AXIS SHIP TAKEN

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 273, 18 November 1941, Page 7

AXIS SHIP TAKEN

VS. CRUISER'S PRIZE

Crew's Attempts To Scuttle Frustrated Lniled Pros? As>r»ciiiJ«">n —-Ci^yrjirtil Rec. 1 p.m. WASHINGTON. Nov. 17. It is reported from San Juan Puerto Rico, that a disguised Gorman motor ship, the Odenwald <50<*S tons), which was seized bv a United States cruiser, has arrived under escort. The vessel was seized on November 6 in equatorial waters of the Atlantic. The Navy Department at Washington disclosed that the Odenwald was en route to Bordeaux from Yokohama with a cargo of metals. 3000 tons of raw rubber and Americanmade automobile tvres. Ii is understood prompt action will be taken to seize the ship for illegally disguising as a United States merchantman.

Suspicious circumstances prompted the commander of the cruiser to search the merchant ship, whereupon her crew attempted to scuttle her. The boarding party from the cruiscr succeeded in stopping the leaks caused by two explosions.

Anotner account says that, in the first Ennouncement of successful American action against the Axis, the Navy Department said that the merchant ship was sighted bv the cruiser at dawn. She was sailing under American colours and bore the name of an American ship with Philadelphia shown as her home port. As her appearance was suspicious the cruiser ordered her to heave-to. then sent a boat to investigate.

The crew of the merchant ship thereupon began to abandon ship and hoisted a signal: "I am sinking. Send boat for passengers." Two explosions were then heard on board the merchant ship, but the cruiser's salvage party succeeded in stopping the leaks and starting the engines again. The ship's papers indicated that she was owned by an Axis Power.

Navy officials said the ship was now unseaworthy and needed repairs.

There is no statement in the Navy Department's communique as to what happened to the crew, but it is presumed that they were picked up. Once the vessel "is under United States jurisdiction it is presumed that she will be confiscated, the action being similar to that taken early this year against Axis ships found in American ports.