“SUNK BY ALEXANDER”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 July 1940, Page 5

“SUNK BY ALEXANDER”

NAZIS ON THE MEKNES OUTRAGE REPORTED GUARANTEE OF SAFE PASSAGE. NUMBER OF MISSING PLACED AT 383. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 26. The German wireless describes the sinking of an 18,000-ton vessel off Portland as a particularly fine success, but it denies that the ship was the Meknes. “The only possible assumption is that Alexander sank the Meknes in order to create anti-German propaganda,”- it is declared. The “Daily Express” revealed that Germany guaranteed a safe passage for the Meknes. WANTON OUTRAGE (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.53 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26. The newspapers condemn, as a peculiarly wanton outrage, the sinking of the French liner Meknes. DETAILS OF CASUALTIES TOTAL OF 383 MISSING. SOME MAY HAVE REACHED FRANCE. (British Offiicial Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26. More accurate information, giving the numbers of the French naval personnel rescued from the Meknes, is •now available. As far as is known the vessel carried 99 French naval officers and 1,090 ratings, two women, one child and a ship’s crew consisting of 9 officers and 90 men. Ninety-nine officers and 796 ratings, the two women and i one child were landed at British ports after the vessel had been sunk’, leaving nine officers and 374 ratings unaccounted for. It is possible that some of these survived, as the ship’s boats were seen making for the French shore, which some may have reached. It is now known, Daventry states, that 383 men are missing from the torpedoed French liner Meknes.