CORVETTE SUNK BY MINE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25290, 16 September 1947, Page 7

CORVETTE SUNK BY MINE

26 INJURED BROUGHT TO CAIRNS

(Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 15. After a 600-mile dash, the sloop Swan arrived at Cairns to-day with 26 injured members of the crew of the corvette Wsrrnambool, which was sunk by a mine off the North Queensland coast on Saturday. When the men were carried to ftve waiting ambulances to be taken to ths Cairn* Hospital, all but two were conscious. An unofficial report received at Canberra that three of the injured had died could not be confirmed. According to Lieutenant-Commander A. R. Strang, of the Swan, which is fiagshi*' of the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla, the Warmambool sank In 90 minutes. The Swan was leading the corvettes Warmambool, Mildura, and Katoomba to the minefield, which bed just been opened. He saw the Warrnambool suddenly enveloped in spray and 4-hen it cleared her stem Was rising Into the air. Most of her bow Was blown away. Survivors said that most of the Injured men were having supper In the messroom forward of the bridge, almost beside the spot where the mihe was struck. The Swan had lost one of her sweeps on a reef, and the Warmambool had moved in behind her for shelter. The mine narrowly missed the Swan, but touched the Warrnambooi's bow. A signalman who is reported missing is skid to nave been among ■ group who jumped overboard when the blast occurred. Commander A.. J. TraVl*, commander of the Warmambool, is suffering from a broken arm, a broken collarbone, and severe shock. A Canberra report says that danger pay to naval ratings engaged in minesweeping, which was discontinued when the new pay code was introduced, may be restored retrospectively. The Minister of the Navy (Mr W. J. F. Riordan) is examining the position. An immediate inquiry is to be held Into-the loss of the Warmambool.

Mines lAid as Defence The 20th Minesweeping Flotilla !s working on the clearing of a minefield originally extending from Cape York ihside the Barrier Reef to a point just south of Townsville. The field was laid by the Navy during the war as ■ line of defence against the Japanese drive south towards Australia. According to a Naval Board announcement, this is the only accident to Royal Australian Navy minesweepers since they began ridding Austmllan and New Guinea water, of mines laid during the war. The Warmambool. of 672 tons, was built in Australia and commissioned in 1941. She was one of 11 ships ot a flotilla commanded by Captain R. V. Whatley. The flotilla spent from January till May on its first mission to northern waters before returning to Sydney for refit and shore leave. During that period it destroyed over 900 mines. It sailed from Sydney again on August 4 to dear the northern, section of th* Great Barrier Reef. The first sweep In that are* was ordered when questions were asked in Parliament after a fishing vessel had been blown up 60 miles from Townsville and three fishermen killed. Since then mines have been reported adrift in the area, and on February 34 the Australian freighter Mundalla narrowly avoided a mine which was one of six drifting at the entrance to Mourilyan harbour. •,