AERIAL BOMBING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23205, 1 June 1937, Page 9

AERIAL BOMBING

LOYALIST AEROPLANES GERMAN BATTLESHIP HIT ALLEGEDLY FIRED FIRST (United Press Association) I3y Electric Telegraph-Copyright) VALENCIA, May 30. While two Government aeroplanes were making a reconnaissance flight over the Balearic Islands, the German battleship Deutschland, stationed in Ibiza Harbour, opened fire without provocation, whereupon the planes dropped 12 bombs, four scoring hits. It is pointed out that if the warship was really the Deutschland her presence was in contravention of the control scheme under which control ships must remain 10 miles from the coast. Moreover, control of the island of Ibiza rests with the French navy, so that a German warship had no business there in any circumstances. CABINET CONSIDERS INCIDENT BERLIN, May 30. The Navy Department announces that the Deutschland was bombed by Spanish loyalist aerbplanes. Only two bombs struck the vessel, but many were killed and wounded. Herr Hitler is presiding at a Cabinet meeting which is at present considering the incident.

TWENTY-TWO KILLED GIBRALTAR, May 30. The Deutschland, with her flag at half-mast, entered Admiralty harbour with 22 dead and ()0 wounded. All British and foreign men-of-war in port flew their flags at in sympathy. THE GERMAN WARNING REPLY BY LOYALISTS VALENCIA, May 30. The German admiral von Feschel, commanding in the Mediterranean, wirelessed the Spanish Government asking for the cessation of aeroplane flights as if intending to attack German warships, which were acting in compliance of their duties of control, and warning that in the; event of a recurrence corresponding countermeasures would be taken. Senor Prieto, Minister of Defence, replied denying that planes had made aggressive flights, gdding that warships occupied in control duties were perfectly safe if at a distance fixed by the Non-intervention Committee, but this guarantee could not be offered if the ships anchored imprudently or without justification in zones or ports which were notorious centres of rebel activity, against which the Spanish Government would not restrain action. OFFICIAL GERMAN ACCOUNT NO FIRING FROM VESSEL BERLIN, May 31. (Received May 31, at 5.5 p.m.) German wireless broadcasts state that the Deutschland’s casualties were 20 dead and 73 wounded. The Cabinet met after Herr Hitler had conferred at Munich with Baron von Neurath and Admiral Raeder, the naval commander-in-chief, all three then flying to Berlin, where they met Generals Blomberg and Goering. An official communication subsequently issued stated: “ Following a recent incident, when a Red aeroplane bombed English, German and Italian ships in the harbour of Majorca, killing six Italian officers, German vessels have been forbidden to call there. _ The Deutschland belongs to the international naval control forces: nevertheless, it was suddenly bombed between 6 and 7 p.m. on Saturday. The ship was stationary in Ibiza Harbour. The crew was unprotected in the forecastle inasmuch as the ship was not ready for action. A bomb fell in the middle of their quarters, while the second hit the quarter deck, causing minor damage. The ship completely retained her fighting and navigable ability, and went to Gibraltar in order to disembark the injured. She did not fire a single shot at the aeroplanes. This fresh criminal attack, after the Valencia Government had been twice warned, compels Germany to take measures, which will be communicated to the Non-intervention Committee. The incident is scarcely credible. Germany knows how to give the proper answer to this un-heard-of provocation by Spanish criminals.”

GERMAN PRESS COMMENT “WE DEMAND SATISFACTION” LONDON, May 31. (Received June 1, at 1.40 a.m.) With the glaring heading, “We Demand Satisfaction,” the Montag declares that the attack on the Deutschland “ was the work of pirates and buccaneers, carried out with the full approval of the Bolshevist authorities in Valencia.” It goes on to describe the Non-interven-tion Committee as “ common murderers,” alleging that it had sabotaged the steps to safeguard and control warships. OPINION IN FRANCE PARIS, May 31. (Received June 1, at 1.30 a.m.) Political circles refuse to believe that Germany will take the responsibility of measures having grave international consequences. RELEASED VOLUNTEERS A FRENCHMAN’S STORY LONDON, May.3o. The Bordeaux correspondent of The Times says the foreign exmilitiamen released by General Franco, totalling 45, including 23 Englishmen, had entered France. One Englishman was captured at Talavera, where 540 of his battalion of 600 were killed. A Frenchman captured in the Madrid fighting said: “I lay for months in a filthy prison, constantly maltreated. An officer entered every night and took out men to be shot, and buried bv a fatigue‘party. We mustered in the prisori yard a week ago while

General Franco’s brother braggingly extolled Fascism and announced our early liberation. We did not believe him, because men were taken out to be shot the same night as usual, but two days later we were crammed into cars and taken to a Salamanca prison, where, with other captives, we were filmed and forced to say before the microphone that we had become Fascists and to cheer for the rebel cause. Apparently we were liberated on the instructions of the Italian Fascist Propaganda Committee.” Other accounts corroborate the Frenchman’s story.

A CANADIAN’S STATEMENT HENDAYE, May 30. The released British prisoners have arrived in France. A Canadian, Bert Levy, questioned about the insurgent statement that they were well treated, said: “I would like to push that lie down the throat of whoever said it. We were practically starved and covered with vermin. There was no water to clean ourselves. We were forced to sleep on the ground. Ten of our comrades died of lung trouble.” John Montgomery, of Glasgow, confirmed Levy’s statement. PASSENGER PLANE INCIDENT STATEMENT BY THE PILOT BILBAO, May 30. Galli, the pilot of the passenger plane shot down last week,' stated that before leaving France an airman met him and said: “My.bosses don’t want this line to run. They offer you £3OOO to make a forced landing at San Sebastian. You and the passengers will be taken prisoners, but the authorities will treat you well and exchange you for prisoners in the hands of the Spanish Government.” Galli refused, whereupon he was told: “Well, you will be shot down, as the insurgents are determined to prevent the line running.” A Bilbao message stated last Thursday that rebel Heinkel fighters shot down a British-made Air Speed Envoy plane carrying mails and five passengers, including a woman, all of whom were slightly injured. The pilot, Galli, was sent to hospital. He made a masterly landing, averting complete disaster. The plane belonged to Air Pyrenees, a French line working the Eayonne-Bilbao air service. It came down at Sopelana, nine miles from Bilbao,_ and was partly destroyed. Rebel aircraft had previously chased the machine, but it always out-distanced them. Galli said he became aware that he was being followed by insurgent planes, but was not disturbed, because the plane was clearly marked “Air IPyrenees,” but later he became hemmed in by insurgent machines, which opened heavy machine-gun fire. “My windscreen was cracked, and I suppose the glass injured my head,” he said. “ The passengers; flattened themselves on the floor. The engines failed as I searched for a landing place. I lost consciousness the moment the plane touched ground.” FOREIGN PATROL VESSELS STEPS TO ENSURE SAFETY (British Official Wireless) RUGBY, May 29. The chairman’s sub-committee of the Non-intervention Committee.,will meet on Monday, when it is understood consideration will be given to possible measures for ensuring- the safety of the naval vessels of the participating Powers engaged, in patrol duties under the control scheme of observation. The scheme is not recognised by the parties to the conflict, and, therefore, naval patrols are not entitled to use Spanish ports as bases. Such vessels, however, subject to complying with the usual formalities, enter these ports as warships of a friendly Power. The activities of civil war necessarily create risks for neutral shipping. but the insurgent authorities have indicated safety zones in the principal Government ports. It is naturally expected that with or . without safety zones the armed forces on both sides will take every precaution against damaging neutral shipping. The plenary session of the International Committee takes place on Tuesday, and it is anticipated that the committee will then be in a position to resume discussion of the appeal to both sides in Spain greater respect for humanitarian principles in the conduct of the civil war.

A STEAMER TORPEDOED AT LEAST FIFTY DROWNED -VALENCIA, May 31. (Received May 31, at 11.50 p.m.) An official communication states that a submarine of unknown nationality appeared near Barcelona at 1.30 p.m. and launched a number of torpedoes, sinking the steamer Ciudad de Barcelona. Two seaplanes which were escorting the ship; bombed the submarine, which disappeared. The same submarine earlier fired two torpedoes at the merchantman Zorroza. There were 300 passengers aboard the Ciudad de Barcelona, and 50 are known to have been drowned and many injured. Sixty were saved. It is alleged that the submarine was Italian.