Evening star., 1940-10-30
Nazis Claim Sinking
OF -Four Merchant
Ships, One Armed
Disastrous Hole Torn in
British Naval Forces,
Germans Claim
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated fTeSS.
BERLIN, Oct. 3O.-German SUBJ
marines have torn "a disastrous
hole" in British naval forces, in
formed German sources declared to-
day without elaboration.
They also said combined German
and italian air force units had car
ried out successful" attacks on
many British airports in the last "a
hours. London, Liverpool, Ramsgate
and Coventry were especial targets
of strong units, they said.
The sinking of three merchant
ships, totaling 18,400 tons, by Ger
man warship operating in overseas
waters" was reported by the Ger
man high command. The high COM
mand said a submarine also sank a
large armed merchant ship of 1o,50e
tons.
The area in which the warship was
operating was not disclosed. The
communique, however, said the
crafts latest victims brought to
5000 tons the warship sinkings.
(There have been reports in
shipping circles, thus far uncon-
firmed, that one of the two sister
ships of the Admiral Graf Spec
the Luetzow and the Admiral
Scheer-has been operating in
the South Atlantic0
Freighter Reported Sunk.
DNB, official German news agency
also reported that a Nazi war
plane had sunk 5,000-ton freight
er during the forenoon today north
east of Ireland.
The high command, reporting on
the raids on Britain, said German
planes scored hits about the West
India docks and Waterloo station
yesterday, and effectively bombed
the Portsmouth naval base and q
munitions dump at Great Yarmouth
New fires we're started last night
among docks and industrial plants
on both sides of the Thames, it said
as Nazi raiders retaliated for Eng
lish night raids on German resi-
Dental sections"
The high command noted that "ar
italian flying corps participated in
these operations" and asserted that
Liverpool's harbor and Birmingham
and Coventry we're bombed at night
and numerous British ports were
mined.
The days operations cost Ger
many II planes. the high command
acknowledged, but asserted that A
British craft were destroyed.
Ultimatum to Turkey Indicated.
Well-informed German sources
hinted that the axis powers, deter.
mined to shatter Britain's strength
in the Mediterranean, soon may
hand Turkey an ultimatum similar
to that which preceded Italy's in
vasion of Greece.
Turkey, like Greece, is a friend
of Britain, which has guaranteed
to help her in event of aggression
by any European nation involving
Turkey in war in the Mediterran.
can.
Commenting on axis plans, the
semi -official Diplomatisch-P -PolitiSch'
correspondent which has close
connections with the German For.
eign office-said:
wherever British bases and hide
outs exist, they must be extirpatee
in the interests of the European
community. This naturally apple!
to the Mediterranean"
Previously the usually well-in-
formed DienSt aus Deutschland indi-
Gated Adolf Hitler and Premier Mus
solini had agreed at their Florence
meeting Monday on some unified
action against Britain in which
France and Spain might have
role.
The National Zeitung Of Essen
predicted the next axis step would
be an attempt to sever British con-
nections with Europe, Asia and
Africa so that no port in those
continents would be open to British
warshipS.