DRIVEN AWAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 9

DRIVEN AWAY

ENEMY BOMBERS ATTACK ON CONVOYS ONE GERMAN CRASHES By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 31, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 30 The Admiralty announces that enemy aircraft attempted to attack British convoys in the North Sea last night, but were driven off without damage to the convoys. The Berlin official news agency admits that one of the bombers which attacked the convoys is missing. It claims that a cruiser protecting the convoy was hit and that a ship in one convoy was sunk. The agency adds: "The result of the attack could not fully be observed owing to mist." An aeroplane crashed on the sea off Northumberland last night. A lifeboat crew found only patches of oil. The Air Ministry says the aeroplane was the one which the Germans admit was lost in the attack on the convoys. Eight bombers attacked the Aberdeen trawler Princess Royal, of 213 tons, off the north-east of Scotland on "Wednesday. The trawler subsequently reached port. Her stern was low in the water. The injured skipper, Captain Brodie, said: "It was a murderous attack. The bombers repeatedly raked us with their machine-guns and dropped four bombs, of which two fell near our stern, flooding a cabin. "Shrapnel hit me in the forehead and one of the crew was nlso hit. The vessel was riddled with incendiary bullets." A German airman dropped an aerial torpedo and three or four bombs on the Aberdeen trawler Inverneil. of 216 tons, off the east coast of Scotland iast night. There were no direct hits. The attacker also machine-gunned the crew who fired 250 rounds from a Lewis gun forcing him to quit. The mate of the trawler was wounded.

NORWAY'S LOSSES ANOTHER SHIP SUNK 59 SINCE WAR STARTED STRONG PROTEST OVER ONE (Received March 31, 0.0 p.m.) OSLO. March 30 The Norwegian Government has strongly protested to Berlin against the sinking of the Steinstad on February 22. It stated that the ship was en route to Turkey from a neutral port. The crew wore not given time to take to the boats. The Norwegian steamer Burgos, of 3220 tons, was sunk off the east coast of England. The crew of 32 were saved. This makes Norway's losses since the outbreak of the war 59 ships, with a total tonnage of- 203.995, and also 402 seamen drowned or killed.

GERMAN IMPORTS SWEDISH IRON ORE CONSIDERABLE DECREASE WINTER AND BLOCKADE (Received March 31, 7 p.m.) STOCKHOLM, March 30 While Scandinavia is anxiouslv watching the storm blowing up in Norwegian waters, figures covering Sweden's iron' ore exports prove that the British blockade and the severe ice conditions this winter struck a solid blow at German imports. February shipments totalled 100,000 tons, which was a quarter of the total lor February, 1939. Germany normally takes about 80 per cent of Sweden's exports. For the three months ended February 29, Sweden was able to ship only •500,000 tons from Narvik, compared with 1,000.000 tons in the corresponding three months of last year. However. within six weeks, when the ice will have thawed, Germany will be able to draw supplies from Lulea, also from Oxelosund, by using the sheltered waters of the Baltic.

JOIN THE ALLIES SPANISH REFUGEES MANY IN FOREIGN LEGION (Received March 31, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, March 30 The French Foroign Office says 6000 refugee Spaniards have enlisted in the Foreign Legion, 56,000 have joined labour units, and 1400 are employed on French farms. The refugee camps arc almost empty. . Reports from America that Spanish refugees were given the option of joining up or leaving the country are denied.