“A RAIN OF SHELLS”

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 1 June 1937, Page 7

“A RAIN OF SHELLS”

EYE-WITNESS’S STORY. POPULACE TERRIFIED. '{United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received June 1, 11.35 a.m. VALENCIA, May 31. Amid scenes of dreadlul destruction at Almeria the search of the debris for bodies continues. The latest figures indicate that. 36 were killed and 65 wounded. One hundred are missing. Hundreds more must have been killed but for a false air-raid warning which last night sent the populace into the bombproof shelters, where they were still huddled when the bombardment began. The rain of shells ranidly reduced much of the town to ruins. au eye-witness says: “When the bombardment ceased there were terrible scenes as fear-stricken people emerged from the cellars or hurried to the city from the nearby countryside to search the shattered buildings for relatives and friends. Every house is down in one street.” •Anart from its own population, Almeria was packed with refugees from Malaga. HISTORIC" - CITY. Almeria, which has been bombarded by German warships, bears a significant name derived from the Arabic AlMariyat, meaning “the conspicuous.” 'fhe chief town ot the Spanish province of the same name, ,it is situated on a gulf or bay of the Mediterranean 120 miles east of Malaga, on the south coast. Its population of 51,000 is guarded by a well-defended harbour and it is of strategical importance as an ail-L.,1 port, in the time of the Moors Anneria was, next to Granada, the richest town in the kingdom with 150,000 inhabitants, but now it has only a few manufactures, although it still enjoys a considerable trade. A cathedral and grammai school are notable buildings. DEUTSCHLAND SAILS. 23 INJURED IN HOSPITAL. Received June 1, 10.15 a.m. GIBRALTAR, May 31. The Deutschland sailed for Germany after twelve more sailors bad been sent to hospital. Twenty-three of the injured are already in hospital, four in a critical state. The damage to the Deutschland consists of a hole in the quarterdeck and a hole in the starboard side of the forepcak. NOT ON CONTROL WORK. Received June 1, 10.15 a.m. PARIS, May 31. Diplomatists point out that the Deutschland could not be regarded as under the guidance of the control committee when she was bombed because she was not then executing control functions. “WORK OF PIRATES.”. GERMAN PAPER’S COMMENT. LONDON, May 31. With a glaring heading: “We demand satisfaction,” the Berlin paper Mon Tag declares that the attack on the Deutschland was the “work of pirates and buccaneers carried out with the full approval of the Bolshevik authorities at Valencia.” It goes on to describe the NonIntervention Committee as “common murderers,” alleging that they sabotaged steps to safeguard and control the warships. Paris political circles refuse to believe Germany will take the responsibility of measures having grave international consequences. “POCKET BATTLESHIP.” The Deutschland, Germany's first “pocket battleship,” and the most discussed of the world’s warships, was launched by President Marshal von Hindenburg in May, 1931, and was commissioned two years later. She combines the gun-power of a small battleship with the speed of a cruiser, and was constructed in accordance with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, by which it was agreed that Germany should not build battleships of over 10,000 tons. She was the first of four vessels of her class. According to the latest “Jane’s Fighting Ships,” she is the first ship of her size to have an electrically-weld-ed hull, and to be propelled by Diesel engines. These two innovations mean, it is said, a saving in weight of 550 tons. The ship has an over-all length of 609U't, a water-line length of 593 ft, and a beam of 674 ft. Her draught is 21 2-3 ft. Her complement is 634. As to weapons, provision was made for six 11-inch guns, eight "B-inch, four 3.4 A.A., and six 10.7-inch (above water) torpedo tubes. The 11-inch guns were a new Krupp model, firing a 6701 b projectile, with a range of 30,000yds, and an elevation of 60 degrees. The Deutschland’s speed was given as 26 knots, and her radius as 10,000 miles at 20 knots.

VESSEL SUNK. SUBMARINE’S ACTION. NATIONALITY UNKNOWN. VALENCIA, May 31. An official report states that a submarine of unknown nationality appeared near Barcelona at 1.30 p.m. yesterday and launched a number of torpedoes, sinking the steamer Ciudad de Barcelona.' Two seaplanes escorting the ship bombed the submarine, which disappeared. The same submarine earlier fired two torpedoes at the merchantman Zorroza. 1 There were 300 passengers on board the Ciudad de Barcelona. Fifty are known to have been drowned and many injured. Sixty were saved. It is alleged that the submarine was Italian.