Battleship Royal Oak Sunk

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 October 1939, Page 5

Battleship Royal Oak Sunk

Heavy Death Roll Feared. Received Sunday, 6.30 p.m. LONDON, October 14. The Admiralty has announced that the battleship Royal Oak was sunk apparently by submarine action in the North Sea. As far as is known, the survivors number about 370 of an approximate complement of 1200. The Admiralty is issuing a list of survivors without delay.

414 SURVIVORS LANDED

GERMAN TORPEDO'S GREAT PENETRATIVE POWERS Received Sunday, 7.30 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 15. A detailed list of the names of the Royal Oak survivors issued by the Admiralty now shows a total of 414, including Captain W. G. Benn, former captain of the aircraft carrier Argus j and former Director of Navigation; , Commander B. F. Nicholls and four j lieutenant-commanders. All the above have been landed, though the locality is not stated. The list of survivors is unlikely to contain any Australians and New Zealanders. The Admiralty regrets that the possibility of any additional survivors is remote. The British United Press' Berlin correspondent states that uaval circles claim the sinking of the Royal Oak has brought the total British warships tonnage sunk to 86,000. They also announce that H.M.S. Hood was so severely damaged as to be out of action ; for several months. j The Admiralty gives these statements an unqualified denial. | Germany says she will henceforward employ destroyers and not submarines for the prosecution of economic warfare. There seems every indication that, the Germans have developed a new type of torpedo capable of penetrating the heavier armour-plating on a modern 1 warship. The Germans assert that the Royal Oak was provided with special j anti-torpedo protective armour which, apparently failed. H.M.S. Royal Oak was one of the Royal Sovereign class and was completed between 1914 and 1916. Displacing 29,150 tons, she was 6203 ft. long, had a beam of 1014 ft. and her engine; were rated at 40,000 horsepower. Her service speed was 23 knots and her war complement 1104. Her armament consisted of eight 15in. guns, twelve (iin.. four 3-pounders, four 4in. anti-aircraft, five machine-guns, eleven light guns under 15cwt. and two torpedo tubes, which were submerged. Others of the class are the Royal Sovereign, Ranrillies and Revenge. According to the broadcast from Daventry, she took part in the battle of Jutland in the Great War.

GERMANS ELATED; AMERICANS PERTURBED VULNERABILITY OP BATTLESHIPS * Received Sunday, 9.20 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 14. The British Associated Press Berlin correspondent says special editions announce the sinking of the Royal Oak. The newspapers praise the prowess of their submarines and ask whether Mr. Churchill is yet ready to disclose the whereabouts of the aircraft-carrier Ark Royal. They also emphasise the bitterness of the lesson to those who believe Germany can be risklessly starved out. The American Associated Press Washington correspondent says naval experts viewed the sinking of the Royal Oak as having more serious implications in the future than at present. If German submarines are able thus to trim further the British and French naval margin the sea blockade might be threatened. The naval authorities are concerned over the manner of the sinking. Normally battleships at sea are safeguarded by a screen of light cruisers and destroyers in addition to their own armour. Whether the torpedoes were fired when the Royal Oak was anchored at sea is a question of importance to the United States and common to all navies which consider the battleship the backbone of the fleet. There are twelve United States battleships in the Pacific which are of little more modern design .than the Royal Oak although probably better protected. The sinking bore out Admiral Leahy's testimony in Congress last year that a battleship can be sunk by torpedoes, shells and aerial bombs under conditions | favourable to attack. [ i GERMAN ANNOUNCEMENT Received This Day, 9.55 a.m. BERLIN, Oct. 15. A German High Command communique announced that a German submarine sunk the H.M.S. Royal Oak. The communique adds that there has been slightly lianassing enemy artillery fire in the west. An enemy 'plane was brought down at Birkenfern on October 13th. There was no activity of any importance on either side on October 14th,