More Intensive Attacks on Shipping

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 250, 23 October 1939, Page 7

More Intensive Attacks on Shipping

GERMAN ATTEMPT TO BLOCKADE BRITAIN “Greater Successes Expected ” United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received Sunday, 9.20 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 22. The Official News Agency in Berlin announces that attacks on all ships carrying contraband on all seas will be expanded and strengthened in order to imperil the convoy system. The Agency adds: 4 4 Operations outside territorial waters have inflicted much higher losses on contraband ships than the British admit and even greater successes are expected. The facts show that the convoy system is not safe. Mr. Churchill claims the contrary is the case but neutral shipping is increasingly realising its dangers. ’ ’ It is announced that the Argentine is allowing belligerent submarines to remain in her territorial waters for 24 hours for fuel and supplies. The Chilean Foreign Office states that Chile does not distinguish between surface warships and submarines. Thus belligerent submarines will continue to be granted port facilities, the requirement being that they remain no longer than 24 hours. A message from Stockholm states that the Swedish cargo steamer Gustav Adolf was sunk in the North Sea. The Norwegian steamer Biscaya rescued the crew of 19. A Bucharest report states that the Rumanian tanker Oltenia is reported to have been sunk. From Copenhagen it is reported that following Germany’s warning to treat as enemy craft neutral ships carrying contraband, Danish ships are accepting the British convoy. The Berlin correspondent of Politiken reveals that Werner Daitz heads the new organisation responsible for tho four-year plan designed to blockade Britain.

Stories of Sinkings

HERONSPOOL’S FOUR-HOUR FIGHT BRITISH DESTROYER GETS U-BOAT Received Sunday, 9.20 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 22. According to Mr. George Haresnape, radio operator on the torpedoed steamei Heronspool, who lias arrived at New York with other survivors aboard the President Harding, the submarine sank the Heronspool only after a four-hour night fight. “A few hours after leaving the protection of tho convoy 300 miles off Ireland we came upon tho submarine sinking tho French tanker Emile Miguet. She was firing shot after shot into her. We started running, hoping we would bo unnoticed. However, the submarine started for us. We had only one gun and fought back as best toe could. The submarine came to the surface and dived, continually firing. I think she wanted to save the expense of a torpedo. We zigzagged, firing for four hours in the darkness and the submarine failed to land a single shell. “At 12.45 a.m. the commander must have got tired and let go a torpedo and the fight was over. The torpedo struck us so unexpectedly and we abandoned ship so quickly that we had no time to send an SOS. The submarine cruised round the bobbing lifeboats for an hour until the President Harding was sighted.’ ’ How a U-Boat Was Sunk. Antonio Cutajar, a Maltese fireman on a British trader bound from Bristol to South America who has returned to Cardiff, related how the trader brought its gun to bear when a U-boat attacked her, holding the enemy as a British destroyer steamed fullspecd to the scene and finished off the U-boat which was unablo to submerge. How U-Boat Got Two Steamers. The Independence Hall arrived at Bordeaux to-day bringing the survivors of the Yorkshire and the City of Mandalay. Hundreds gathered on the pier on which ambulances were waiting and sang the British and American anthems. They cheered the Independence Hall’s captain (Mr. Mackenzie) who, describing the torpedoing, said; “ I received an SOS from the Yorkshire and hurried to tbe sceue. I found the City of Mandalay standing by. The Yorkshire suddenly broke in two and sank in nine minutes and tho City of Mandalay foundered in 45 minutes. The U-boat captain came closo and thanked mo in English for saving tbe victims.’’ Royal Oak’s Torpedoer Welcomed Home. A message from Berlin states that the crcw3 manned every ship in Kiel harbour as the U-boat which torpedoed the Royal Oak entered. Admiral Carls, Commander-in-Chicf of the Baltic, greeted the commander and crew whom tho Lord Mayor received in the Town Hall. A Recifo (Brazil) message says two ’planes are reported to have reconnoitred the Brazilian steamer I’ocono fifty miles to sea from Areibrance, Brazil.

Twenty-three, constituting tho crew of the Norwegian tanker Deodata, sunk by an, explosion when bound to Eugiand from Rumania, were landed at Great Yarmouth. Three who were seriously injured were taken to hospital.

VIENNA: Two thousand Austrian Jews have been ‘dispatched to tho special reservation in Lublin, Poland.