THE CHINA MAIL, NOVEMBER 27, 1939
P. and O. Liner Turned Armed Cruiser Meets Disaster
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RAWALPINDI
HEAVY
WITH
London, To-day.
IT WAS OFFICIALLY announced by the Admiralty last night that H.M.S. Rawalpindi, the former P. and O. liner, which had been converted for the duration into an armed merchant cruiser, has been sunk.
WASH-OUT
SUNK
LOSS
Unconfirmed rumour has it that the German High Command. will shortly issue a report on the flooding in the Siegfried Line. It will be called "Mein Dampf."
Complete mystery surrounds the loss of the ship (so well known in the Far East) as the Admiralty, with the announcement of her sinking, issued GERMANY'S an appeal to the Press to avoid speculation on PLANS FOR
the event.
It is feared that all officers and the ship's company have been lost ex-
cept seventeen, whose published.
names are
It is understood that the Ra- walpindi had about 300 officers and men on board.
ex-
The Admiralty statement is tremely brief, giving the barest details and concluding: "Further information regarding the loss must be withheld for the present."
The Rawalpindi was a vessel of 16,619 tons, built at Belfast by Harlard and Wolff in 1925, and was one of the most popular of the P. and O. ¡Iners on the run from London to Hong Kong and Japan. She was 547.7 feet long and moulded depth was 43.4 feet..
her
of
REQUISITIONED Immediately on the outbreak war, she was one of several P. and O. liners to be requisitioned by the Ad- miralty, and she re-appeared, in સ few weeks, armed with guns adequate for the purpose which, it is understood, she was to be used, convoy work.
In the meantime, the German High Command communique makes further claims of successes against British na- val vessels, both in air raids and as the result of mining.
GERMAN CLAIMS
It is claimed that four direct hits were secured on naval units in the North Sea in an attack-by- German bombing planes, and that one large cruiser was badly damaged, as the re- sult of a direct hit in the stern.
It is further claimed, though no con- firmation is forthcoming in London, that a British cruiser of the 5,275-ton Arethusa class, has been sunk by a mine.-Reuter.
SWEDISH TANKER HITS MINE
Stockholm, To-day.
A Swedish newspaper learns from Amsterdam that the Swe- dish oil tanker Gustaf E. Reuter, en route to Curacao with ballast, struck a mine off the North Bri- tish Coast on Saturday night and was seriously damaged.-Reuter.
The Gustaf E. Reuter is a ves- sel of 6,336 tons. Bullt at Got- henburg in 1928, she is owned by Rederlaktieb. Reuter and is some 419 feet long. She carries petro- leum in bulk and is driven by oil engines,
CREW RESCUED
London, To-day. Nineteen of the Gustaf E. Reu- ter's crew have been rescued by a trawler-Reuter.
MINEFIELD
IN SWEDISH WATERS
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL")
STOCKHOLM, TO-DAY, AN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE ***An Admiralty statement on the RELEASED BY THE SWEDISH AD- air attack says that the attack was MIRALTY ANNOUNCES THAT beaten off by anti-aircraft fre
and SWEDEN IS SHORTLY TO PRO- that no ship was hit.
TEST AGAINST GERMAN'S EX- TENSION OF ITS MINEFIELDS OFF FALSTERBO. ESPECIALLY TO- wARDS THE NORTH.
D.N.B. REPORT
Berlin, To-day.
The official German News Agency claims that British warships received
German mines have been
The
found
extension of the minefields
direct hits when the German bomb-even in Swedish territorial waters. ers attacked a naval squadron about 580 miles from the German North practically closes all navigation in the Sea coast.
Falsterbo passes between Sweden and The announcement states: "Un-Denmark and interrupts all traffic impeachable observation shows that between the Baltic and the North four British ships received
direct Sea. -- Havas. hits. All German planes returned to their base in good condition despite heavy anti-aircraft Are." — Reuter.
NO CASUALTIES
London, "To-day. German aircraft carried out "two bombing raids on British warships in the North Sea yesterday afternoon.
Many bombs were dropped but no hits were obtained, according "tovan Admiralty 'communique.
There were "no:ensuálties. —¡Rau- ter.
FLEW WHITE ENĠIGN
Jóndan, Posday,
The armed merchant cruiser, Rawalpindi, which hasbeen-sink, - ...was wellknown franta England to Japanzes;al ParandiOjlmer.
On the southlands of¬war, she forwook-her peaceful pursuits and was requisitioned by the Admir alty.
After a few weeks! frira dock pard, where many ofɔhér skinnri,
ous fittings were taken out"änd 'guns 'fitted' in 'her broadsides, she -“Bailed again," "greypainted and flew
the White Efibign.
́ ́As“an 'artriëd merchant cruiser, -the' 'Rawalpindi was 'a· ̈ warship
and an integral part of tha.... Royal Navy, and took no partă in commercial activities.
*She was oftra alvery different type of "vessel from" the defensive. ly armed merchant ships "witich continue to starry: Altad trade “on the seat of thembildən spite of German submarine and ming activity. The latter have no broadside or bow guns-only stern guns and an “AA” gun," which #'comprise the purely defensive 'armament: for; a--merchant ship zim/strict" accordance with In- esternational-law-British Wire-
WAR OPERATIONS
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") London, To-day.
The Diplomatic Correspon dent of the "Observer" writes:-
The advocates of economic sea and air warfare have triumphed in the Reich, and there will be no German mas- sive land offensive before the Spring.
The
paner auotes reliable sources stressing that the German plans were drawn up last wenk during the dounall of leading officials of the Army and Nazi Party.
The development of taking place broadly lowing lines:---
Continuous amall Britain during the
hostilities is along the fol-
air raids over winter, alming
at wearing down the nerves of the population preparatory to a big air offensive in the first days of Spring: Submarine and mine warfare will be intensified and carried on against both neutral and British ships. This campaign is to induce neutrals to stop all trade with Britain. Havas.
OFF THE RECORD
3
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HARRIAGE LICENSE
CLERK
"1: drok
Here's Luck
ROOSEVELT TRIBUTE
TO I.L.O.
to
Washington, To-day. President Roosevelt has sent Geneva a striking tribute to the work of the International Labour Office.
The Labour Conference in Havana, he says, is a significant example of the IL.O.'s efficiency in serving mankind regardless of frontiers and of battlefields. - Reuter.
DANES SAVE NAZI CREW
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")
Copenhagen, To-day. Thanks to prompt action, a Danish the in saving destroyer succeeded lives of 33 men from the German coast guard cutter which sank with- in three minutes after striking a Ger- man mine near Langerand Island, just off Kjeldsnor Lighthouse-Havas
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