OUTRAGES AT SEA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20128, 23 December 1939, Page 5

OUTRAGES AT SEA

RAIDING BY GERMANS DEFENCELESS VESSELS KING VOICES HORROR DENIAL FROM BERLIN (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Dec. 23, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 22. In conversation with representatives of shipowners and seamen, the King to-day expressed his indignation at the recent attack from the air on fishing boats and the machine-gunning of fishermen by German raiders, An Oslo message states that two Nazi planes bombed and sank the British trawler River Annan, carrying the crew of the Danish steamer Bogo which was sunk in the North Sea by a mine on December 19. Britons and Danes drifted together for 36 hours in a lifeboat in a rough sc-a. They were almost frozen when rescued by the Norwegian vessel Rogaland. , The Britons declared the planes also machine-gunned the trawler, but nobody was hurt.

A Berlin message says the German authorities vigorously deny that the Germans sank innocent fishing smacks off the British coast. They claimed that the vessels were equipped with radio. They might possibly do some fishing, but they “mainly served to report the approach of German aircraft and naval vessels.” The German authorities added: “The British coast is a belligerent area. Germany’s action is justified and will be relentlessly continued.” The sinking of the Trinity on Wednesday is not mentioned.