THE WAR, STEP BY STEP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 1, Issue 95, 1 December 1939, Page 2

THE WAR, STEP BY STEP

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28

Polish luxury liner Pilsudski torpedoed oif the coast of Brit vin. One hundred and sevent3 r -one survivors have been landed. Germans claim that the air attack on the British Fleet, which occurred between the Shetland Islands and the British coast, was successful and that one cruiser suffered a direct hit near the stern. Sweden incensed by the German action in extending the minefield off Falsterbo. The German steamer Fritzen goes ' ashore on the Dutch coast. Admiralty announce the capture of further German merchant ships and the destruction of one. by an enemy .submarine. A Russian communique accuses the Finns of firing several shells across the frontier, killing four and wounding nine Soviet troops. Finnish Foreign Office states that no shots were fired from the Finnish side of the frontier. Finnish Government has emphatically refused to withdraw troops from frontier. Situation between Finland and Russia reported to be grave. More repressive measures by Germany in Poland and Czechoslovakia Mass executions taking place in tre German occupied parts of Poland. All Jews have been ordered to wear a yellow arm-band. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29 The armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi sunk by the German pocket' battleship Deutschland in an engagement south-east of Iceland. Another Dutch liner sunk when the 5857 tons Spaarndam struck a mine in the Thames Estuary. Four of the crew and a woman passenger lost their lives. M. Jean Monnet appointed Allied Chairman of the British and French co-ordinating committee for economic war efforts. Over two hundred trawlers and drifters volunteer in response to the Admiralty's appeal for this type of vessel to combat the menace of tihe j magnetic mines. i THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30. Soviet Premier MolotofT informs Finland that the Soviet intends to renounce the Russo-Finnish non-ag-gression pact. Russian High Command orders troops on the Finnish frontier to return any fire. Berlin communique records the sinking of the British armed merchant cruiser Rawalpindi and states that only 26 of the crew could be saved. Germany retaliates for the Allied embargo by seizing the Danish steamer Cyril with a cargo of British coal for Sweden. Another British steamer sunk. Three of the crew are missing. Minis'ter of Food announces that the rationing scheme for butter and bacon will be introduced on January 8. Construction to begin in Canada on eight salvage motor boats at a cost of 15,000 dollars each.