THE SUBMARINE DISASTER

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 79, 17 January 1950, Page 3

THE SUBMARINE DISASTER

NO S O S MESSAGE SENT SWEDISH RADIO OUT OF DATE (N.Z.P.A.—Copyright) Rec. 9.10 a:m.) LONDON, Jan. 16. Captain Hommerburg, master 1 of the Swedish oil tanker Divina, did not know he hadi hit a submarine when he came into collision with Truculent in the Thames Estuary last Thursday. He said to-day that there was only one man aboard his ship who could work the radio, which was old. He had no time to get an “SO S” message away. Why no “S OS” was sent by the Divina has been one of the mysteries of the Truculent disaster, in which 64 men died. The first radio report of the crash came from the Dutch ship Almdijk, more than an hour later. Captain Hommerburg said he did not know for two hours that he had hit a submarine. Of his radio he said: “It often takes 20 minutes of twisting dials before you can contact a shore station.” , The Divina’s crew comprised four Germans, three Spaniards, a Portuguese and an Englishman. The British Admiralty has no exact information on how many men might be left in Truculent, It was stated at the inquest at Gillingham, Kent, on the nine men whose bodies have been recovered. The inquest was formally adjourned. /• The Admiralty announced to-day that Truculent would be raised b,y a powder lift from the seabed in the Thames Estuary. Sixty-four lives were lost. After inspecting the scene of the sinking,* a senior official of the Admiralty Salvage Section said that conditions were against using the buoyance method of raising the submarine. Admiralty officials said it might take months to complete the salvage of the submarine.