Evening star., 1940-05-06
EVENING STAR WASHINGTON D. G, MONDAY MAY g. 1e4o
Destroyer Sinking
In Namsos Convoy
Admitted by Britain
1,870-Ton Afridi Lost
As Result Of Germun
Bombing Attacks
Nv the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, May Gin. the midst
OF vehement public demand for .
more vigorous prosecution Of the
war, Britain today announced loss
last week of the 1,870-ton destroyer
Afridi in German bombing raids
upon the conveys Withdrawing allied
troops from Namsos, Norway.
The Admiralty stood by It's denial
OF German claims to have sunk q
battleship Of the Queen Elizabeth
class ad heavy cruiser in the same
operations.
But it admitted that the Afridi,
47th naval loss officially announced
by the British, was struck by a
bomb and subsequently sunk" dur
ing an "insistent attack" by waves
OF enemy aircraft"
The Admiralty said escort vessels
anti-aircraft fire was so effective
that two German bombers were shot
down and the transports came
through untouched"
Fifth Destroyer Lost.
The Afridi, fifth British destroyer
lost since the start of the Norwegian
campaign, was acting as flotilla
leader OF the escort and carried 2l9
men.
She was commanded by Capt. P.
L. Wan. who commanded the de-
stroyer Cossack when she invaded
Norwegian territorial waters last
February II to rescue about 800
British seamen from the German
prison ship" Altmark in Josing
Fjord in Southern Norway.
An unofficial military source re-
ported that British troops in North
ern Norway are closing in on the
German garrison, estimated at be-
tween 5000 and 1000 men, holding
the Arctic ore port of Narvik, but
that operations of necessity were
proceeding slowly and that the i'm
mediate capture of the port was not
to be expected.
K0ht Sees Chamberlain.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Halv-
dan Koht, accompanied by Defense
Minister Col. Birger Ljunberg and
Erik Colban, Norwegian Minister to
London, conferred with Prime Min
lister Chamberlain and Foreign Sec
retary Lord Halifax.
A terse war Office communioue this
morning said there is nothing to
report from the Narvik area"
The Air Ministry acknowledged
that two British Sunderland flying
boats were damaged by German
machine gun fire while at anchor
of Norway yesterday, but denied
two Blenheim bombers were shot
down.
tThe German high commands
communique reported the ma
chine cunning of the flying boats
and also said the Blenheim
bombers were shot down near
Terschelling, the Netherlands.)
A German air raid of the south
east coast of England was believed
beaten of by Royal Air Force fight
ers today.
Coastal residents heard the drone
of engines above low-hanging clouds
with bursts of machine-gun fire and
number Of explosions.
A similar incident in the same
vicinity was reported earlier In the
day, when a German raider off the
coast of Essex drew intense anti
aircraft fire for 1C minutes. Royal
Air Force planes quickly took to the
air to pursue the invader.
More Vigor Demanded.
A crescendo of demands for more
vigor in prosecution of the war arose
in advance of Prime Minister Cham
berlain's appearance in the House
of Commons tomorrow to explain
the allied withdrawal from central
Norway.
Press and oratory clamored for
government changes, but the we'll
informed Yorkshire Post predicted
that so far as can be seen at pres
ent, Mr.. Chamberlain will carry the
day.
He will owe much to the fact
Mr.. Churchill is standing firmly
with him." The paper said no actual
vote was expected in the Commons
session to discuss the Norwegian
campaign. but that if one were called