GERMANY’S NEW CRUISERS

(Recd. Feb. 22, Noon). ROME, February 21

The radio reports that four German cruisers, each of 7,200 tons, will be built in 1940. They will have a speed of 32 knots, and will be armed with twelve 150-millimetre and four 105inillimetre guns, 14 anti-aircraft guns, and eight torpedo tubes. ALTMARCK HOLD-UP. NORWEGIAN CONTENTION OSLO, February 20, Commenting on Mr. Chamberlains speech on the Altmarck incident, the Norwegian Foreign Minister (Professor Koht) said Norway revised her. neutrality views in conformity with the British conception expressed last year. The Altmarck was a State-own-ed vessel and could not be regarded as a commercial ship or warship. It was privileged to refuse inspection. . Professor Koht added that British experts in international law maintained that a ship’s right of passage in neutral waters was not affected if therwere prisoners on board. The State was bound to step in only when the prisoners were put ashore.

NO CANAL PRECEDENT.

RUGBY, February 21.

The Nazi claim, that Britain set a precedent for taking prisoneis through neutral waters, by bringing the Dusseldorf through the Panama Canal, is at once answered by reference to the Hay Paunceforte Treaty of 1901, which governs the navigation of the canal. Article three contains a set of rules which entitle all belligerent nations observing them to use the canal by their warships. The third of these rules sets out that a warship of a belligerent shall revictual or take up stores while in the canal, and that the “transit of such vessels through the canal shall be effected with the least possible delay.” The rule then provides: “Prizes shall in all respects be subject to the same rules as. vessels of war of belligerents.” It will readily be seen that there is no analogy between the action of the Altmarck in endeavouring to reach a home port through neutral waters, and the transit of a captured ship in charge of a prize crew through the canal, the navigation of which is governed by an international treaty. TANKER AS DECOY. RUGBY, February 21., The German tanker Baldur, which scuttled herself at the .time of the Altmarch exploit, was acting as a decoy steamer. Both vessels had a number of similar,features. .Each was painted grey, and had funnels astern. It was hoped, when the Baldur

scuttled herself; that British vessels and aeroplanes in the neighbourhood would assume that she was the Altmarck, and would give up the pursuit. That such tactics were thought necessary is regarded as .an interesting commentary on the German claim that the Altmarck was an innocent merchant ship. .. >7 ... GERMAN INVESTIGATION ,• (Recd. Feb. 22, 1 p.m.). . COPENHAGEN, February 21. An official Nazi plane, carrying a mission to investigate the condition of the Altmarck, has left for Norway. ANOTHER SCUTTLING! (Received February 22, 3 p.m.) NEW YORK, February 21. The correspondent of . the “New York Times” at Bahia, Rio de Janiero, reported that the German freighter Wolfsburgh, which left Pernambuco early in February, with a heavy cargo .of,hides, sugar and lard, scuttled herself', on' sight of a British warship. Details are lacking.