1940-04-13 — Page 6

THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 13, 1940

SINKING OF "GNEISENAU" CLAIMED

Stockholm, To-day.

A Norwegian communique quoted by the Stockholm radio confirms that the German battleship Gneisenau, 26,000 tons, has been sunk in Oslo Fiord. This is the first official claim though the sinking has been reported earlier.

The Gneisenau, which is barely two years old, is a sistership of the Scharnhorst, which was beaten up by Renown on Tuesday. The Gnei- nine 11-inch and 12 6-inch guns, senau carries or, rather, carried

Reuter. in addition to smaller armament.

BRILLIANT NAVAL FEAT

EXPOSED TO NEW PERILS

London, To-day.

It has become increasingly evident that the Germans have exposed themselves to increasing dangers by their invasion of Scandinavia, semi-official

state.

sources. here

Mr. Churchill, in his review of the operations, made it clear that the ac- tion has automatically intensified the Allied blockade.

German naval forces, after their long seclusion in safe pořts, are now dispersed along a sea front many hundreds of miles in length.

Several German trawlers have al- ready been captured, and one of them, the Friesland, was taken into a north- east Scottish port yesterday, by a prize crew. Its cargo-700 boxes of fish--- is now being sold in the town market. -Reuter.

***The Friesland, a vessel of 247 tons, was built in 1921 and is owned by Ludwig Janssen and Co., of Weser- munde.

Huge Minefield Laid NEW J.P.S

LONDON, TO-DAY.

ONE OF THE MOST DRAMATIC EXPLOITS OF THE WAR, THE MINING OF AN ENORMOUS AREA IN THE NORTH SEA, THE SKAGERRAK AND THE KAT- TEGAT, SO AS TO CUT OFF ALL GERMAN SEA COMMUNICATIONS OUT- SIDE THE BALTIC, HAS BEEN COMPLETED BY THE ROYAL NAVY.

His Excellency the Governor has ap- pointed the following to be Justices of the Peace for the Colony of Hong Kong:-

Official: Mr. Frederick. Flippance, Mr. Thomas Jackson Houston, Lieu- tenant-Colonel Henry Barron Rose, M.C., and Wing Commander Alfred Horace Steele Steele-Perkins, O.B.E.

Unofficial:-Dr. James William An- derson, Dr. Hermann Balean, Dr. Roberto Alexandre de Castro Basto,

Effect of the coup is that all German warships in the vicinity of Norway Mr. Colin Charteris Black, Mr. Ronald

and these are believed to constitute the bulk of the German Navy, are completely cut off unless they risk the perils of the minefield.

It means, too, that no reinforcements or supplies can reach the German troops in Norway except by acceptance of a similar peril.

The minefield begins just south of Bergen and stretches to the Zuider Zee southwards, to the Norwegian, Danish and German coast eastwards, in the Skager- rak to Swedish territorial waters on one side and to the Danish coast on the other. The field is carried to within fifty miles of the Kiel Canal in the Little Belt and Great Belt between Zealand and Jutland.

London, To-day.

as.

The new mine-field does not en- ter Dutch or Swedish territorial waters, and although it reaches far as the latter, care has been taken to leave a channel 20 miles wide. through which ships may have access from the Swedish coast to the North Sea.

The new field- cönstitutes a ma- -jor operation which must have very far-reaching reaults, for no ships oan now leave or enter German or Danish ports in the North Sea or Danish porta in the Baltic,

Also, all. Norwegian ports from just below. Bergen--and these include Stavanger, Egersund and Christian- sand, all of which are held by the Germans-are unsafe for entering or leaving.

The mines continue across the Skager Rak up the Oslo Flord and down the Kattegat' into the Great and Little Belts to some 50 miles from Klo

COLOSSAL TASK

The Germans will undoubtedly try to sweep up the min but this will be a colossal tank dust the vast area of the field and it is disain any mine- sweepers will be atmcked by the R.A.F. and the Fleet Air Arm.

the mine-field seems to Its work, 'for' yesterday on the Swedish shore

IN GOOD HEART AND SPIRIT

London, To-day. "We are in good heart and upirit," declared Mr. Nevlile

Chamberlain in á message re: garding the war to the annual meeting of the Birmingham: Un- lonist Association.

"We are assured of victory sven though we will have to wait for it, for when the British people take, hold they don't let go."

MF. L. 8. Amery, at the same meeting, likened Germany to a boa constrictor which, before striking Its victim, tried to hyp -notise; it.

He wondered whether brave and anolent Sweden would allow herself to be hypnotised or would' have the courage to strike and break the coöjls threatening to en- tangle her-Räuter.

Stroomstad, near the Norwegian border, saw A ship go up in áral explosions. to have been an ̈oll

ames. She le tankar

Dare Gillespie, Mr. Henry Charles MacNamara, Mr. David Locke Newbig- ging, Mr. Alexander Roy Henderson Phillips, and Mr. Eric Guard Price.

MINES PRESENT HITLER WITH GRAVE PROBLEM

London, To-day. THE MILITARY SITUATION on land in Norway will inevitably be affected by the new British mine-field, and the German garrison must now be wondering about their fate. Most of the gar- risons are small and easily isolated, semi-official London circles point out,

܂

It must be remembered that apart from the com

paratively flat southern area, the rest of Norway is mountainous, difficult country, with poor com- munications.

the Swedish tanker Sveaborg, of 9,000 tons, homeward bound from the United States with

netrol, was sunk off the north coast of Scotland. Thirty-four of her crew have been landed in Scotland and it is

The Germans may be able Yesterday, to transport a certain num- ber of troops from Denmark by air, but the difficulties are so great that there is natural- ly speculation as to what al- ternative Germany may be driven to in desperation.

From the Norwegian lowlands to Sweden is a natural route and Sweden has not been slow in taking precau- tions.

• Gothenburg is now protected by

helieved that all were saved.

STATE OF ALARM

On Thursday night, Sweden order- ed a state of alarm and a blackout. and mobilisation of military and police forces in the south-west coast cities.

Air-rald": "alarms

subsequently

| mine-fields, laid in Swedish territorial found to be unjustified. - also added

waters by the Swedes for a distance of a hundred miles.

The country's merchant hava been ordered tém leave the high-motk

the anxiety of the population and Finis anxiety has not been allayed by ships the violent campaign launched against to the Swedishi hewspapers by, the, cons

trolled: Nazi pr

Reuter