GERMAN REPORTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 July 1940, Page 6

GERMAN REPORTS

OF SEIZURE OF FRENCH FLEET SOME DETAILS OF BATTLE AT ORAN. BATTLESHIP BRETAGNE MINED. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, Noon.) BERLIN, July 4. The Official News Agency stated that the British squadron in the Oran battle comprised Dreadnoughts, an aircraft-carrier and three cruisers, also a flotilla of light destroyers. The British Fleet opened fire at long range. The French battleships Dunderque and Provence and the flotilla-leader Mogador are in flames in Oran Harbour. The battleship Bretagne struck a magnetic mine and was blown up. The battleship Strasbourg, five flotillaleaders and a number of torpedoboats and submarines broke through the British encirclement.

The German Wireless, referring to Hitler’s permission for scuttling, said: “This proves that Germany does not intend to lake possession of the French warships. Germany only wants to prevent the ships participating in the war against Germany.” It added that the French Government had ordered the warships at Alexandria to attempt to break through to Bizerta and had also ordered French ships lying in' ports in Britain to force their way to Brest. . BRITISH ULTIMATUM SIX HOURS TO SURRENDER OR SCUTTLE. REJECTED BY FRENCH ADMIRAL. (Received This Day. Noon.) GENEVA. July 4. A French communique declared that British warships arrived yesterday morning off Mere El Kebir and gave Admiral Gensoul a sixhour ultimatum to surrender or scuttle. British seaplanes laid magnetic mines at the entrance to the harbour before the expiry of the ultimatum. Admiral Gensoul rejected the ultimatum, whereupon the British opened fire. “This aggression,” the communique states,. “was the more odious because it was committed by our Allies of yesterday.” It is added that the French returned the fire. The French Government has now ordered French warships in Alexandria to sail immediately for a French port, fighting their way out if necessary. It has also ordered French warships on the high seas to halt all British merchantmen and to fire if attacked.