Evening star., 1939-12-09
Four More Ships Are Destroyed
As Sea War Rises to New Peak;
British Claim Two German Subs
SOS Is Received
From japanese
Near Scotland
~ the Associated Press.

~ tne ASSCClhteu TIcsS
LONDON, Dec. 9-The fierce con-
fiict for rule OF the seas added two
British steamers to the rapidly
mounting toll of shipping losses to-
day as the British captured a Ger
man ship and reported sinking at
least two and possibly three Nazi
submarines.
One neutral ship, the 6,646-ton
japanese freighter Azuma Maru,
was feared lost and another, the
2,400-ton Danish steamer Scotia,
was reported sunk in the North
Sea with 81 of her crew killed.
The Azuma Maru flashed an
SOS from Scottish waters yester-
day and was not heard from again.
Sinking of the neutral 1,271-ton
Norwegian steamer Gimle with three
of her crew was disclosed today
when another Norwegian steamer,
Rudolf, arrived in Arendal, Norway,
with Is survivors. They said an
explosion sank the ship.
The 14th week of the sea war
claimed at least 122 lives, Is Brit
ish ships, two French, one German
and nine or possibly ten-count-
ing the Azuma Maru-neutrals.
Eight Missing After Blast.
Eight persons, including Capt.
Harry Needham, were missing after
an explosion destroyed the 75l-ton
British steamer Corea off the east
coast of England last night. Seven
Of the crew were saved.
Nine crewmen of 43 were reported
lost when the British steamer Bran
don, 6.668 tons, was torpedoed on
the west coast OF England. Four OF
the crew were injured.
A warship brought the 3,468-ton
German steamer Henning Olden-
dorff into a British port. She was
the 18th Nazi ship captured by
the British since the war started.
Tonnage of captured ships now
totals 1922, in addition to the II
German merchantmen totaling 86,-
870 tons sunk by the allies or their
own crews to avoid capture.
Sea War at Peak Yesterday.
Germany's attack on allied sea
strength reached peak yester-
day-Black Friday-when five allied
vessels were reported lost. Seventy
six sailors are believed to have
perished in the five sinkings.
Although the war spotlight was
on the sea, British military forces
were active on land and 250, 900 men
between the ages of 20 and % were
being registered for CONSUMPTION ex-
pected early next year.. g.
Land forces also we're moving to
combat sea losses. The ofiicial food
trades organ, Food Manufacture"
said government experts were work
ing on . plan to eliminate wasted
weight in food shipments and double
the amount of food which could be
carried by merchant vessel.
German warplanes have Deen un-
usually active along the east coast
in the past few days and naval
authorities said they probably were
helping submarines sow a new<oor-
don of mines. The British yester-
day repulsed German planes. be-
lieved to have been mine sewers.
from the east coast and the Thames
Estuary.
Secret Anti-Mine Weapon.
A high naval source said the navy
Is equipping ships with a secret
anti-magnetic mine weapon which,
he said, is expected to clear ship
ping lanes of German mines.
The Daily Sketch said at least
three other Nazi submarines, de
prived of their supply ships by
British warships, have been forced
through lack of food, water and fuel
to come ashore on the British coast
and surrender"
The submarine that damaged the
new 1,690ton British destroyer Jer-
sey Thursday was reported early
today to have been sunk herself.
Previously, the Air Ministry had
told how one British pilot bombed
German submarine, blowing first
one end and then the other out
of the water. 1t said another bomb
er joined the attack on the SUBJ
marine and then summoned de-
stroyer which dropped depth bombs
The possible third victim was in
dicated by an Air Ministry report
that, after sinking one Nazi SUBJ
marine, Royal Air Force plane
attacked another and saw patches
Of oil' appear on the surface.
Identity of One Unknown.
The loss of one of the merchant
ships was reported without disclos-
ure of its size or identity.
Loss of the 525 ton French steamer
Dinard was announced with two of
her crew reported missing after a
collision with an unidentified ship.
The Dinard sank a half mile of
shore as she attempted to beach her.
self. Twelve of the crew were res
cued.
The other four were the 8,975-ton
steamer Navasota, reported torpe-
doed in the Atlantic with 43 per-
sons missing; the 1,088-ton freighter
Merel, sunk with loss Of about IS
men after hitting a mine in the
English Channel; the 735-ton Whin-
ton, sunk Thursday in a collision,
and the 4,460-ton steamer Thomas
Walton, sunk of Norway Thursday
with q loss Of 16 lives after a mys-
terious explosion. possibly caused by
. torpedo.