ACTION AT ORAN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1940, Page 5

ACTION AT ORAN

AMERICAN JOURNALIST’S ACCOUNT MATTER OF LIFE & DEATH. TACTICS OF THE PETAIN GOVERNMENT. The first comment in the operations at Oran between . British and French naval units is given by Air Knickerbocker, a prominent American journalist who is well known for his warm feelings toward France, in a dispatch -which appears in United States newspapers today. It says:— “The British Navy has put out of action important units of the French Fleet which attempted to return to France to surrender to the Germans. The principal action centred round Oran, where the French admiral was preparing to take his forces to France. The British, having exhausted every means of conciliation, gave an ultimatum calling on the French to surrender. Instead the French tried to sail out of the harbour, and from 3 p.m. onward the two fleets have been engaged in battle. “It was a matter of life and death to Britain to prevent the French Fleet falling into German hands. I can testify that the Germans used every means in their power to try and compel the French Fleet to surrender, even to the extent of threatening that if this order was not complied with, the members of every French sailor’s family would be interned in concentration camps.” Mr Knickerbocker revealed that Admiral Darlan, who was in command of the French Navy when the Petain Government was formed, issued a secret order to his commanders to disregard all future orders, even if signed by him, as,he would be no longer free. The object of the order was to pievent the fleet from surrendering. Mr Knickerbocker stated that this attempt to prevent the fleet from falling into German hands was countered by the Petain Government, which appointed new commanders. -Vice-Admiral Muselier, who was recently appointed Commander of the French Naval Forces under General de Gaulle, issued a statement in London today that no capital ship of the French Navy was in German or Italian hands. , A number of French warships naq rallied to the French cause and a number of French submarines were in British ports, he said. Many ships which were in process of construction wei e taken from their stocks and towed to safety together with the workmen to complete them. , Vice-Admiral Muselier revealed that the part of the French mercantile marine which he had taken over had enabled him to secure sufficient resources and several million pounds to keep Ins forces going for several years.

GERMAN REPORTS HITLER’S “PERMISSION.” SINKING OF FRENCH SHIPS IF NECESSARY. (Received This Day. 9 a.m.) BERLIN. July 4. It is stated that British warships arrived at Morsel Kebir and gave the French a six-hour ultimatum, simultaneously laying magnetic mines in the harbour entrance. Herr Hitler gave permission to France to sink French ships when necessary. to prevent them tailing into British hands. A radio message quotes a report from Geneva, that France has ordered French ships on the high seas to halt all British ships and return the British fire. According to this report a battle is also progressing between the British and French at Casablanca. German reports add that the battleships Dunkerque and Provence and the [flotilla leader Mogodor have been set on fire. A radio message says the French fleet at Alexandria has been ordered to I attempt to break through and reach j Bizerte. IN BRITISH PORTS SEAMEN TAKEN FROM FRENCH SHIPS. BOARDING PARTIES SENT OUT. (Received This Day. 10 a.m.) LONDON. July 4. It is learnt that British parlies boarded all French ships in a south of England port yesterday morning and took of! all seamen. They also rounded up Frenchmen quartered in other establishments.