THE WAR, STEP BY STEP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 113, 22 January 1940, Page 6

THE WAR, STEP BY STEP

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18th Mr Hore-Belisha makes statement in House of Commons. Mr ChamberMain also speaks. The Admiralty announced that sinkings due to enemy action during the week ended January 13 were:— British, 12 ships, totalling 34,077 tons; Allied, nil; neutral, four ships, totalling 7792 tons. The Dunbar Castle (10,002 tons) was not under convoy when she was mined last Wednesday. She was proceeding to a convoy, together with other vessels. The German claim that Britain has lost 26 tankers during the war is over double the real total. The tanker tonnage has actually increased. The total number of ships convoyeel up to last Wednesday was 6363, of whfch only 12 were lost. It is officially stated in Athens that li Greek , cargo vessels, totalling 48,835 tons, have been lost during the war. After a party from a U-boat had boarded the vessel and examined the cargo, the Germans torpedoed and sank the Dutch motor freighter, Arendskerk (7906 tons) in the Bay of Biscay, says a cable from Amsterdam. She was laden with piecegoods and bound for Africa. The Fedora saved 60 of the crew and two passengers v who will be landed at Lisbon, where the Dutch Minister is inquiring before taking action. The incident has created indignation thoughout Holland.

Another U-boat was attacked by a Royal Air Force aeroplane when pat rolling over the North Sea, says a London message. The submarine was sighted when the aeroplane was still several miles away, and it prepared to dive. The aeroplane swooped and released a salvo of bombs. The aeroplane circled the area for a time, bat there was no further sign of the submarine. One thousand bombs and over 1000 I heavy shells struck BJorko, which is

the site of the Finnish heavy naval guns guarding the right wing of the Mannerheim Line, says a Helsinki message. Fighting on the Karelian Isthmus was confined to artillery activity. The Finns destroyed the Soviet field headquarters and wiped out two patrols totalling 80 men. They halted two Soviet battalions which were attacking the Isthmus, and disrupted the supply of mechanised columns. Twenty towns were in flames as a result of the earlier raid by 300 Ru.s sian Avar planes, said another message. Most of the towns were of no military importance. Forty civilians were killed and 100 Avere injured. The Admiralty announces three submarines, the Seahorse (640 tons), Undine (540 tons), and Starfish (640 tons), have not returned to their bases. They have been engaged on particularly hazardous service and it iiS feared they must be regarded as lost. These are the first British submarine losses as a result of enemy action during the war. A German communique announced that the Undine and Starfish were sunk in the Heligoland Bight. Some of the crews were rescued. The submarines were destroyed by German defence measures. No details were given. FRIDAY, JANUARY 19th. Belgian mobilisation will be maintained for some time yet. It is sa'uS : that no country is better equipped ; against tanks. Further freezing weather has grip- - ped Europe and makes action on al fronts impossible.

German warships in the Baltic captured the Swedish passenger liner Birger Jarl (7GI tons), which had 20 Americans on board, and escorted her to Swinemunde, Prussia. The Americans will be permitted to return to the United States via Sweden After a conference of Fascist party leaders, the secretary-general of the party, Signor Ettoire Mut?, warned Italians that they might be compelled to fight in the European war at any moment.