Evening star., 1941-12-10
Two British Warships
Sunk Off MaIaya;
Casualties Heavy
British Far Eastern
Fleet ObIiteruted,
Toxic Declares
Continued From First Page)

considerable loss of life on the
Prince of Wales and the Re
pulse, c. B. S. said today.
(Worse than the loss of the
ships is that of the many brave
sailors and highly-traine officers
who have died, as they would
have wished to die, fighting for
their country" Mr. Duff Cooper
was quoted as saying0
The Prince of Wales, only recent
" dispatched to the Pacific, was the
flagship of the feet Britain has
massed an6 organized to defaAd the
empire in the Far East. She was
especially armored against air at
tack.
Churchill Announces Loss.
Prime Minister Churchill made
public the announcement OF the loss
of the Prince of Wales and the Re-
pulse in terse statement before the
shocked House of Commons.
He gave the news bluntly:
st have bad news for the House
which I thought should impart to
them at the earliest possible mo-
ment," he declared. THE report has
been received from Singapore that
H. M. S. Prince of Wales and H. M
S. Repulse have been sunk while
carrying out operations against
japanese attack upon Malaga.
mo details are yet available ex-
eept those contained in Japanese
oficial communique which claims
both ships were sunk by an air at
tack.
Il shall take occasion at an early
date to make a short statement Of
the general war sitution which has,
from many points of view, both
favorably and adversely undergone
important changes in the last few
days"
Colonial Secretary Lord Moyne
made a similar statement in the
House Of Lords.
Battleships Remaining.
With the Prince of Wales and
Repulse lost, Britain still had at
least 19 battleships afloat or build
ing.
Battleships now in service are five
of the 30,000-ton Queen Elizabeth
class, built during the last war, four
of the 29,000-ton Royal Sovereign
class; the Nelson and Rodney of
$4,000 tons, commissioned in 1927,
and the battle cruiser Renown of
1000 tons, the only one Of three
of this type In commission at the
start of the war.
The Prince of Wales was one of
five ships of the King George v
class, all of which were scheduled
for completion in l941
The King George v itself is known
to be in service.
Two 10000 -tonners, the Lion ano
Temeraire, mounting 16-inch rifles
are scheduled for completion in 1943
The Navy's program called for two
more ships to be completed in 1914
but no names have been assigned t.
these and no announcement made
of progress on them.
One Of Nays Blacklist Days.
The warships went down in ont
of the British Navy's blackest day.
whilst carrying out operationl
against the Japanese attack on Ma.
laya," the Admiralty said.
1t added that mo details were yet
available except those contained ir
the Japanese official communique
which claims that both ships wers
sunk by air attack"
The Prince of Wales was fiyins
the flag of Admiral Sir Tom Phil.
lips, commander of the British fee
in Eastern waters.
Previous to today's blow, Britain
IN more than two years of war hac
lost only two of her capital ships
the battleship Royal Oak, 20, $50 tons
sunk by German submarine Octo.
Der IA, 1889, in Scapa Flow, and tn,
42,100-ton battle cruiser Hood, SUM
by the German battleship Bismarck
May "a, 1941. in the Atlantic.
Approximately 1900 men were los
aboard the Hood and $40 men aboarc
the Royal Oak.
The Prince of Wales was one O.
the vessels which hunted down thu
Bismarck in the Royal Navy's quicl
revenge for the loss of the Hood
The Atlantic charter was drawn ur
aboard her in August by Prime Min
lister Churchill and President Roose
welt.
She arrived in Singapore las
week as the flagship of Admira
Phillips, proudly leading a f1otilll;
to reinforce the British Navy in fac
of the japanese threat which turnet
into war.
The British announcement toda,
said only:
"a report has been received from
Singapore that H. M. S. Prince o
Wales and Repulse have been sunl
while carrying out operations agains
the japanese in attacks on Malaga
The announcement came a shor
time after Japanese imperial head
quarters in Toxic had broadcast
communique announcing that tn
two vessels had been sunk by Japa
nese bombers this afternoon, Toki
time, off the east coast of the Mala
Peninsula.
Sank Instantly, Japs Say.
The Repulse, the japanese sale
sank instantly after being hit b
the japanese air bombs, while tn
Prince of Wales was damaged, sougt
to escape and then was attacke
again, suffering additional hit
which sent her under the waves.
There was no mention in the Jar
anese announcement of the crews.
A British spokesman said thel
would be a statement shortly on tt
general situation which, he sal
from many points of view was bot
favorable and adverse and had ur
dergone important changes durir
the past few days.
The text of the Japanese com
munique said:
THE British Far Eastern file,
was sighted off the eastern coast (
the Malay Peninsula at 1:30 ocloc
this morning and Japanese aircra
Immediately went into action.
THE Repulse was sunk instant.
by bomb hits at 1929 (2:19 pm0.