Evening star., 1940-05-21
Gen. Giraud and Staff Captured
Berlin Says; Arras and Amiens Fall
British Admit Loss
Of Cruiser and
MineIoyer


LONDON, May 21.-Loss of the
9,550-ton cruiser Efingham and the
minelayer Princess Victoria was an
nounced today by the Admiralty
on the darkest day of the war for
Britain, menaced by threat of Nazi
invasion.
Intense anti-aircraft fire of the
southeast coast was heard twice
this afternoon, mingled with the
drone of airplane engines high over
head. Seacoast residents described
the firing as so intense that every
thing shook and trembled."
The Ellington was lost "as a re-
suit of damage sustained through
striking an uncharted rock on the
Norwegian coast" 1t was the first
cruiser the British have reported
officially lost since the war began.
Commander Lost.
The minelayer Princess Victoria
was sunk by a German mine with
four officers, including the COM
mander. and 81 men missing and
feared lost. Eighty-five survivors
were landed at an east cost port yes
terday. Twenty-four required hos
pital treatment.
Latest reports reaching London
said the British expeditionary force
is fighting it out on assigned posi-
tions-determinedly and in good
spirits.
On the line south of the British
positions the situation was de-
scribed as obscure. London sources
said German claims Of deep pene-
tration were based on limits reached
by small, fast-moving mechanical
units left dangerously open to
flank action"
German claims that their drive
to the sea had captured Amiens.
Arras and Abbeville, IL miles from
the English Channel, were charac-
terized as grossly exaggerated"
The average Londoner received
the news with the comment: Its
bad-but it was bad last time and
we won."
Air Attacks Continue.
Meanwhile, continued air attacks
at bases behind the German lines
were pictured in vivid terms. a
government spokesman told of Brit
isn fighter planes clashing with
tremendous waves of the enemy's air
force, shooting down bombers in
fierce fighting in the clouds.
German fuel storage depots at
Rotterdam were the target again of
British night bombing attacks. The
government spokesman said the
bombings threw behind lines
communications into confusion and
wrecked many gasoline storage
tanks. Direct hits at Rotterdam
that sent yellowish smoke columns
1000 feet into the air were described.
Despite heavy shrapnel fire from
ground batteries, damage to the
raiding bombers was termed slight.
-Four British merchant ships to-
falling 1895 tons and one allied YES
sci Of 316 tons admittedly were sunk
"by enemy action" during the week
ended May 10.
Reich Steamship Sunk.
The Admiralty, at the same time,
issued report that the Ashton
German steamship Campinas was
sunk by mine May 10. It said this
brought the total known German
mercantile losses to approximately
$50, 900 tons.
An additional five German ships
totaling about $4,000 tons were CON
sidered sunk as result of submarine
operations" it was said.
The source estimated the total
sinkings of enemy ships, whose
names and exact tonnages have not
been ascertained, amounted to 190,-
600 tons, and the total German losses
at $4,000 tons-approximately 20
per cent of Germany's pre-war ton
mage.
Since the war started up to Nav
IA, the source said, 267 officers and
men from Nazi U-boats have been
captured.
The spokesman said German
mines reported by the South African
government last week of the Cane
might have been laid" by German
surface raider, submarine or mer-
chant ship which escaped from port