BRITISH SHIP'S FEAT

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22908, 3 January 1940, Page 6

BRITISH SHIP'S FEAT

SCUTTLING ■ OF LINER ADOLPH WOERMANN/ ';F ' ' ;■

Logged german untiu i CRUISER ARRIVED

INSTRUCTIONS, Git EN BY : ADMIRALTY

■. ' ' ' CPBES3 ASSOCIXTIOS , TEtEOE*.!!.) AUCKLAND, January 2. A remarkable story of a British cargo ship’s escort of the . German passenger liber Adolph-Woermann, of 8577 tons,' in the South ’ Atlantic in November w.as , told on the at Auckland of thei , British vessel. The Adolph Woermann, carrying a. cveri of 127 and 35 passengers, left 7 Lobito Bpy, Portuguese West Africa, early, in November. She was recognised, in spite of a disguise,, by the British ship, wlAch , wirelessed . her position, and followed her . hours until a British cruiser arrived. The Adolph Woermann was scuttled to avoid capture. • _ 9l +Vvp At 7 a.m. op November 21 the British ship sighted a ship Oil the port bow, bearing due north, and coming ‘towards her. .Having received orders from the Admiralty to be on the .look-out. for a German merchantman, the master-o British ship became suspicious When he ’saw the ‘stranger alter course m a westerly direction. He decided to. have, a, lopk at, the . ■ whiphproved tq. be a heavily loaded,. and. flylng the Por-, tugu'ese flag, and bearing the name of a wcll-kbQwri Portuguese vessel, the Nyassa, of Lisbon. On her bows £’d Portuguese flag was crudely painted on pi. trs did hot have the crest in the centre.

Message to Admiralty To make sure the British ship went close to the stranger, and signalled' to her;, “Where .are. youhound?'” 'The reply wag; Bound for Lisbon' ftom' Bahia. Brazil.the’ strong'morning light, .however,, it was possible to see through the odat’ of srsy on hfir bows. snd hull the name ldolph Woermahn in' .faded yellow,-well the Nyassa. The British merchanC^ nevertheless, signaled thank you, very much. .^f c . The •British vessel then ™™ca about and report to the. Admiralty, receiving instruction to keen the' German m sight until iut thlr orders were given..- The exact position of the Admiralty Nyassa- was found -by the. -hdmirony, and served as confirmation of the German’s identity. ■ ■ . w ... ' With-the intention, of holamg German’-urifiV a' fast British werahip arrived on* the’scene, the cargo ves ael again 'Vent about' and came up to the Adplph Woermannrwhich protested in signals. rfliJm get some' member of th e G ship’s company hbpard,_ the Britis ship signalled for a doctor, explain .. iJg P that hj -had' -r PWe wS thaT, it was utterly am- , o Thtftwo, shipsprgceededPQrthon, “Tloiffc vp: • vessel’ amWshws.-.T^ eludedr'and. the ©orman..was Hepr. under observation by a jaarohhght.

/ Cruiser Sighted On the heeison at, 9 thM° ■:; jQWJngdhy, & w ¥-v??vi^ S 'to On ■ by both ships, which, hoye-to. On, the British ship .the- order, was given , to send all hands tp- action stations, %La:. to, mpui the defensive armarnont f The Adolph Weepmann Waited,' - to see whether the ( oocopi , jrig warship was .friend or foe, having Wirelessed . fOP ' ■ aSPigtahpe■ ■ ;-<wJwn-i escorted by the British vessel - Fears that the stranger might be R j pocket battleship toowntobein . those waters were aHayed, wh vessel-* was . . Identified ...a? - A'. ,^. p |” ph ,! W were swungout fcqm the AdelPh -Woeraisnn, whieH Sjade the Sal “My ship is sinking. Am gpLlfo ahwaon ship. Stand by rae.” It was then evident that the , s (Jerman ship had been scuttled.,....

■: “A Traffifi ' ■ ’ “i- have ■ never. be£9Pf wUfliS?®® * such a tragic sight," said a mfnber , of the §hi|a c + m H le + me thp lifeboats and'i childreh l-took- tor the hteopais f{f a calm manner. The sea was veyy Jhoppy, and a strong win! fwap blowing, sMbe* - boats rocted 9Pji the - women", small- bahies. hut they Stood the situation very well. , ■ The first boats to be lowered .cop.-, tained mostly wqmen ?nd children. They , ware followed -by' the a?ew. and then by the captain m>fl shift officer. All T:h - e. ■ boats puUed smartly, dway: from thfi §}d§S otthS ■ Woermahn, and waited to be taken v op the British; warship. u ■ *As the German ship settled, the captain’s lifcbqat cameah?fi the British cargo ship, and the'eap y twin’s request P a^® ng ? Should , be, taken - aboard was -an, Rwered -bv!. «Thp pruisgr. Will deexde. fill you please lay by In the mean-; * 4 Under shell-fire - from the the German §IPP TfiPidiV b<M«P e • ablaze. 1