Trawler crew back home

Press, 5 June 1982, Page 8

Trawler crew back home

NZPA Buenos Aires Twenty-three crewmen of the Argentine trawler Narwal, sunk by British warplanes on May 9. arrived yesterday from Montevideo, Uruguay, aboard a navy launch. ' The 24 survivors of the sinking had arrived in the Uruguayan capital aboard the British hospital ship Hecla, which was also carrying British servicemen wounded in the Falkland Islands conflict.

One member of the crew, who was seriously wounded, was taken to hospital in Montevideo. The others were taken to the Buenos Aires Naval Hospital for medical checks. One . survivor told the official, news agency, Telam, that the ship was attacked by Harrier jump-jets, one of which dropped a bomb which

exploded in one of the cabins, disabling the ship. He said the Narwal sank more than an hour after the attack, which gave the crewtime to take to lifeboats. Another seaman said the- , survivors had been rescued . _ by four British helicopters, - escorted by two warplanes, which took them to the Invincible, one of two aircraft IT carriers with the British task force. One died in the attack. £ Asked whether the trawler * had any means of defence against the Harriers, one § seaman said: “Just the kitchen knives.” ” .

The indpendent news agency, Noticias Argentinas, £ quoted one of the crew as -- saying that the Harriers £ dropped more bombs in two more attacks and then made X a last swoop with machine- - 1 guns when the ship was •) about to sink.