GERMAN RAIDER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20125, 20 December 1939, Page 5

GERMAN RAIDER

GRAF SPEE’S CAREER CAPTAIN TELLS STORY FLIGHT FOR REFUGE INTERNMENT OF CREW (•Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Pross Assn.) (Reed, Dec. 20, 9 a.m.) NEW YORK, Dec. 19. A message from Buenos Aires quotes an interview given to the representative of the Associated Press of America by Captain Langsdorff. the commander of the German pocket battleship, Graf von Spec, which was scuttled outside Montevideo in order to evade capture by the British navy.

Captain Langsdorff said that while preying on merchant ships, he once disguised the Graf Spee as. H.M.S Renown, changing the superstructure and adding a dummy funnel. He laughed ruefully. “But maybe the joke was on us. Perhaps we fooled nobody,” he observed. The Graf Spee was also camouflaged frequently to pass as the Deutschland or Admiral Scheer. “Once we actually passed for the Admiral Scheer,” he said. Captain Langsdorff admitted that he was not short of fuel when he took refuge at Montevideo. “I really had enough to reach the coast of Spain,” he added.

“Only Thing To Do”

He said the draft was 21 ft., which was more than normal when he decided to sink her in 25ft. “That was the only tiling to do,” he declared

The Buenos Aires correspondent of the New York Times says that the Graf Spee’s young crew were convinced that only H.M.S. Hood, H.M.SRenown, or H.M.S. Repulse could touch their ship. They were therefore sure that she would not be embroiled in a naval action. They were amazed to find themselves fighting three cruisers and even more amazed to find that they were getting the worst of it. An announcement by the Argentine Foreign Office confirmed the reports of the internment -of the Graf Spee's crew. Hit From Exeter Neutral observers studying all the technical information, believe that Captain Langsdorff’s ilight to Montevideo was due 4o a direct hit from H.M.S. Exeter’s Sin. guns. The forward turret of his three 11 in. guns was put out of commission, his gunfire control installation destroyed, all food supplies rendered unfit for consumption and, finally, lie believed there were large British units in the vicinity.

Tlie Washington correspondent oi the New York Times reports that tht Pan-American nations are discussing the question of laying upon Germany the chief blame for the battle within the neutrality zone as the Streonshalh was sunk and the Formosa attacked while plying between American ports. Some republics, including Brazil, want to ban the refuelling of belligerent warships at Pan-American ports.