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'GRAF SPEE"
THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 27, 1940
EXPOSURE
Scuttling Due To Virtual Mutiny By Crew
Refused To Go Out And Fight Again
LONDON, TO-DAY.
AN AUTHORITATIVE REPORT NOW. RECEIVED BY THE ADMIRALTY ON THE EVENTS PRECEDING THE SCUTTLING OF THE GRAF SPEE, EX- TRACTS FROM WHICH WERE ISSUED LAST NIGHT, INDICATES IT WAS THE REFUSAL OF
TO SEA TO MEET THE WAITING BRITISH WAR-
SCUTTLE HER.
DUTCH TRAWLER
CREW ADRIFT
Amsterdam, To-day,
A British warship found eight members of the crew of a Dutch trawler on a raft and took them to an English East Coast port.
Three members of the crew, are missing. Cause of the trawler's loss lo at present unknown- Reuter.
THE GRAF SPEE'S CREW TO TAKE THE SHIP FIGHTER SHIPS WHICH LED TO THE DECISION TO ACTIVITY IN Eight times, according to the statement, the offi- BATTLE ZONE
cers, including finally Captain Langsdorf him- self, appealed to them in vain to fight, and when in protest against the decision to scuttle, the officers asked for volunteers to fight, only 60 stepped forward.
The remainder stood sullen silent and refused to volunteer.
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The report says the Uruguayan au- thorities were so confident the Graf Spee would make a breakaway dur- ing the night of December 16 that they prohibited all Allied ships leav- ing port.
During the afternoon of Decem- ber 16, however, a factor arose which the German High Command had not taken Into account-the crew of the Graf Spee refused to take the ship to sea. Between 3 p.m. and 7.30p.m. the crew were mustered on deck at least eight times and harangued by one The final ap- officer after another. peal was made by Capt. Langsdorf himself.
During these musters the crew broke ranks, shouted and behaved In a disorderly manner verging on the mutinous.
Capt. Langsdorf dismissed the men and came ashore at 8 p.m. to con- sult the German Minister.
·SCUTTLING ORDERED
An advice must have been cabled to Hitler about that hour and a re- ply, ordering the scuttling, was ceived about midnight.
re-
Shortly afterwards Capt. Langs- dorf returned on board and all re- pair work was suspended. Arrangements were made
for
a
barge to receive the crew after the ship was scuttled. Provisions and other gear which had been embarked were transferred to the Tacoma,
The Germans kept the crew's re- fusal to fight quiet until the
Graf Spee was almost ready to go out.
The German colony, who had made much of the crew for first two days, boycotted them when news of their refusal to fight. got around.
the
the
INSUBORDINATION OBSERVED The statement concludes that reports of the crew's refusal to obey orders and their insubordination áre confirmed by observers on board the merchantships Lynton: Grange and Trehieve, as well as other both naval and mercantile, close to the Graf Spee, including
tug lying alongside her...
Paris, To-day.
CATHOLIC CONVENTS SEIZED
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL")
AMSTERDAM, TO-DAY. EXPROPRIATION OF "CATHOLIC CONVENTS IS STILL CONTINUING ́IN GERMANY, ACCORDING ΤΟ THE DEUTSCHE WEG, A CATHOLIC ORGAN PUBLISHED IN THE GER-- MAN LANGUAGE.
Nazi circles here believe that the en- tire property of the Catholic Church In the Reich will be taken over after the war.
It is estimated that several million marks worth of Church property were seized by the State when the Hei- landsfhielen Convent. Westphalia, was. expropriated by the Gestapo who ar- rested the Friar and sent him to Oranienburg concentration camp.- Havas.
trols on the Western Front
Air activity by fighting pa- NOT EXACTLY ONE BIG
-HAPPY FAMILY. has been intensified during the past few days on the whole front, especially in the Saar, Vosges and Lower Vosges areas.
New York, To-day. The "Springfield Republican" says: The two-way fortification of the Brenner Pass, now going on, shows that these totalitarians are not just one big family."
The newspaper further enquires: "What are young Germans and Ita- Yesterday's French communique re-lians, already indoctrinated in the sa- ported that this activity continued credness of the anti-Comintern al- during the night. There is no indica-liance, to be taught about Commun- tion there were any clashes.
A German communique admits that French planés reconnoitred far into Germany during Sunday/Monday night, and since then the French have. carried out a number of photographic and scouting flights designed mainly to direct artillery fire.
German 'planes flew over France and the North Sea.
ism?"
J
Reuter,
BRITAIN'S LATEST CRACK FIGHTER
(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL")
London, To-day. Details of Britain's latest 'plane, a 4-seater pursuit 'plane, are revealed.
It travels at speeds from 345 to 435 miles an hour, and has all the latest equipment, including retractable A German attack on a French out-under-carriage, pusher screw, two rud- post south of the Varndt Forest was ders and slotted wings. It is powered easily repulsed. Reuter,
with one air-cooled engine.
OFF THE RECORD
Fute ADAMS BIG SALE
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vessels, moored
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29th The
§ 1-10 am Tribune Eyndicate
These observers were witnesses of the occurrences on board the Graf Spee.-Reuter.
DOMINIONS AIRMEN IN
SYLT RAID S
London, To-day, Among those taking part in the raid on Sylt, the Air Ministry announced yesterday, were 14 Canadians, 7 Australians, 7 New Zealanders and one. South African. — Reutér.
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By ED REED.
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mind
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Tel. 30311
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