NORTH SEA CASUALTIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20056, 30 September 1939, Page 6

NORTH SEA CASUALTIES

NORWEGIAN VESSELS

LETTISH SHIP’S ERROR

EERY AX CLAIMS DENIED

(Klee. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Sept. 30, 1.30 p.m.) , LONDON. Sept. 20.

The effectiveness cf the British mine-laying was ’demonstrated recently when an unnamed British 1 ship, disobeying the Admiralty instructions regarding the only safe passage of the Dover Straits, struck a British mine and blew up. ■Frequent reports of explosions off the Scandinavian coasts are probably German mines which blow up when they break loose from their moorings. It is significant that most of ihe reports are occurring during rough weather.

Rumours so far of great North Sea battles may be taken as ‘‘absolute •nonsense.”

A German report that the aircraft carrier Glorious was sunk by an aerial bomb brought a prompt reply from Ihe Admiralty again affirming: “No British warship has been sunk or hit in any aerial attack.” The German claim was an alleged correction to their previous 'statement that the Ark Royal had-been hit. The Copenhagen correspondent of llie Associated Press of Great Britain says that captains of neutral merchantmen state that Germany has established a submarine and warplane barrier across the North Sea, virtually prohibiting individual ships from sailing.

Three Norwegian freighters, the Taksaas, Jern and Salaas, have been sunk. All of the crews were rescued. The Tak'saas was carrying wood, the Jern was loaded with wood pulp for England, and the Salaas • was carrying timber for Antwerp. The last-named was mined, but the Taksaas and Jem were torpedoed.