Wireless Signal Betrays Real Identity

Northern Advocate, 19 February 1940, Page 5

Wireless Signal Betrays Real Identity

(Received 1.30 p.m.) RUGBY, February 18. Considerable surprise is felt in informed London quarters at the German claim that the Altmarck is “an unarmed merchant ship.” While search of Lloyd's register of shipping reveals t no trace of a ship of this name, in the list of ‘“coast to ship stations” published in June, 1939, by the international union of telegraphic and wirless communications of Berne, a German vessel named Altmarck appears. It is marked with a crossed swords sign and as having the call signals “DTAK" allotted to her. Sign of Crossed Swords The International .Union, which is sponsored by the International Postal Union, obtains information for compilation of the list from Government departments of the countries concerned, -•- ■ —; —«*'--3*»nr7 1 33 Crossed swords is the conventional sign indicating that the ship so marked is a warship. These two facts are felt to show that on some date prior to June, 1939, the German Government informed the International Union that, the Altmarck was a warship,, giving this information for the purpose of enabling the union to include the accurate details published in the list. It is difficult to see by what metamorphosis. a warship of last June has become “an innocent merchantman”

of last night, especially as the call signs used by the Altmarck were intercepted by British warships and were DTAK—the call sign of the German warship Altmarck.