THE REAL STORY

Waipawa Mail, Volume LXVIII, Issue 49, 12 January 1940, Page 1

THE REAL STORY

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ARK ROYAL BOMB JUST MISSES ITS OBJECTIVE. The “real story” of what happened to the Ark Royal, British aeroplane carrier, which the Germans insist they have sunk, was told recently Tm the bdsis of the testimony of an eye-witness by Sir Derwent Hall Caine, chairman of the semi-official British Government paper, “The News Letter.” Sir Derwent spoke at a luncheon of the Overseas Press Club in the Hotel Gladstone, New York. He (old the story by way of a reply to repeated broadcasts from Berlin — which, lie said, were hv the ousted former British officer, Norman Bail-lie-Stewart—inviting the British public to “ask Winston Churchill about what happened to the Ark Royal.” “Have any of you ever heard a voice over the radio from Europe say ‘Ask Mr Winston Churchill what happened to the Ark Royal’?” Sir Derwent said. “If the person who asks that question is listening in, I will tell him, if he does not already know, what has happened to the Ark Royal. “A few days bef<jre I sailed for this country, I was dining at the Royal Air Force Club in London with an old friend. He saw at the other end of the room a man whom he knew and he turned to me and said: ‘There’s old Jimmy. He’s on the Ark Royal. Let’s have him over here and get his story about what happened. ’ WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. “So Jimmie came over to the table and I said to him: ‘Tell us what actually did take place.’ He said: ‘Oh, nothing much; except that I ruined a perfectly good uniform. We were steaming along very slowly with loin other ships, escorting a disabled submarine. It was a lovely day, and I looked up and saw two German seaplanes right above us, flying very high. “ ‘I turned to one of my pals and said: Ssh! Don’t say anything. Maybe they haven’t seen us. They flew on a hit. and then turned back. About lb minutes later we got a call lo man tlie anti-aircraft guns. “ ‘Six Heinkel bombers were overhead, dropping bombs all around us. They were all wide of the mark and our'anti-aircraft lire got too hot for I hem, so they turned around and went hack. Then I saw one of the machines turn again toward the stern of oar ship. SWOOP AT DECK. “ ‘lie swooped down in a power Jive, well over 100 miles an hour, straight at our deck, and when he was no more Ilian a lew feet oil the deck he dropped a 50011). bomb. .. ■ || |',,|| |he water only a lew |',.,.1. from I he side of the ship. The ship heeled over and Ihe port side (he living deck went awash. I sliil down the deck on mV back, and ;.„| ,i good snaking. Then I lie mirnele happened. The ship righted il self again and omne back to mi even keel. “ ‘P,v this lime (lie bomber bad fumed and gone on its way back to Germany. The ship was mil damaged in any way. No one was hurl, hit I I |hitilt I lie bov who dropped that bomb was quite eutilh'd to go haek lo bis base and say lie thought he had sank the Ark Royal.’ “I say to Mr Baillie-Stewart, late of the Sen forth Highlanders, the man

who broadcasts from Germany since his release from gaol in the Tower of London, that is the answer to his question as to what happened to the Ark Royal, and: we need not ask Mr Winston Churchill.”