NAVAL HEROISM

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1942, Page 8

NAVAL HEROISM

DESTROYER SAVES LINER

INTERPOSES ITSELF TO STOP

TORPEDO

(By Telegraph—Press. Association—Copyright.)

(Rec. 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 20,

How the lives of a thousand fully-trained R.A.F. pilots, observers, and navigators, on board a fast 15,000-ton liner bound from Canada to Scotland, were saved when attacked by a U-boat in the Atlantic was told by a member of the crew.

The U-boat fired two torpedoes, which missed. A third was heading straight for the liner when an escorting destroyer which was accompanied by a corvette manoeuvred between the torpedo and the liner. There was a terrific explosion as the torpedo tore open the destroyer's side. Smoke belched out, and debris rained over the vicinity.

When, the air cleared there was nothing left of the destroyer except a patch' of oil and a few spars. Only seven of the crew were saved. The liner sailed on at full speed, but met another U-boat, which "was quickly dealt with." The liner reached port safely. The military correspondent of the "Evening Standard" says that a heavy Urboat offensive has been launched in the Atlantic in response to Japanese demands, for the purpose of straining the Allied fleets and preventing United States naval reinforcements going to the Pacific. .

WARFARE AT SEA

SUBMARINES ACTIVE

LONDON, February 19

United States army officials in the Panama Canal Zone say that Axis submarines are increasingly active in the Caribbean area, and that special counter measures are being taken.

It is announced today that two vessels have been damaged by explosions off Port of Spain, Trinidad. It is presumed they were damaged by submarines. There were no casualties. .

Earlier it was announced that a Panama tanker had been torpedoed near Aruba.

There is anger in Brazil at the torpedoing of a Brazilian steamer on Sunday night off the United States coast. One Brazilian paper says that it was clearly an attack against the Brazilian flag and that Brazilians must realise the extension of the international conflict and prepare themselves for the consequences'.