THE DEUTSCHLAND

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 January 1940, Page 5

THE DEUTSCHLAND

TRANSFER OF NAME AROUSES SPECULATION. ' PRACTICE IN LAST WAR. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 27. The announcement of the proposal to rename the pocket-battleship Deutschland and transfer the name to a new German warship has given rise to some speculation in neutral countries.

Though no claim to have damaged the “pocket-battleship” of that name has been made by the British Admiralty—indeed, no such claim would be made unless it were supported by incontrovertible evidence —it is pointed out that British submarines have been in action in that part of the North Sea where rare appearance of German ships might be expected.

Some observers also comment that the last war showed a practice by Germany of giving new ships the names of those lost in action, for five cruisers launched between 1916 and 1917 were all given the names of such ships, including the Emden and Nurnberg. which had been lost earlier in the war. These ships, except the second Dresden, which was never completed, were surrendered at the Armistice.

It is pointed out as unlikely that the Deutschland will be at sea for some months as a big German battleship was only laid down in the summer of 1939 and the German naval yards are probably busy with U-boat replacements.