1940-02-28 — Page 1

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The S FIRST EDITION

Hongkong Telegraph.

TOUNDED 18 三拜禮 號八廿十月二英港香 WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1940. ¬†Œ

No. 10003

Startling Revelations by Mr. Winston Churchill in

Flow Abandoned As Britain's

Scapa

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House of Commons:

Chief Naval Base

NELSON & BARHAM DAMAGED BY

GERMAN

Scapa

MINE

Flow Abandoned As British Naval Anchorage

SPECIAL TO THE “TELEGRAPH" LONDON, Feb. 28 (UP).—The Admiralty has abandoned Scapa Flow as a naval base.

The great inland harbour off the northern coast of Scotland, which was believed impregnable to attack from the sea in the last war, will no longer provide refuge for British warships.

Decision to abandon the Base was made after a Nazi submarine succeeded in entering the land-locked harbour and torpedoing H.M.S. Royal Oak as she lay at anchor.

The announcement of the Admiralty's decision to withdraw warships from Scapa Flow was made by Mr. Winston Churchill in the House of Commons last night. GRAVEYARD OF GERMAN NAVY

It is presumed that the decision was made by the Admiralty owing to the uncertainty of its value as protection for the fleet from either aerial or submarine

attack.

Scapa Flow, in addition to providing the British Fleet -with-a-safe anchorage in the last war, is the graveyard of the old Imperial German Navy. It was here that Germany first practised the art of scuttling.

RUSSIANS REPULSED

Strategical Withdrawal By The Finns

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

Feb. HELSINGFORS,

27

(UP):-To-day's official Finnish communique states

that the

Russians suffered heavy losses yesterday in their attacks on the on the Isthmus, particularly islands in the Bay of Viborg.

Russian attacks were repulsed i on the Somme, Nayttyjaervi and Salmenkaita sectors where the Finns captured a large quantity of arms and ammunition and destroyed 18 tanks.

Fighting in these sectors still con- tinues.

Powerful Attacks Repolled The Finns also repelled powerful Russian attacks at Talpate where heavy booty was captured. Fighting has been resumed at Kuhmo while! at Petsamo the Finns have withdrawn to their defence positions at Nautal.

There has been considerable aerial activity. The Finnish air force has bean bombing Russian air bases and munitions damps far behind the Russian 11nem.

It has been officially confirmed that seventeen Russian planes were shot! down to-day.

Strategical Withdrawal COPENHAGEN, Feb. 27 (UP)

Mr. Churchill revealed that Scapa Flow had not been used as a naval anchorage since the torpedoing there of H.M.S. Royal ¡Oak.

He admitted that Scapa was the Royal Navy's best strategie base.

SUH_HOUBAI

MOVA

TAPINSAY.

KOKAIDSATS

STROMSAY

Nortli

COLOMBO CRISIS

Ceylon Ministers Resign En Bloc

COLOMBO, Feb. 27 (Reuter). All alx Ceylon ministers re- signed this evening.

Reports from Helsingfors to-day The sudden crisis was preci- state that the fussian capture of pitated by the Governor's deci Koivisto notted "only ruins without any military importance because the alon in connection with the has arison Finns dynamited all the fortifications difference which

Os

Churchill Utters Warning

Increased Attacks On Shipping Expected

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

LONDON, Feb. 27 (UP), The powerfully reinforced Bri- tish Navy is ready to "beat down" all Nazi attacks, declared Mr. Winston Churchill in the House of Commons to-day, when he also hinted that Britain might

take a sterner stand towards

neutral European nations.

Almost in the same breath he announced additions to the Fleet designed to resist aerial and U- Dont attacks.

Scapa Flow Abandoned

He admitted that Scupa Flow has been abandoned as a naval base, presumably owing to the uncertainty of its protection, despite its strategie and other values.

He admited that the old "wonder

ship" H.M.S. Nelson (33,950 tons), which was built in 1925, has been damaged by a mine.

However, she reached port under her own power and will, shortly re- Join the fleet, he declared.

Vast Confidence

The First Lord's speech was one of vast confidence. It detalled the great efforts being made to bulld up the British Navy to defeat the newer and greater German attacks on Bri- tain's sex power which are expected

The speech emphasised the British determination to carry on the war jogainat Nazi leadership. It continu-

AND

U-BOAT

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH”

LONDON, FEB. 28 (UP).—THE REVELATION THAT TWO BIG BRITISH BATTLESHIPS HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY MINE AND TORPEDO WAS MADE BY MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL, FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY, IN A SPEECH IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LAST NIGHT.

THE 33,500-TON BATTLESHIP, H.M.S. NELSON, STRUCK A MINE IN THE NORTH SEA.

THE 31,100-TON BATTLESHIP H.M.S. BARHAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY ATTACKED BY A GERMAN U-BOAT.

Anti-mine and anti-submarine bulges on both battleships saved them from destruction and both were able to make port under their own power.

Apart from the Royal Oak and Courageous, these are the only big ships of the British Navy to have been damaged or sunk since the outbreak of the

H.M.S. NELSON

ally expressed confidence in victory R.A.F.'s "House To House Canvass"

at a time when Mr. Welles is prepar ing to confer with Hitler in Berlin this week.

Now Battleships

Mr. Churchill put emphasis on the new battleships which will soon join the fleet and said the Allied blockade is worlding satisfactorily.

"The Straits of Dover are closed and pealed, and the Northern Patrol is being maintained by a strongly supported cordon from Scotland to Greenland," he said.

In Leaflet Raid Over Berlin

DRAMATIC FLIGHTS

OVER NAZI CITIES

[SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH”

war.

SOON TO REJOIN FLEET

a

The damage to these two powerful vessels was secret in which to use Mr. Churchill's words, "many thousands of people were necessarily aware." It was so well-kept by dockyard and naval personnel, however, that it has only just leaked out in Germany, after it had ceased to have any importance.

Both H.M.S. Barham and H.M.S. Nelson are under repair and will be ready within a few days to rejoin the Fleet.

MAGNETIC MINE DAMAGES NELSON

Mr. Churchill revealed that the damage to H.M.S. Nelson was occasioned by a magnetic mine.

With her sister ship, H.M.S. Rodney, the Nelson is the most powerful warship afloat. Although smaller by 10,000 tons than the battle cruiser Hood, which is equipped with eight 15-in guns, H.M.S. Nelson is equipped with

Inine 16-inch guns,

She is the newest battleship in

SCREAMING the British Navy, not counting,

"ONIONS"

R.A.F. Encounters New German Defences

of course, the seven new battle- ships of 35,000 tons which wore either launched or under con- struction when war started six months ago, and one or two of which are believed to be already in commission,

The Nelson was launched in 1925. Barham Served In Last War H.M.S. Barham, whilst a powerful unit of the Fleet, is a much older versel and served throughout the

LONDON, Feb. 27 (Reuter's Special Correspondent With the R.A.F. In France)-R.A.F. long- distance bombers, which landed on a French aerodrome before Great War. dawn to-day, after participating She was launched in 1914 and com- in the most important series of missioned early in the following year. reconnaissance flights over Ger-Of 31,000 tons displacement, she is equipped with eight fifteen inch guns, many since the war began, ran and is a sister ship to the Queen the gauntlet of the whole Ger- Elizabeth, Malayu and Vallant. man anti-aircraft defence with one exception,

Fighters were seen but they mado no attempt to attack the raiders.

Over the heavily-fortified areas of Western Germany, four Messersch- The bombers were caught in

search- lights. This activity was greatest over the Ruhr district,

the

LONDON, Feb. 27 (UP).-It has been officially mitts were spotted at different points. He explained that the blockade could be tightened still further but that Britain desired to strike announced that two German bombing planes were brought beams of multi-coloured balance" and not to harra friendly neutrals.

Lost Over 35 U-Boats

down to-day.

One was shot down by a Royal Air Force fighting plane from the Command patrol off the mouth of the Firth of Forth shortly before 1p.m., while a second was shot down by a R.A.F. plane off the coast of Northumberland.

Heavy A.A. Barrage Heavy anti-aircraft fro was en- countered in the neighbourhood of Colonge and Dusseldorf. One section

were

He said Germany had lost half of her 19 U-boats by the end of Dotember and expressed the opin ion that they are able to build ten

Three members of the Ger-which was "almost a house to house of the fight was under intense fire R.A.F. planes flew un- for some minutes and for another

bursts. now U-boats in three months,

man plane's crew were seen to canvas.”

molested up and down above Unler spell dodged spasmodic

"Screaming onlona" (Incendiary Britain, he sold, has started build take to a rubber boatNHAN den Linden, Wilhelmstrsese and Kur-

shells which in some Cames and dragged off all their guns," between the Home Minister, Siri

streets fucrstendamm, Hitlering the The Finns lost no men during the Baron

and theng a large number of naval craft

R.A.F. Flights Into Germany

linked Jayatilaka,

to chains designed to wrap designed to destroy U-boats faster

Intense alr activity has resulted in with thousands of leflets.

themselves around the raiders and retirement, which is described

Inspector General of Police, Mr than they can be constructed.

German Paris the reported loss of two

to-day y reported that aix

send them crashing

In to earth "strategie”, the report says.

P. N. Banks, regarding the Ho added that the Admiralty has

bombers off the British coast, and of persons were wounded by the x-

flames) were discharged, at the. carrying out of the State Coun- Isued thousands of guns of all sorts

aircraft but they missed their fight over

five German cil's decision to postpone certain and sizes" to the British merchant one of possibly two RAF planes plosion of anti-aircraft shells during

over a barrage in which and fishing fleets for protection during n

planes which had penetrated the

One battery of four guns fired The HA.F. baseply into Paris region were driven off...

and elso criminal proceedings.

greenish coloured balls against attacks from German planes, the Heligo Onnaissance

'It understood

that several enemy where red orange freballs were fired Germany and the Nazi pilots flow

the over France in a sudden spurt of air bombing squadrias crossed

under the aircraft.MU the border with Aghing planes acting as

Nightmare') action which extended over Dghing fronte., pas

escorts. Some few over the north and northwest areas, while a detach" This hightmare fight was one of flot--Raid Over Berlin 4

PLEASE Tum To Taxe PLEASE Tum To Faze 7., MAPK beadquarters to Prasien ment of five swerved over to the rewral carried out the serist att devetibbd a “leaflet” rald ører Herila

Dorsetshire In

American Waters

MONTEVIDEO, Feb. 27 (Reuter), dret Labour Trouble

In addition "Immense preparations". have been made to meet Nazi attack

The British cruiser, Dorsetshire, The differenco originally developed at sea, and Britain "now sees its way which was expected here this morning from labour trouble in an up-country of mastering the German system of for supplies and fuel, is not arriving estate on January 10 which led to the laying magnetic mines." to-day after six PLAT

In conclusion. Mr. Churchill wald Tho festivities which had been" ar Institution of proceedings against the ranged for the amicers and men to-sloters on the one hand, and the Britain expects "perhaps In the PLEASE Turn To Paga 7,

PLEASE Turn To Page 7. might have been cancelled.

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