NORTH SEA RAID

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20124, 19 December 1939, Page 5

NORTH SEA RAID

GERMAN PLANES SMALL SHIPS SUNK TUSCAN STAR BOMBED ! ITALIAN BOAT ATTACKED R.A.F. ENGAGES ENEMY (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dec. 19, noon.) LONDOn, Dec. 18. An official communique says that German planes made several attacks on British and neutral merchantmen and fishing vessels in the North Sea yesterday. During the morning they bombed and sank the Serenity and the trawler New Choice. Both crews were saved. They also machine-gun-ned the Craigielea, wounding two members of the crew, but made off as fighters approached. Further attacks were made in the afternoon on the Tuscan Star, of 11,449 tons, and the trawlers Dervish, Sheldon, Arnold Bennett, and Dromio, and the Italian ship, Valentino Coda, of 4383 tons. The Germans attacked the Tuscan Star with bombs, killed the second wireless operator, and then machine-gunned the vessel. The Royal Air Force engaged the j enemy in the failing light and fired ■ a number of rounds which inflicted damage as the raiders disappeared in the clouds. i An eye-witness declared that one raider was destroyed. It also appeared that the enemy aircraft attacked a mine-sweeping fleet off the north-east coast. Heavy firing was heard from die shore. The eye-witness also saw the bomber escaping from fighters in the clouds. The Admiralty announced this evening that the trawlers Evelina and Sedgefly are overdue and must be presumed to have been sunk. Twentyfive names of the crews are published as believed to have been killed i