SINKING OF SHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23515, 1 June 1938, Page 9

SINKING OF SHIP

DELIBERATE AIR ATTACK BRITAIN PROTESTS TO BURGOS AUTHORITIES SERIOUS VIEW OF OFFENCE (British Official Wireless) (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) RUGBY, May 30. (Received May 31, at 5.5 p.m.) Replying in the House of Commons to a question regarding the bombing of the Thorpe Hall off Valencia, the Under-secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr R. A. Butler) said that from reports he had received he understood that the Thorpe Hall was attacked bv an aeroplane, which dropped two bombs. One struck the vessel, which sank half an hour later. From the fact that the ship was lying well away from the harbour, and had been reconnoitred by a simitar plane on the previous evening, Britain considered that she was the victim of a deliberate attack. The British Agent at Burgos (Sir Robert Hodgson) had been instructed to bring the incident to the notice of the Burgos authorities, Mr Butler said, and to request that strong disciplinary action should be taken against the crew of the offending aircraft. Repetition of Attacks Mr Butler said that Sir Robert had further been instructed to impress upon the Burgos authorities the serious view taken by Britain of the repetition of deliberate attacks on British shipping and to request that immediate instructions should be given that such attacks should cease. Britain, Mr Butler concluded, had reserved the right to claim full compensation for the loss and damage to persons and property resulting from this attack.

Last week planes from Majorica bombed and sank the British cargo ship Thorpe Hall, which was anchored near Valencia Harbour.

The Thorpe Hall, a vessel of 1250 tons, owned by the Westcliff Shipping Company, London, which then was under Basque charter and had a British master but a Spanish ci'ew, was seized on July 4 at Amsterdam, at the request of the directors of a group of Spanish banks, by the Public Prosecutor, backed by a Dutch warship. The vessel was carrying 130 cases of gold, also shares, bonds 'and jewellery estimated to be worth £150,000, alleged to,have been taken from the Bilbao banks before General Franco captured the town.