UNEXPECTED RECOIL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 120, 19 April 1940, Page 7

UNEXPECTED RECOIL

WHERE GERMANY LOSES. MORE SHIPS EOR ALLIES. SCANDINAVIAN VESSELS. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received April 19, 10.30 a.m. t RUGBY, April 18. “Not the least of the evils that Germany has brought on herself by her Scandinavian adventure, says the Manchester Guardian, “is the present it makes to the Allies of a large addition to their mercantile marine. Norway s shipping' is her chief industry. For a little people of under three million her merchant service of over four thousand seagoing ships, totalling 4,750,000 gross tons, has no parallel. “A large proportion of these vessels are on. the high seas or in Allied or neutral ports, and their masters are readily responding to the orders of their Government and the invitation of the Allies give their services for the restoration of their country. “Denmark’s contribution to the world’s shipping is smaller (about one million gross tons), but by no means negligible, and it, too, will prove a source of strength to the Allies. Though technically ‘prizes,’ the Danish ships will be paid for when their owners can be compensated without fear of advantage to Germany.” ANOTHER U-BOAT GONE. TORPEDOING OF ADMIRAL SCHEER. (From Daventry.) The French war communique announces that the Germans have lost another U-boat. A diver has found the wreckage of one which was attacked by a French patrol vessel a few weeks ago, but was not previously claimed. Tho submarine Spearfish, which torpedoed the Admiral Scheer, lias arrived in port, the crew being very jubilant over the success. AVhen first sighted the Admiral Scheer was travelling at high speed and they thought she was a destroyer. The impact of tlie torpedoes was distinctly heard as the submarine made her escape. STRANDED: AND USELESS. SCHARNHORST' AND DEUTSCHLAND. LONDON, April IS. Both tlie German battleships Scharnliorst and Deutschland are battered beyond use and aground, according to unconfirmed Swedish reports. Th e Scharnhorst is believed be lying with her stern under water in a creek near Trondheim. where another cruiser is also aground. The Sveuska Dagbladet says the Deutschland went aground during operations in a fiord north of Trondheim. The Scharnhorst (26,000 tons) is a modern light battleship completed in 1939. She carries nine llin. guns, two aircraft and has a speed of 27 knots. She is believed to have been damaged by gunfire by HALS. Renown on April 11. The Deutschland is a “pocket” battleship of 10,000 tons and is now,known as _ the Lutzow. She is a sister-ship to the ill-fated Graf Spec and was completed in 1931. _ She carries six llin. guns and two aircraft and has a speed of 26 knots.