SCREAMING MOB.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 158, 5 July 1940, Page 8

SCREAMING MOB.

ON SINKING LINER. Germans And Italians Fought " Like Animals." HEROIC GUARDS AND CREW. (Received noon.) LONDON, July 4. A hundred and Thirty British soldiers, struggling desperately on sloping decks to control a screaming mob of Kalians and Germans, gave their lives for the prisoners when the lf>,ooo-ton Bine Star liner Arandora Star, which was carrying about ](>(>(( enemy aliens from Britain for internment in Canada, was torpedoed by a German submarine off ihe wp.-f coast of Ireland about six o'clock yesterday morning;. ]t is revealed T"iat flip Aran. leva Star was found funking by ii Sunderlund flying boat of the Coastal Command of the R.A.F a considerable distance fro J: the west coast of Scotland, and to the north-west of Ireland, states a British official wireless message. The captain of the aircraft saw scattered mi the water 13 lifeboats full of survivors, as well-as survivors on raft*, and other:eliuging to floating debris.

The Sunderland circled low and dropped first-aid outfits mid all the food on board, including emergency rations, al.-o the crew's cigarettes and tobacco, which were put into waterproof bag-, ;nid attached to their life jackets to act as buoys. Destroyer Guided to Scene. Having seen the survivors pkk these up the Sunderland went in search of assistance uml guided a destroyer to the scene. It whs 11 a.m. when the Arandora Star was first sighted, and three hours later the destroyer- arrived and began to pick up the survivors.

Hundreds of the Germans and Italians lost their lives in the mad panic which followed the explosion. They fought like wild animals for places in the boats and some had to lie shot by the soldiers or beaten off with oars to prevent them from swamping the already overcrowded lifeboaits.

"If all on board had In-en British the loss of life would have been a mere fraction of what it was," said a survivor.

The heroism of the soldiers, sailors and crew relieves the sordid tale of panic and eavagerv. Captain Moulton, who commanded the vessel, gave his lifejacket to an Italian mid dived into the vva.ter at the last minute. He was not seen again. U Boat Did Not Reappear. Major Bethel, the military commander, handed his lifebelt to one of his men and continued to supervise the lowering of boats until he went down with the ship. T'he two wireless operators, still at their post* when the <li'cks were awash, were drowned. A gunner, who survived, stayed at the gun until it was practically submerged, hoping to get a shot at the U-boait, which did not come to the surf are.

The '"Daily Herald" says there were 1640 internees oil board, and the Germans, who have proudly Uoasted of the torpedoing, learned only to-day that 908 of their own people were lost.

Of the 2TiO British troops on hoard as guards, only 120 were saved. Fifty-nine sailors were rescued from the ship's complement. The vessel sank 20 minutes after the toq>edo struck her and ripped her open.

The conduct of one German was ii: striking: contrast with that of his fellows. When a lifeboat overturned he took command of the situation, and called for assistance from those around him. He succeeded in righting the boat and started rescuing others from the water.

'Plane Drops Food. A sailor who was rescued said his party of survivors were eight hours on a raft before the arrival of a warship. Their legs were frozen and they could not climb a rope ladder.

One of tlie stewards said a reconnaissance aeroplane ■l>rmi<rh,t the first hope of rescue. It dropped a note saying:

"Keep chins up, help coming soon." and also dropped a tin with bread and biscuits.

The alien* liave been again interned. Sixty of the survivors were sent to hospital, most of them being only slightly injured.

The owners of thp Aranrli.ra Star say a considerable proportion of the crew of 300 were saved. It is hoped more survivors will be landed from other ships. Serving on board the Arandora Star as an engineer -was Mr. A. R, Mowat. son of Mr. and Mrs. A. ST. Mowat, of Clyde vale, South Otago. No advice, has yet been received whether he was among thoee rescued.