GERMAN PEOPLE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 April 1940, Page 5

GERMAN PEOPLE

GULLED WITH FALSE TALES OF BRITISH LOSSES IMPOSING LIST OF WARSHIPS “SUNK.” ALLEGED DESTRUCTION OF FLYING-BOAT. By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright. LONDON. April 18. The extent of the German appetite for naval successes is shown in the- following German list of British losses in the first six days of the Scandinavian campaign published in a German newspaper: Four battleships, two battle-cruisers, three heavy cruisers, three cruisers, one aircraft-carrier, nine destroyers, seven submarines, seven transports, and 24 aeroplanes. A British Official Wireless message says that an announcement by the German wireless of the “destruction” of a Sunderland flying-boat and its crew was heard with some amusement by the persons concerned after they returned safely to a Scottish base. What really happened was that the flying-boat had alighted in a Norwegian fiord alongside a British destroyer when the aircraft and vessel were attacked by four Junkers 88 and two Heinkels. Circling at about 5000 feet, the Junkers made level bombing attacks and the Heinkels used divingtactics. The attack on the destroyer was continued for some time, but though 24 bombs were dropped no damage was done. The bombers then concentrated their attention on the flying-boat. While some of them machine-gunned it, another dropped six incendiary bombs round it. All the time the flying-boat zigzagged on the surface of the wa-l ter. An officer in its upper observa-i tion dome watched the release of the bombs and successfully guided the pilot so as to evade them.

As the flying-boat dodged about the crew brought seven machine-guns into action against the raiders, who withdrew, having caused no more damage than a wound in an officer’s knee and two bullet-holes in the fuselage. Back in Scotland the crew laughed when they heard the Nazi wireless claim “both the British cruiser and flying battleship were sunk by bombs.” The official news agency in Berlin claims that German planes bombed and sank a British cruiser off the Norwegian coast, and hit two others so heavily that it is doubtful whether they can reach a British port.

BRITISH POLICY ALL LOSSES ANNOUNCED. MANY UNTRUE GERMAN CLAIMS. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, April 17. Again it is stated in official circles that losses to British units, whether naval or air, are announced to the public as soon as the next-of-kin have been informed. There is no truth whatever in the German claims to have sunk any ship or destroyed any aircraft during the six days from April 9 to 15 other than those already announced by the Admiralty or the Air Ministry.