German Campaign of Terror Against Shipping

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 301, 21 December 1939, Page 8

German Campaign of Terror Against Shipping

RUGBY, Dec. 19. Fuller details of the new campaign of terrorism launched by Nazi airmen against defenceless British and neutral shipping, referred to by Mr. Winston Churchill, First Lord of the Admiralty, in his broadcast, have been disclosed in a joint Admiralty and Air Ministry statement. Bombing attacks were made on Sunday on 14 merchant and fishing vessels in the North Sea, and in most cases the men on their decks were machinegunned. Two men have been killed and six injured. Eleven of the ships were fishing trawlers. Two were motor vessels and one was an Italian steamer. One motor, ship and four trawlers were sunk. Royal Air Force fighters twice flew to the rescue of ships, but the raiders hastily made off, though some damage was inflicted by British machine-gunners. ... German communique claims that German planes reconnoitred fanshape over the whole of the North Sea from| the Shetlands to Portsmouth and attacked and sank two patrol ships and damaged three warships. London circles deny that German planes reached Portsmouth. They state that the German claims refer to trawlers and not warships. The City of Kobe (4373 tons) was sunk in the orth Sea, believed to be as the result of a torpedo. Five British and 13 Indian members of the crew landed on ti.e east coast. Ten British and 42 Indians are missing. The survivors revealed that German planes unsuccessfully bombed and machine-gunned the vessel at the week-nd. Survivors from the Danish steamer Jytte, which is believed to have been sunk in the North Sea, landed on the north-east coast. One was admitted to hospital. German airmen using bombs and machine-guns sank the trawler Zealous. The crew landed on the east coast of Scotland after 13 hours in an open boat. The trawler Astros returned safely after bombs had missed her. The trawler Ocean View was slightly damaged. None of the crew were hurt The British United Press correspondent at Copenhagen states that a mine sank the Danish steamer Bogo (1214 tons). A trawler picked up the crew. For the first time In the war German planes are using aerial torpedoes against shipping, the vessel Active having been sunk by an aerial torpedo.