GERMAN LIES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 November 1940, Page 8

GERMAN LIES

ALLEGED ANNIHILATION OF CONVOY. TECHNIQUE IN COMPILATION OF COMMUNIQUE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. November 14. News that 32 ships out of the convoy of 38 vessels escorted by the Jervis Bay are safe in port throws an interesting light on the technique of the German High Command in composing communiques. On November 8 the German radio made a special announcement at 11.15 a.m. stating: "German surface warships operating in the Atlantic have completely annihilated a British convoy operating on the western British supply line.” Two hours later the High Command added that British merchant tonnage was thus reduced by 86.000 tons in the space of a few hours. This figure, which represents neither the total tonnage of the convoy nor the tonnage of ships actually sunk by the German vessel, is typical of the estimates disseminated by the Germans after attacks on shipping. A further radio message the same day indulged in even more extravagant assumptions based on the fact that no further news followed the SOS message from the Rangitiki (16,690 tons) and the Cornish City (nearly 5000 tons). The German radio added that the assumption that the whole British convoy had been destroyed “is now confirmed by the German High Command, leading to the assumption that the German action was very swift. United States radio stations did not even receive SOS messages from the other vessels sunk.” In fact, the Rangitiki and the Cornish City are among the ships already safe in port. The assumption that they had been sunk and, with them, all the ships which sent out no messages, indicates the unsubstantial character of the evidence upon which the German High Command is prepared to base reports. ' ___