(HMS Perseus hit a mine and sank off Cephalonia, Greece on Dec. 6, 1941. This is known because there was one survivor, Leading Stoker John Capes, who was on passage in Perseus. Three men escaped from the sunken wreck, but Capes was the only one who made it to land. He was sheltered by locals until he was smuggled into Turkey and made his way back to England in June of 1943. He then informed authorities of the fate of Perseus.)

(In this report, the blame for von Reichenau's death is placed in Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler hands. While the press had good reason to be skeptical of any Nazi report, they should have equally been skeptical of reports coming out of Stockholm. In this case, the Nazis were telling the truth, at least most of it. The report of his death was true, but the cause is still unknown. Von Reichenau had a stroke on Jan. 14th and was being flown to Leipzig for treatment. His plane crash-landed and he received further injuries. It is unclear if he died from the effects of the stroke or the plane crash. His early death prevented him from being tried as a war criminal at Nürnberg, charges for which he very likely would have been executed. A rabid Jew hater and devoted Nazi, Reichenau oversaw the Kiev area where the Babi Yar massacre took place in Sept. of 1941. He was indicted at Nürnberg, even though he was dead, as part of the German General Staff and him specifically for the Reichenau Order, also known as the severity order.)

(I looked through the Kriegsmarine documents I have available and I found no evidence that the U-Boats were sent on a mission to sink Churchill's ship.)

(According to radio Moscow, Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List has been put into a concentration camp. Another Russian propaganda piece. While List was never arrested, executed or committed suicide, he was relieved of command by Hitler on Sept. 9, 1942. He was replaced by von Kleist. List never returned to active service. He was arrested after the war and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. Sentenced to life in prison in 1948, he was released, like so many other ex-Nazi officers, due to "ill health" in Dec. 1952. His health was good enough to keep him alive until Aug. 17, 1971.)

(HM Trawler Lady Shirley, famed for having sunk U-111 on Oct. 4, 1941, was sunk by U-374 on Dec. 11, 1941. There were no survivors from the 33-man crew.)

(The report by Frank Tremaine of United Press claims that the U.S. Navy has sunk "a number of Japanese submarines." The report was true to the letter, when you say "a number" but do not disclose which number you are describing, any number makes it true. In this case the "number" being described was one. Only one Japanese submarine had been sunk by U.S. forces since Dec. 7, 1941. The British also sank one, ironically the Japanese sank two themselves. One in collision and one wrecked on a reef.)

(The glowing report was mostly wishful thinking, or you could say pure propaganda. The report states HM Submarine Talisman sank a 15,00-ton troopship, a U-boat and damaged an Italian destroyer. The largest ship sunk by Talisman was the 8,194-ton Théophile Gautier. Talisman did engage U-561, but the boat was not sunk. And I have no record of an attack against an Italian destroyer, but Talisman did fire torpedoes against the Italian torpedo boat Orione, but this ship was not hit.)

(The England-America news mess.)

[For the English version see "Nazis, Japs, Italians Sign A New Pact" In the News and Chronicle at top of page.]