ENEMY RAIDER OPERATING IN TASMAN SEA

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 282, 23 August 1940, Page 10

ENEMY RAIDER OPERATING IN TASMAN SEA

British Ship Turakina Attacked And Gunned NEW ZEALAND NAVY AND AIR FORCE NOW SEARCHING An announcement that on Tuesday evening advice was received bv wireless from the s.s. Turakina in the Tasman Sea that she was being attacked and gunned by a raider was made last night by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser. The message, which was received at’ 6.28 p.m. on Tuesday, gave the latitude'and longitude of the 1 urakina at the time. _ . '■'All possible steps were immediately taken bv the New Zealand Naval Forces and the Royal New Zea'and Air Force to locate and deal with the raider.” the Prime Minister said, “and the search is continuing. No further information is at present available.” The Prime Minister explained that it had not been possible to make an earlier announcement because of the necessity of preserving secrecy, so that the effectiveness of the steps being taken should not be prejudiced.

TURAKINA A WELL-KNOWN TRADER TO

DOMINION

Tbe Turakina, owned by the New Zealand Shipping Company Ltd., is a large cargo steamer o f 5706 tons gross register. 480 feet in length and approximately 63 feet in breadth. She is propelled by ar single screw, driven by geared-turbine engines giving her a speed of about 14 knots. The Turakina, which was built at Glasgow in 1923, has been a regular trader to New Zealand for 17 years. She has a refrigerated cargo capacity of 430,150 cubic feet. The Turakina, commanded by Captain Laird is the third ship of the name owned by the New Zealand Shipping Company Ltd. The first was the clippey ship Turakina. which, as tbe City of Perth, was driven ashore in a gale at Timaru in May. 1882, in company with the ship Ben Venue, which became a total loss. Tlie City of Perth was subsequently refloated and repaired, and after being purchased by

the New Zearlstnd Shipping Company was renamed Turakina. A vessel of 11S9 tons register, she made 15 successful voyages to New Zealand under tlie company’s flag. Tlie second Turakina was a twinscrew passenger and cargo liner of 8027 tons gross register, built in 1902. On August 13, 1917, shortly after she bad disembarked a large draft of New Zealand troops at Plymouth, the Turakina was torpedoed without warning and sunk 120 miles west-south-west from Bishop Bock in tlie English Channel.

The attack on the Turnkimr by an enemy armed raider recalls the fate of the Canadian-Australasian liner Niagara, which was sunk a few weeks ago by a mine . few hours after she had left Auckland for Suva, Honolulu and Vancouver. Subsequent sweeping operations discovered a number of mines in the vicinity.