ANOTHER VERSION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 November 1940, Page 5

ANOTHER VERSION

OF THE NAZI SCUTTLING OFF TAMPICO NO BRITISH WARSHIPS AT HAND. AMERICAN DESTROYERS ON PATROL. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) MEXICO CITY, November 17. The latest version from Tampico of the incident in which German ships were involved is that no British ship was nearby, but that three American destroyers on neutrality patrol were waiting to escort the British freighter Olivebank. The United States destroyers exchanged coded signals with the Olivebank which the German ships interpreted as possible orders to attack and decided to turn back.

MEXICAN REPORT STATEMENT BY GUNBOAT COMMANDER. TAMPICO, November 17. The commander of the Mexican gunboat Queretaro, Lieutenant Cuahutemoc Perez Zavala, said it has been established that three American destroyers were the warships the Germans saw when they went to sea. The United States Naval attache in Mexico City, Commander Wallace Dilon, said that no United States warships were at Tampico, but it is noted that he did not deny they may have been off the coast. It was reported that four German freighters suddenly left Tampico on Saturday night. Watchers from the shore later saw searchlights on the horizon and one of the freighters, the Phrygia, was set on fire, apparently being scuttled, while the others returned to anchorage at the mouth of. the Panuco River.