ZURICH: Berliners have been forbidden to discuss the Scharnhorst affair in public, it is learned here. Recently relatives of the Scharnhorst crew have been receiving letters revealing the sailors utter demoralisation. When the news that the Scharnhorst was sunk reached Britain, the report spread like wildfire. The Commander put to sea because he feared a mutiny like that of Kiel in 1918. Whether this is true it is impossible to ascertain, but the fact remains that the ship’s loss is having a disastrous effect on public morale, already shaken by air-raids.

The German Naval High Command on Monday night gave details of the sinking of the Scharnhorst, says a Berlin message on December 26th: “Towards 11.00 hours the battle cruiser Scharnhorst with Commander of Destroyers Rear Admiral Bey as commander-in-chief of the task force on board established fighting contact with escort units consisting of destroyers and cruisers protecting a convoy.

“Shortly after the engagement had begun one of the enemy heavy units intervened in the battle. In the engagement the enemy succeeded by a surprise move, which owing to prevailing poor visibility, could not at first be discerned…”

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2018