German broadcasts falsely announced HMS Ark Royal's destruction so often that even her actual loss was initially doubted. Some Germans suspected a British deception and imagined that the carrier had instead disappeared on a secret mission. The earlier claims had damaged the broadcasts' credibility with their own audience. Repeated propaganda claims can make a true later report harder to believe.
Notable Point · 1:04:47-1:05:22
Ark Royal and the credibility cost of propaganda
Repeated German claims to have sunk HMS Ark Royal became so familiar that her real loss was initially met with disbelief.