CALLOUS SINKING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23719, 27 July 1940, Page 11

CALLOUS SINKING

FRENCH NAVY MEN GOING HOME DEATH ROLL OF 300 FEARED FIVE MINUTES GIVEN TO LEAVE SHIP <' '7* * By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ■ (Received July 26, 5.35 p.m.) LONDON", July 26 The French ship Meknes, of 6127 tons, carrying nearly 1300 repatriated French naval officers and men, was torpedoed by the enemy at 10.30 on Wednesday night, after leaving Southampton for Marseilles. The number of dead may reach 300. " It was a deliberate and callous attack," said the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. A. V. Alexander, in the House of Commons when announcing the sinking. The Meknes, which was flying the French flag and had the French colours painted on the deck and sides, was fully illuminated. A German motor-boat gave the passengers and crew five minutes to'get off the ship. The Meknes tried to signal her name, but was fired on at each attempt. She was then torpedoed and sank in four or five minutes. Navy and Air Force go to Rescue British naval units and aircraft were ordered to the scene immediately, and about 1000 survivors are reported to have been saved. Other survivors may have made for the French coast. British warships landed a number of French officers and men, and 100 officers and 41 men were sent to hospital. One report says 950 survivors were landed at Weymouth. About 150 were in a serious condition. Nearly 100 survivors were rescued by a warship which a Blenheim aircraft from tbe Coastal Command guided to the scene during yesterday's air battles. The Blenheim sighted a patch of oil on the surface of the sea. Two lifeboats, each containing about 50 men, were close by. According to the Daily Express, Germany had guaranteed a gafe passage for the Meknes. Germans Claim a "Fine Success" In announcing the sinking Mr. Alexander said: I have just heard that the German High Command admits responsibility for this sinking, because a Berlin communique states that a German speed-boat sank an 18,000-ton merchantman off Portland." He a elded that French representatives were informed of the intention to repatriate the men concerned before the Meknes sailed for Marseilles, and that special care had been taken to make the ship's neutrality apparent. Even her navigation lights were

burning. The German wireless describes the sinking of an 18,000-ton ship off Portland as a particularly fine success, but it denies that the ship was the Meknes. " The only possible assumption. it says, "is that Mr. Alexander sank the Meknes in order to create antiGerman propaganda." Machine Guns and Torpedo Speaking of the torpedoing of the ship, a survivor said: " Several people were killed outright. We had barely time to-launch the boats. Hundreds of men jumped overboard and clung to rafts until they were picked up. An officer who was on the bridge of the Meknes said he heard motor engines and saw the wake of the strange vessel. Machineguns immediately fired on the Meknes, which stopped and whistled to indicate that she had been hove-to. The Meknes then signalled, "Who are you?" and as there was no reply the Meknes signalled her own name and nationality several times. The machine-gunning continued, after which heavier fire from a small-calibre gun rendered unseaworthy the port lifeboats. The „Meknes was then torpedoed and soon sank. The Privy Seal, Mr. C. R. Atlee, stated that the War Cabinet would take steps to see that the French people were fully informed of the outrage.