SHIPS SUNK BY NAZIS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22936, 5 February 1940, Page 7

SHIPS SUNK BY NAZIS

NEUTRAL VESSELS

LOST

ONE BRITISH STEAMER

OVERDUE

(ttkiTSS gßfesi ASsdeiATiaR—oOPTRiSHT,)

(Received February 4, 8.10 p.m.)

LONDON, February 4,

The British steamer Polzella (4751 tons) is reported overdue and is presumed lost.

The chief engineer of the Greek steamer Eleni Stathohtas, destroyed by the Germans, saidi '‘We should not have been sunk,. We were a neutral ship, bound, without eargo, for a neutral port,' i saw the seeond mate jump into the sea. Another man bit himself in an attempt to suck blood to quench his thirst, and also tried to bite others. One lost his speech, poked out a shrunken tongue, collapsed and died. We did not see a British" naval vessel or aeroplane the whole time, They told us to keep to that route, surely they could have guarded It. The Greek flag was jialnted on, both sides of the ship. The flag astern was illuminated by a spotlight. We could not have survived another night. Fourteen survivors are in bed in hotels and houses and six are in hospital in an Irish village.*’ Eight survivors of tho Vidar landed at Stavanger. They say that the ship was bombed from the air, not mined. Sixteen perished. The whole crew took to a lifeboat, which capsized, drowning eight. The Others returned to the Vidar, from Which eight then left on a raft. The others went down with the ship. A Danish ship picked up those on the raft, The safe arrival at Buenos Aires of the French vessel Jamaique has disposed of the suggestion con* tained in a recent German broadcast which stated that the Jamaique, together with the Highland Patriot, Highland Monarch, and Andalucia Star, was overdue, not having been heard of for more than a fortnight, in fact, the Highland Patriot left Santos for Rio de Janeiro oh January 29. and the Highland Monarch arrived in Buenos Aires on the same day. The Andalucia Star Is not yet due at Buenos Aires, but her where-* abouts ate known. Rescued by 'Police A Norwegian steamer, the Tempo (629 tons), was bombed and sunk, One lifeboat reached the north-east coast but capsized In the surf, Police waded neck high to rescue the Norwegian sailors, who were being pounded on the rocks. One was dead and one in a critical Condition! Eight survivors, including the captain, were rescued by lifeboats. They said that the ship was bombed at 9 a.m. and the crew machinegunned as they took to the boats, A coastal command aeroplane escorting a convoy guided a Ashing smack to the rescue of nine men drifting in d lifeboat In a heavy sea. A message from Amsterdam states that the Laertes was mined and set on fire in the south-west of England, The crew of 100 took to the boats, but returned and extinguished the flames. The ship is continuing at half-speed.