DESTRUCTION OF CRUISERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 113, 11 April 1940, Page 7

DESTRUCTION OF CRUISERS.

BLOW TO GERMAN NAVY. Received April 11, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, April 10. Official quarters confirm that four German cruisers have been sunk and two seriously damaged. According to some estimates all eight cruisers with which Germany started the war have now been sunk or damaged. The submarine Salmon sank a Koln class cruiser in December and one each of the Leipzig and Blucher classes were severely damaged. To-day’s German communique states that (Tie Blucher and Karlsruhe were lost and one cruiser is believed to have been sunk at Narvik. Another is believed to have been submarined and sunk south of Norway and two others were damaged by air attack. It is assumed that one cruiser damaged in the earlier operations has since been made seaworthy. ASTOUNDING CLAIMS. Another German High Command communique claims that the air force inflicted an “annihilating defeat” on the British naval forces late yesterday, and says that practically every enemy warship suffered direct hits from guns of the heaviest calibre. Four battleships were each struck by two or three bombs, two battle-cruisers each by one bomb, two heavy cruisers by one and two bombs respectively, one heavy cruiser was set on fire by bombs, aud two transports were hit by one bomb each. A Sunderland flying-boat was shot down. The communique adds that the action forestalled by a narrow margin the British plan to occupy important Norwegian bases. It was a victory unparalleled in history. The British Admiralty denies these claims. The German News Agency admits, the British air attack on Bergen and says that the bombs missed all their military objectives, and fell into the water on the moorlands. Several ’planes were so seriously damaged that they would not be able to reach home.

It is confirmed in London that the Royal Air Force bombers participating in the Bergen raid all returned safely after a flight lasting eight hours.

A Berlin report says that German reconnaissance ’planes observed the British naval forces and German fighting formations are now attacking the British at various points.

Stockholm reports that the German ship Curityba (3081 tons) sent out distress signals from a position far up the Oslo Fiord after shelling by the' coastal batteries, indicating that the Germans are not yet masters of South-Eastern Norway. This indication is confirmed by the fact that the German-con-trolled Oslo radio station ordered the coastal batteries to cease fire. The order purported to come from the Norwegian commander.

Numerous German aircraft have been seen near the Swedish-Norwegian border. Some, it is alleged, flew over Sweden and learned that the Swedish reservists have been moved hurriedly to the northern and southern provinces.

The Blucher (10.000 tons) was one of the vessels in a German Squadron which was attacked by the British submarine Salmon and damaged in December. She had Sin. guns, besides anti-aircraft guns. She carried three aircraft and a catapult.