Evening star., 1939-10-15
War at Sea

war OT CeO
Warfare at sea was most spectacular.
Britain lost Royal Oak, 29,15O-ton
dreadnaught, veteran of Jutland, by
torpedo. Second major
Torpedoing OF casualty among British
RoyoI Oak fighting ships, Royal
Oak carried crew of
1900 men with her into sea, many not to
return. Sinking was announced early
yesterday.
Few hours prior to acknowledging this
loss, admiralty had claimed its patrols
had sunk three German U-boats in Fri
day engagements.
French, not figuring prominently in
maritime war at this point, also counted
major loss in firing of tanker Emile
Miquet, at 14115 tons, one of the worlds
largest fuel carriers.
And in background, mystery hung like
fog over developments at sea.
From Amsterdam came latest in series
of stories that North German-Lloyd
liner Bremen had evaded British watch
dogs in early September to find safe
haven in Murmansk, Arctic Sea port of
friendly Russia.
Dutch cook, claiming to be only nom
Nazi aboard as ship ghosted out of New
York in August 80
Liner bremen twilight, described cir
Al tMurmonsk3 cuitous northw ward
voyage under captain
who pledged life that British would not
seize him and his ship. Piled on deck as
vessels ran blockade between Britain
and Iceland we're barrels Of gasoline
placed to fire quickly if effort was made
to effect capture.
On October S, Frankfurter paper re-
ported Bremen's crew returned from
Murmansk; Capt Ahrens promoted to
commodore.
Although sheltering of 50,000ton
Bremen in Murmansk will leave her OF
small actual wartime value to Germany
escape against considerable odds If
proven true-is damaging to British
prestige, stimulating to German morale.
AS counter early in week, Winston
Churchill, Britains bubbling first lord
of admiralty, reported casualties between
September "a and October II amounting
to only $500 British tons lost by Uboat
action as compared to 1855 German
tons lost by capture. In addition, he
continued, United Kingdom has placed
in service $4,000 new tons.
Thus by mathematics. he proved I'VE
are $1,000 tons better off" than prior to
September "a.
Later, Churchill report was interpreted
TO mean British had captured speedy Cap
Norte, Ham
Nozi S. S. Cop Norte burg South
Reported Seized Am er c n
liner, registered
at exactly 1855 tons. Heavily loaded
with oil, Cap Norte was reported de-
parting from Pernambuco since war be-
gan, trying to reach Vladivostok
Churchill's mathematics we're first up
set on Friday when United States Lines
President Harding reported picking up
crew of British freighter Heronspool,
5,2O2 tons, torpedoed off Irish coast
Neutrals continued to lose by any man
ner of estimating, both the Films and
Dutch reporting destruction of freight
ers by mines.
British and German fighting ships con-
tinued long distance shadow-boxing.
London admiralty conceded that Ad-
fniral Scheer, one of three efficient Nazi
'pocket battleships," might be loose in
South Misunderstanding out earlier ru-
inors that she had sunk British freighter
Clement week before.
OF two other first-line fighters Of small
German fleet, Scharnost and Gneisenau,
report appeared on
Aerial Attoek Friday to effect they
On British Fleet had been struttine
just out of range OF
Royal Fleet in North Sea, had finally
lured pursuit to make target for
Nazi air attack. Despite loosing Of 100
bombs, however, no sinkings of English
ships in engagement we're reported
made for home.
= Ablaze with lights. decks crowded with
singing passengers, sides painted with
giant American flags. steamship Iroquois
slipped into New York Harbor Wednes-
day night-writing "happy ending" tc
one Of wars weirdest episodes thus far.
Two destroyers, Coast Guard cutter
and swarm of airplanes rode into port
with liner, bristling with determination
chat destruction would not visit ship be-
fore arrival. For by then the world, in
cluding SIT passengers and 211 crewmen
of 1rooouis, knew that refugee ship had
been marked for mysterious doom in
warning passed to United States Govern
ment by German admiralty.
To avert this fate, each passenger had
eo-operated in search of luggage double
watches had stooc
ifoquois SoTe guard as vessel racec
After Worninu westward. On Sunday
Coast Guard cutter. two
Navy destroyers had picked up ship
sailed close by through next three day.
until voyage ended.
Numerous theories, no convincing ex.
= PLANTATION has yet been given Of whole
strange incident.
That foreiGn submarines have hee1