10 Raiders, Axis Supply Ships At Kobe

Northern Advocate, 20 November 1941, Page 8

10 Raiders, Axis Supply Ships At Kobe

[Special to “Northern Advocate' ] AUCKLAND, This Day. At least 10 enemy raiders and supply ships have been sheltering in Kobe harbour, Japan, for many months. This statement was made yesterday by a British businessman who recently left Japan after living there for many years. Like other people who know what conditions are iike in Japan, he did not want his name published in case he was ever able to return to the business which present conditions have caused him to leave. "It would be more than my life is worth,” he said, “to let my name be used." Fastest in Service One of the ships in Kobe harbour is the North German Lloyd 18,000 ton liner Scharnhorst, which used to be the fastest ship on the run from Germany to Japan. Capable of 24 knots, the liner, has, he said, been refitted as an armed merchant cruiser although he does not think that it has been one of the vessels attacking commerce in the Pacific. Also at Kobe when'he left was the 7000-ton Hamburg-Amerika cargo ship Kelmerland, five other German ships and three Italians. He also believed there were some more at Yokohama, although he had not seen them.