NEWS BY RADIO

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 January 1940, Page 6

NEWS BY RADIO

ABORTIVE GERMAN RAID ON SHETLANDS ENEMY BOMBER DAMAGED. BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN LOST. The Admiralty and the Air Ministry, in a joint communique, state that hostile aircraft were sighted over the Shetlands. Two bombs were dropped, but no warship was hit nor were there any casualties. Fighter patrols and anti-aircraft guns went into action and it is believed one German machine was brought down. It is reported unofficially that one of two bombers dived towards a warship but did no damage. Heavy fire was opened on it and the bomber was seen to be damaged. A destroyer searched the sea where the bomber was last seen, but could find no trace of it. LOSSES AT SEA. The British ship Boxhill, of 5600 tons, has been sunk in the North Sea. She sank within two or three minutes of an explosion. It is feared that 20 of the crew of 32 have perished. The Norwegian cargo ship Luna, of 950 tons has been mined, not far from Bergen. The crew were rescued by another Norwegian ship. A small. British fishing boat was sunk last week, without warning, by shell fire from a German submarine. In the ten days from December 11 to December 20. 1454 ships entered or cleared British ports, of a total tonnage of 3,638,000 tons, a 30 per cent increase compared with the total for the previous ten days. For the week ended December 30 three British ships totalling 3000 tons and two neutral ships totalling 1600 tons were sunk. A German ship of 2600 tons, intercepted by a British warship, has been beached on the coast of Spain. HELP FOR FINLAND. Great Britain has formally notified the League of Nations of her intention to help Finland in her gallant fight against Russia. Her help is already being put into effect. It is intended to give Finland all the help that Britain is in a position to give. There is no indication of what form that help is taking. It is known to be substantial, but there is no question of sending any troops. France is taking similar steps and the two Allies are working in the closest co-operation in the matter. A German report states that another Hamburg-Amerika liner, the St Louis, has reached Germany. She was last heard of at Murmansk, which she reached before October 31.