THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: German navy seize Danish ships bound for Britain in a tit for tat action as blockade tightens

From the News Letter, October 2, 1939
A handout still showing Adolf Hitler. A still from one of the many Nazi Propaganda films sent to Pathe in the 30's but never actually edited into the newsreel. Thousands of hours of history and nostalgia will be freely available from today, Tuesday 19  November 2002, with the launch of Pathe's famous cinema newsreels online. The material can be accessed at www.britishpathe.com See PA Story MEDIA Pathe. Mandatory Credit to Britsh Pathe PLCA handout still showing Adolf Hitler. A still from one of the many Nazi Propaganda films sent to Pathe in the 30's but never actually edited into the newsreel. Thousands of hours of history and nostalgia will be freely available from today, Tuesday 19  November 2002, with the launch of Pathe's famous cinema newsreels online. The material can be accessed at www.britishpathe.com See PA Story MEDIA Pathe. Mandatory Credit to Britsh Pathe PLC
A handout still showing Adolf Hitler. A still from one of the many Nazi Propaganda films sent to Pathe in the 30's but never actually edited into the newsreel. Thousands of hours of history and nostalgia will be freely available from today, Tuesday 19 November 2002, with the launch of Pathe's famous cinema newsreels online. The material can be accessed at www.britishpathe.com See PA Story MEDIA Pathe. Mandatory Credit to Britsh Pathe PLC

On this day in 1939 came the news from Copenhagen that three Danish ships, two of them with cargoes of agricultural products for Britain, had been captured by German warships, and taken to a German harbour for examination.

A fourth, which was also claimed by the Germans to be carrying agricultural goods, was believed to have been taken to the same port too.

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The News Letter reported that the Danish minister in Berlin approached the German government with the object of securing the release of the ships as soon as possible.

The reply given by the Germans to the Danish minister was that his request would be “examined”.

The Danish point of view was the ships were carrying only provisions to Britain in their ships were not of no military importance and only a continuation of a long-established trade between the two nations.

The Danes conceded that the Germans had a right to search the ships but as they were not carrying any contraband to Britain that the Germans had not right to seize the ships.

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The reply from German expressed in Berlin was until the British altered their contraband list that Germany would have to stop “all transport to Britain and all trading with neutrals”.

It was added: “Germany realise that this is very hard on neutrals but the blame lies with Britain. Our hand has been forced by the British blockade.”

Meanwhile, the Dutch minesweeper Jan van Gelder was reported to have struck a mine near Terschelling Island.

While seriously damaged the Dutch ship was able to return to port.

Five men had been killed in the incident, reported the Press Association.

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