COLLISION WITH QUEEN MARY

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24570, 19 May 1945, Page 7

COLLISION WITH QUEEN MARY

Cruiser Cut In Two 10 OF WARSHIP’S CREW RESCUED

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, May 17. Details of one of the naval disasters of the war—a collision between the liner Queen Mary and the 4200-ton cruiser Curacoa, in October, 1942 —-will, be revealed in the Admiralty Division of*he High Court on June 12, says the “Daily Express.” The liner cut the cruiser in two. There were only 10 survivors, 335 officers and ratings being lost. The Glasgow correspondent says the Queen Mary, escorted by two cruisers, was travelling all-out for the Clyde with 15,000 American troops aboard, when the lookout man raised a U-boat alarm. The Queen Mary immediately wheeled to starboard. The Curacoa simultaneously raced toward the .U----boat, and the 80,000-ton. liner, travelling at 30 knots, crashed full into the cruiser. Nothing could have withstood such a shock. An eye-witness said the Queen Mary simply “tramped over the warship.” The liner could not stop to pick up survivors, but raced on at full speed. There was a great dent in her bows when she arrived at the Clyde, and it was" obvious there had been a serious mishap, but the full story was not knowr* until the survivors of the Curacoa were picked up.

Treasury officials, acting for the Admiralty, to-day applied to the High Court to hear claims for dependants against the Cunard Line amounting to £750,000. The case is likely to continue for several months, with witnesses coming from all parts of the world. There were no casualties on the Queen Mary and her regular sailings were not interrupted. Temporary repairs were carried out at Greenock and a new bow was fitted on the liner when she went back to New York. The Curacao was an anti-aircraft cruiser.