SECRET INQUIRY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 February 1942, Page 3

SECRET INQUIRY

INTO ESCAPE OF GERMAN WARSHIPS MR CHURCHILL ON NAVAL POSITION. FULL WAR DEBATE PROMISED SHORTLY. LONDON, February 17. Mr Churchill announced in the House of Commons that a secret inquiry is being held into the escape of the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prince Eugen from Brest. The British Prime Minister said it was hoped to complete the inquiry in a week. Mr .Justice Bucknell, who conducted the inquiry into the loss of the submarine Thetis, shortly before the outbreak' of war, will preside. Mr Churchill said the major issues were: — (1) Why was there delay in attacking the ships? (2) Was there sufficient liaison between the Navy and the Air Force? Stating that he was not prepared to give an undertaking that the results of the inquiry would be made public, Mr Churchill added that if any dereliction of duty were disclosed disciplinary action of course would be taken. The position of the three enemy ships at Brest, he continued, had been a serious preoccupation to the Admiralty, as they were on the flank of the main convoy route to the east and they might have made a sortie at any time, against our convoys. Therefore the Admiralty had pressed for a continuous air attack on the warships at Brest. Four thousand tons of bombs had been dropped and 329 bombing sorties made. We had lost in the attacks 247 airmen and 43 aircraft. The departure of the warships from Brest said Mr Churchill, was beneficial to Britain’s war situation. It had removed a threat to our convoy routes and would enable heavier bombing raids to be carried out on Germany. The ships had undoubtedly been hit several times and before they could play a part in the war the British Navy would be strongly reinforced. There was no doubt that the naval position in the Atlantic, far from being worsened, was definitely improved. With regard to the fall of Singapore, Mr Churchill said it came within the compass of the statement made by him three weeks ago. Observing that no good, purpose would be served by immediate discussion, Mr Churchill added that some members were pressing for a grand inquest on war strategy. He could say many things to the House he could not say in public. While he considered that an immediate debate might have unfortunate reactions all over the world, he hoped there might be a full and frank debate in the course of the next sittings. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr F. W. Pethick-Lawrence, thanked the Prime Minister for the way in which he had met the House and said he thought a debate at the next sittings would meet the desire of members. Another message reports that in his statement on the escape of the German warships from Brest, Mr Churchill said: “The bombing of these ships was so severe that the Germans evidently came to a decision that they could not maintain them any longer at Brest, and that they must return to Germany. We dq not know whether this was for the purpose of effecting final repairs, or enabling them to work up to full efficiency in the sheltered waters of the Baltic. However that may be, the Germans resolved to try to bring these ships back to Germany. This was a very hazardous operation. It could be done by sailing round the British Isles and returning via Norway, or by a dash up the Channel. The Germans rejected the plan of returning north about, and preferred to run the admittedly serious risks of the Channel passage.