MENACE AT SEA

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20991, 19 December 1939, Page 7

MENACE AT SEA

BOMBED AND SUNK SEYERAL BRITISH SHIPS GERMAN RAIDERS ACTIVE (United Press Assn. —ciec. Tel. copyngnt; (Received Dec. 19, 11.10 a.m.) LONDON, Dec. 18 An official communique says that German planes made several attacks on British and neutral merchantmen and fishing vessels in the North Sea yesterday. During the morning they bombed and sank the motor-ship Serenity and the trawler New Choice. Both crews were saved. They also machine-gunned the Craigit Lea, wounding two members of the crew, but made off as fighters approached. Further attacks were made in the afternoon on the Tuscan Star, the trawler Dervish Sheldon, the Arnold Bennett, the Dromion and the Italian ship Valentino Coda.

The Germans attacked the Tuscan Star with bombs, killing the second wireless operator, and then machinegunned the vessel. The Royal Air Force engaged the enemy in the failing light and fired a number of rounds, inflicting damage as the raiders disappeared in the clouds. Heavy Machine-gun Fire Enemy planes attacked the Craigie Lea with machine-gun fire, two of the crew of ten being wounded. On the approach of British aircraft the enemy made off before contact could be established. A boat containing ten men from the New Choice was later sighted by aircraft of the Coastal Command, which directed a drifter to the spot and the crews of both vessels were rescued. In the attack on the Tuscan Star a number of bombs was dropped and the second wireless operator was killed by a fragment of a bomb, which burst very close to the ship. The enemy also attacked several ships with machine-guns, without causing any casualties. The Royal Air Force aircraft engaged the enemy in the failing light, firing a number of rounds at them and inflicting damage before they disappeared into the clouds. Trawlers Overdue The Admiralty announced this evening that the trawlers Evelina and Sedgefly are overdue and must De presumed to have been sunk. Twenty-five names of members of the crews are published, as it is believed they had been killed.

BRITISH OFFICIAL

PRISONER IN GERMANY ‘checked BY GESTAPO (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) BERLIN, Dec. 17 The former British acting-Coun-sellor at the British Embassy, Moscow, Mr George Vereker, has been imprisoned in Germany. He was en route to England before taking up a new appointment in Bolivia. Mr Vereker went to Riga from Moscow 10 days ago and embarked in an Estonian ship for Stockholm. A German cruiser intercepted the ship and took it to Swinemunde, where Mr Vereker was taken off. The official German news agency reveals that the Gestapo checked Mr Vereker’s journey at all points. REPORT NOT VERIFIED THE MISSING BRITISH OFFICIAL EFFORT TO PROCURE RELEASE • (Official Wireless) (Received Dec. 19, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Dec. 18 Regarding the repoi't that Mr G. Vereker, British Minister-Designate at La Paz, has been captured by Germans from a neutral ship in the Baltic, nothing is yet known in official quarters in London of the circumstances. It cannot be confirmed that Mr Vereker is in Germany, though it is a fact that he was in a neutral ship on the way from Tallinn to Stockholm which was intercepted by a German warship. If Ml* Vereker has been detained despite diplomatic privilege, the United States Government, which has taken charge of British interests in Germany, will be asked to take up the matter and procure his release.