SECRET BASES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23851, 30 December 1940, Page 7

SECRET BASES

PACIFIC RAIDERS WASHINGTON BELIEF GEBMAN SHIPS IN EAST (Received December 29, 11.30 p.m.) NEW YOBK, Dec. 28 Naval circles in Washington believe there are perhaps eight_ German surface raiders operating in the Atlantic and the Pacific. It is believed there are two or three in the Pacific, probably five others in the North and South Atlantic. At least some of them, particularly those in the Pacific, are believed to be refuelled and provisioned at secret bases. Naval authorities are confident that all will eventually be caught and destroyed. It is reported from Manila that the most recent incident was that of the Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob, which, manned by a German prize crew, entered Kobe, refuelled and departed m spite of protests by the Norwegian Minister. Also, two German vessels, the Regensburg and Kimberland, left Japan late in October and have not yet returned, while the Elsa Essberger, Durgenland, Scharnhorst and Anneliese at Kobe, the Saarland and Elge at Dairen. and the Odenwald at Yokohama are kept constantly fuelled and provisioned. It is said that three German vessels at present at Tsingtao, and three others in China ports, are at present being armed. A message from Shanghai savs the North China Daily News quoted reliable authorities for, the statement that the Ole Jacob carried a Norwegian crew from the steamer Talleyrand, which the Germans had sunk. It was stated that the crew of the Talleyrand were transferred to the Scharnhorst at Kobe. However, the prisoners signalled to another Norwegian vessel, after which the Norwegian authorities protested to Japan. The Japanese are reported to have searched the Scharnhorst and released the Norwegians, who proceeded to Singapore. STRENGTH OF HONGKONG NOT EASY TO CAPTURE LONDON". Dec. 27 The British Commander-in-Chief in the Far East, Air Chief Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, has arrived in Hongkong. He toured the defences and stated: "Anyone who thinks that Hongkong can be captured in three or four days has got an erroneous impression."

PANAMA TANKER SUNK

TWO OF CREW LOST CIRCUMSTANCES UNKNOWN (Received December 29, 5.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 2S The Standard Oil Company, of New Jersey, lias announced that the tanker Charles Pratt, o'f 8982 tons, has been sunk. Only two of the crew of I*2 lost their lives. The ship (lew the flag of the Panama Transport Company. The location and cause of the sinking are unknown. The tanker left Aruba, near Venezuela, on December 5 for Freetown, in Sierra Leone, British \\ est Africa, and was one of a group transferred to the Panama registry when the Neutrality Act banned American shipping from belligerent waters. She is the eight vessel flying the Panama flag to have been sunk in the war. Several of the others were Standard Oil ships.