RAIDER SUNK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24142, 8 December 1941, Page 7

RAIDER SUNK

ACTION BY CRUISER THE SOUTH ATLANTIC NO SURVIVORS PICKED UP (Reed. 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. C> A German commerce raider has been intercepted and sunk in the South Atlantic by H.M.S. Dorsetshire, a 10,000-ton cruiser of the County class, states an Admiralty communique. The Dorsetshire was on passage when her reconnaissance aircraft reported sighting the raider, which was lying stopped with five boats in the water alongside her.

The enemy vessel was a converted merchant ship of about 10,000 tons. She immediately made off, leaving behind the five boats, which were laden with oil drums and provisions. The Dorsetshire closed in and sank the raider. No survivors were picked up owing to the suspected presence of

U-boats. No casualties or damage were suffered by the Dorsetshire or her aircraft.

A few days ago, it will be recalled, another German commerce raider was sunk in the South Atlantic under similar circumstances by the Devonshire, a cruiser of a similar class to the Dorsetshire. It was the Dorsetshire which finally sank the German superbattleship Bismarck by torpodoes after she had been crippled by the gunfire of the King George V. and Rodney on May 27 last. STEPS IN THAILAND PREPARATIONS FOR WAR PREMIER GIVEN FULL POWERS (■Reed. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, Dec. 6 The Thai Ministry of the Interior, says a message from Bangkok, intimated that plans have been completed for the transfer of the Government from Bangkok elsewhere in the event of the outbreak of war. The National Assembly has given the Prime Minister, Luang Bipul Songgram, absolute power for one year.

The Shanghai correspondent of the Domei (Japanese) news agency says the Thai National Assembly approved of emergency measures placing Thailand on a war footing, including measures against espionage, food storage and organisation of labour. According to the Domei agency, the British Legation at Bangkok has advised all British subjects, including Indians, to leave Thailand immediately.

ALLEGED "INCIDENT" BORDER OF MANCHUKUO (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) LOS ANGELES, Doc. 6 The Hsinking (Manchukuo) radio reports "another border incident" on the Manchukuo-Siberian frontier, in which Russian soldiers fired on a Japanese garrison, which replied, killing one Russian. DECORATION CONFERRED GERMAN RAIDER'S CAPTAIN (Reed 5.35 p.m.) LONDON,-Dec. 0 Hitler has conferred the Knight's Cross to the Iron. Cross on Captain Theodore Detmcrs, the commander of the German raider Kormoran, which was sunk by the Australian cruiser Sydney off the coast of Western Australia.