Germans Show Little Fight; Victors of Graf Spee Congratulate H.M.S. Cossack for Completing Job FFICERS and men of H.Mé
London, Feb, 19. Cossack received 'a message of congratulation from the cruisers Exeter and Ajax which took part in the battle of the Rio de la Plata on December 13, for completing their good work. Happy groups of relatives and friends of the British seamen taken off the "Altmark gathered at many stations on Sunday evening and gave a heroes' welcome to the rescued men, It has been estimated that the Altmark must have travelled 15,000 miles, ranging from tropic heat to Arctic, and Antartic cold.
About 150 of the 250 prisoners taken off the Altmark, who were taken to hospital at Leith, were able to leave yesterday and return to their homes, A dramatic account of the boarding party's exploit was given to Reuter today. The officer in charge of the party leaped eight fect from H.M.S. Cossack to the Altmark, waving a revolver and shouting: "Come on.
Follow me.
'The Germans, Reuter was told,' "scuttled like frightened rabbits, left the ship as hurriedly as they could get overboard and took positions behind rocks, They opened fire blindly, wounding one man in the shoulder."
was then that the British fired in Nazi Exaggerate British Losses Among those still in hospital are about seventy Lascars. It is expected they will be discharged today.
One of the released prisoners, Aubrey Jenkins, of the Done Star, which" was sunk by the German pocket-battleship Admiral Graf Spee, Lt.-Cmdr, Turner Hero London, Feb, 18.
The om cial German. news agency yesterday issued a statement claiming that the Germans had. sunk 25 British tankers since the beginning of the war, totalling 189,800. tons. Reuter learns from official sources in London that actually twelve British tankers, totalling some 89,000 tons, have been Jost since hostilities began.
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