THE SUNKEN MEKNES

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21176, 27 July 1940, Page 7

THE SUNKEN MEKNES

FRENCH RESPONSIBILITY ALLEGATIONS BY NAZIS (Offlcial Wireless) (Received July 27, 11 a.m.) RUGBY, July 26 More accurate information giving the numbers of French naval personnel rescued from the French liner Meknes, which was sunk by the Germans in the English Channel, is now available. As far as is known the vessel carried 99 French naval officers and 1090 ratings, two women and one child. The ship’s crew consisted of nine officers and 90 men. Ninety-nine officers, 796 ratings, two women and one child were landed at British ports after the vessel was 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. Authoritative circles in London today denied a report that the German Government had given a guarantee of safe passage to the liner Meknes. The French Government at Vichy Was notified in general terms of the British Government’s intention to repatriate those members of the French forces in this country who wished to return to France and that it was proposed to use French ships for the purpose. To this the French Government raised no objection. The time of departure and the route were not specified to the French Government, but the Admiralty took every step to make the ship easily identified. The Meknes flashed her name, nationality and destination to the attackers several times before she was torpedoed. As the torpedo was carried by a surface craft, not by a submarine, there cannot be the slightest doubt that the commander of the surface craft knew exactly what he was doing. Mr Churchill Blamed Britain notified the Petain Government of the sailing of the Meknes. The onus, therefore, devolved upon France to notify Germany. This obviously was not done. The German radio, in blaming Mr f Winston Churchill for the sinking of j the Meknes, says:

“Churchill’s latest propaganda trick is too transparent, for every shipping register shows that the steamer Meknes was only of 6000 tons.. Therefore she cannot be identified with the 18,000-tons steamer mentioned in yesterday’s German communique. It was sufficiently known in London that Germany proposed to treat all ships flying the French flag as enemy.”