DEUTSCHLAND AT LARGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23488, 27 October 1939, Page 9

DEUTSCHLAND AT LARGE

CAPTURE OF AMERICAN SHIP BRITISH FREIGHTER SUNK CITY OF FLINT MYSTERY SOLVED VESSEL HELD BY SOVIET By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received October 26, 6.15 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 06 'According to members of the crew of the British steamer Stoftegate, of 5044 tons, who were landed at Tromso, Norway, their ship, homeward bound from Valparaiso, was sunk in the Atlantic six days out from Panama by the German 10,000-ton battleship Deutschland. The Stonegate's crew were taken aboard the Deutschland, until she captured the American steamer City of Flint, bound for Manchester. The British prisoners were then transferred to the City of Flint, which, with a German prize crew in charge, was sailed north to the Greenland coast and then across the North Sea to Tromso. From this port, after landing the crew of the Stonegate, the Germans took the City of Flint round the Norwegian coast to the Russian port of Murmansk, on the Barento Sea. The Russian Government has now informed the United States Government that 41 members of the crew of the City of Flint, which it confirms was seized by the Deutschland, are at Murmansk. No report of the seizure has been received from Germany.

The City of Flint, it was stated, was taken to Murmansk for repairs to her engines. The Russians say that the ship will remain at Murmansk so that her cargo may be checked. It is not known by what right a neutral country can detain a neutral vessel to search her cargo.

The Germans, according to another report, say that they did not put in to Murmansk because of the ship's engines, but because the ship was not navigable. The Secretary of State of the United States, Mr. Cordell Hull, said his Government was determined to follow the incident up to its logical conclusion.

The British United Press Oslo correspondent says the Deutschland also sank-the Norwegian steamer Lorentz \V. Hansen, of 1 718 tons, last week. Another Norwegian ship rescued the crew. The Norwegian press says the Deutschland is operating southeast of Newfoundland.