Evening star., 1939-10-15
TotuI of Rescued
Is Increased
To 1876
BY the Associated Press.

IIlcIl was ANNOUNCED UOOdy 10 ma
ton steeled for q German war in
earnest.
1t was the second major German
stroke of the war against British
seapower to be announced here,
and the indicated number of casual
ties far exceeded the Sis men lost
when German submarine sank the
aircraft carrier Courageous on Sep
tember II.
In disclosing the sinking of the
29, ,150-ton warship of Jutland fame,
the admiralty said only that it was
believed she was the victim of "U-
boat action"
Subsequently, in late afternoon
the admiralty said the Royal Oak S
complement approXimated 1900 Of
flcers and men and, as far as then
was known, approximately 1896 had
been saved.
Commander Among Saved.
Lists of survivors were being given
out from time to time. One of them
contained the name of the Royal
Oaks commander, Capt. w. G. Benn
The second in command, Comdr. r.
F. Nichols, and 36 other officers also
were among the survivors named in
partial lists issued by the admi-
rally.
The first announcement by the
admiralty said:
The secretary of the admiralty
regrets to announce that H. M. S.
Royal Oak is sunk, it is believed by
U-boat action
A later communique said:
The secretary of the admiralty
announces that so far as is at pre-
ent known the number of survivors
from H. M. S. Royal Oak is ap-
proximately $40.
"As already stated, lists of sur
Vivors will be published as soon as
the names have been received The
complement of the ship was ap-
proximately 1000. The above figures
include both officers and men"
German Claims Denied.
In a statement tonight the ad-
miralty said German reports that
$4,000 tons of British warships had
been sunk were incorrect. 1t re-
iterated that there was no truth"
IN Nazi claims that the Hood had
been put out of commission through
German-inflicted damages.
The admiralty did not disclose
where or when the disaster came to
the Royal Oak. which was COM
pleted in May, 1916, and was credited
with sinking four German ships in
the World War battle of Jutland
without damage to herself.
But she was attached at the out
break of the war to the second bat
tie squadron of the home fleet and
thus presumably was in the North
Sea.
Royal Oak Heavily Armored
The Royal Oak was heavily ar
mored with a 13-irich belt of steel
to protect her vital parts and deep
bulges extending almost up to the
gun batteries as protection against
submarine attack.
How submarine was able to
reach her if she was shielded as US
ual by accompanying destroyers
puzzled neutral naval observers.
London naval correspondents a
week ago, however, suggested that
the urgency of providing British
conveys for merchant ships bearing
vital supplies for Britain might re-
quire the navy to take heavy risks.
One of them wrote in the Sunday
Times Of last Sunday that lit must
be realized by the public that main
tenance of such conveys will involve
us in the risk of naval losses" and
that those losses may be numer-
GUS"
Follows Sub Sinkings.
The Admiralty's announcement
came only few hours after it had
asserted the British destroyed three
German submarines ION Friday the
18th" OF these it was reported to-
day that two were of the large.
ocean-going type.
The naval correspondent of the
Evening News called the loss of
the Royal Oak "a bad blow for the
navy but with the overwhelming
supremacy in capital ships already
In commission-nine new battleships
are now building-not a Gripping
blow"
The sinking of the Royal Oak fol-
lowed period of comparative inac-
ton by German submarines and ad-
miralty assertions that the submar-
Inc menace rapidly was being over
come. Other sources attributed the
period of calm to the refueling re-
Quirements of the submarines.
Russo Turkish Pact Reported.
The nation read the huge black
headlines against the background OF
the weeks diplomatic developments
Prime Minister Chamberlain re-
lection of Adolf Hitlers peace pro-
posals as basis for real peace
and German indications that wal
would be launched in earnest against
the west.
The British press prominently
displayed reports that Turkey and
Soviet Russia had reached agree
ment on a pact in harmony with
Turkeys undertakings to Britain
and France in the mutual assistance
agreements among the latter three
Giuseppe Bastianini, new Italian
ambassador to London. arrived in a
special car sent to Folkestone bv
Lord Halifax, British foreign Sec
retary. 1t was explained this act of
diplomatic courtesy was to save the
envoy THE delay which most cross
channel passengers have to undergo
in these times
Prime Minister Chamberlain will
make his next statement to Parlia-
ment on the progress of the war on
Wednesday.
Air Protection for Conveys.
The air ministry issued a COM
munique asserting that "all conveys
arriving or leaving Britain now RE-
(see ROYAL OAK, Page A-4)