GERMAN MYSTERY SHIP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2722, 17 March 1916, Page 7

GERMAN MYSTERY SHIP

STORY or THE VON DER TANN. ■ The "Scotsman" published recently a German prisoner' 6 story, which is an interesting contribution to the mystery of.the German battle-cruiser Von der Tann, whatever it may be worth as history. For many months.after the outbreak of tho war several reports were current concerning tho great' warship. According to one statement, the ship had escaped from the Kiel Canal, to carry out a carefully prepared raid upon . British shipping. The prisoner responsible for this latest story was rescued from the Blucher when she was sunk by Rear-Admiral Beatty's squadron in the famous running fight in tho North Sea on January 25, 1915: He declares that during the air raid on Cuxhaven on Christmas Day, 1914, a British aeroplane swooped out of the fog, dropped two bombs Tight on to the battle-oruiser, and instantly vanThe damage done was so great that it was with the utmost difficulty the vessel was got into shallow water before she settled. This, at any rate, would account for the'.fact that nothing has been heard of tho Von der Tann since the Scarborough raid, in December, 1914; Tht» '''Scotsman's" German, prisoner deplored the battle-cruiser's absence from the Dogcerbank engagement, as he believed that if she had been with tho German squadron the admiral would then have fought without running away. On this ground the exclusion of the van der Tann fromthat fight will be equally rogrotted on this side of the North Sea.