BRITISH NAVAL LOSS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21555, 18 January 1940, Page 7

BRITISH NAVAL LOSS

THREE SUBMARINES

SUNK

Were On Hazardous Task British Official Wireless RUGBY, January 16. [’he Admiralty to-day made the following announcement: "During the past week the submarines Sea Horse, Undine, and Starfish failed to return to their bases or report. These three vessels had been engaged on a particularly hazardous service and the Admiralty fears that they must now be regarded as having been lost. “The German wireless has announced that part of the crews of the Undine and Starfish have been rescued.” A German communique stated that the submarines had been sunk in the Heligoland Bight, having been destroyed by the German defensive measures. Part of the crews had been rescued. One of the submarines, the Undine, was a sister ship to the Ursula, which recently sank a German cruiser. These submarines are the first British submarine losses as a result of enemy action during the war. FRENCH ATTACK U-BOAT United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph —Copyright LONDON. January 16. A French warship either destroyed or badly shook a U-boat which it attacked shortly before diving. The warship intercepted a German cargo ship believed to be the Janus, which was dashing home, but the Germans scuttled the vessel. The Admiralty has announced that the German claim that Britain has lost 26 tankers during the war was over double the real total. The tanker tonnage had actually increased. Sinkings due to enemy action for the week ended January 13 comprised twelve British vessels of a total tonnage of 34,007, and four neutral vessels comprising 7792 tons, states a British official wireless message. The British ships sunk were Cedrington Court (5160 tons), Towneley (2888 tons), Dunbar Castle (10,002 tons), Gowrie (689 tons), Oakgrove (1985 tons), Upminster (1013 tons), El Oso (7267 tons), Granta (2619 tons). Kaynes (1606 tons), Lucida (251 tons), Croxton (195 tons), and William Ivey (202 tons). Of these ships five were mined, six were bombed from the air, and one was sunk after an explosion. The neutral ships sunk were: Truida (176 tons), Dutch; Manx (1343 tons), Norwegian; Traviata (5123 tons), Italian; and Fredville (1150 tons), Norwegian. All four ships were mined. The Danish ships Feddy (955 tons) and Ivan Kondrup (2369 tons) which, together were damaged as a result of an air attack on January 9, reached safety.

German shipping losses include Bahia Blanca (8448 tons), reported sunk on January 9 off Iceland as a result of damage by ice. and Dietrick Hasseldick (172 tons), blown up on January 11 as a result of an internal explosion or through striking a mine. The total number of ships British Allied and neutral, escorted in British convoys up to January 10 inclusive was 6363, of which only 12 were lost at a result of enemy action. The Dunbar Castle, which was reported in some quarters as having been in convoy when she struck a mine and sunk, was not under escort at the time, but was proceeding in company with other vessels to join a convoy.