Neutrality Patrol
The Royal Navy destroyer intercepted the German liner "Columbus" off Bermuda on December 19 after six days of radioed position reports by three relays of Neutrality Patrol destroyers shadowing the liner since it departed Veracruz. Roosevelt ordered all reports of the incident should indicate "Hyperion" encountered "Columbus" by chance. The Neutrality Patrol similarly radioed position reports of the British RFA tanker "Patella" a few days later, reasonably confident there were no German ships in position to intercept. The German freighter "Konsul Horn" left Aruba on January 7, 1940, posing as a Soviet ship to avoid identification by the Neutrality Patrol. The German freighter "Helgoland" sailed from Colombia on October 24, 1940, and evaded pursuit attempts by Neutrality Patrol destroyers. The German freighter "Rio Grande" similarly evaded the Neutrality Patrol by sailing from Rio de Janeiro on October 31; but prevented German ships "Orinoco" and "Phrygia" from leaving Tampico, Mexico on November 15.