THE LATEST AN EPIC STORY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 69, 2 January 1941, Page 6

THE LATEST

AN EPIC STORY

THE TURAKINA’S FIGHT

ONLY ONE STERN GUN CARRIED.

TWO-THIRDS OF CREW LOST.

TWENTY-THREE ARE PRISONERS

NAZI GUARDS TELL OF ACTION

(United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This Day, 1.10 p.m.j CANBERRA, This Day.

A total of 496 men, women and children from ships sunk by German raiders have been rescued from the island of Ernirau, north-east of New Guinea, by an Australian vessel and landed at an Australian port.

Announcing thiis the Minister for the Navy (Mr W. M. Hughes) said they brought back with them an epic story how the British steamer Turakina fought a raider for nearly three hours with her one stern gun and lost nearly two-thirds of her crew of 58. before the battle ended.

Mr Hughes said that those rescued from the island were the passengers and crew of seven of the ten ships sunk in the Pacific in recent months. The ships sunk by the raiders included the Rangitane, Komata, Holmwood, Turakina, Triaster, Triadic, Triona, Ringwood, Notou and Vinni. None of the Turakina’s survivors were among those rescued.

Mr Hughes states that the rescued persons were landed on the island on December 21, and were of British, French and Norwegian nationalities. They included 70 women and children.

Many stories of individual heroism and endurance will emerge from the tale of the British merchant service in conflict with the enemy at sea, said Mr Hughes.

At present only the most meagre facts are available. None of the survivors landed has.,seen any of the Turakina men to hear their stories direct, but 23 of the Turakina’s survivors are known still to be prisoners in one of the saiders, and it was through their German guard that the rescued people learned of the fight.

The* Turaltina was attacked at evening twilight on August 20. She had only one gun whereas the attacker was heavily armed and had a trained fight-, ing crew. She had great speed and could outfight the Turakina on every point, yet the Turakina fought her for over 2£ hours. It is believed that 35 of the Turakina’s crew were killed.