MINE-LAYING RAIDER

Evening Star, Issue 23753, 7 December 1940, Page 11

MINE-LAYING RAIDER

WAS OPERATING OFF NEW ZEALAND COAST FACTS REVEALED IN LOG OF THE HAXBY NEW YORK, December 6. (Received December 7, at noon.) The log of the British freighter Haxby, which was sunk by a raider in April, reveals that the raider afterwards laid mines near New Zealand. The crew of the Haxby were taken prisoner and put aboard a captured Norwegian steamer, the Tropic Sea, which was seized near Norfolk Island and afterwards scuttled north-west of Spain. The log shows that the Haxby left Greenock on April 8 for'Texas and that, sqven days after leaving her convoy, a steamer flying the Greek colours crossed her bow and then hoisted the Nazi ensign and fired on the Haxby from four concealed six-inch guns. The survivors were taken prisoner, and the raider, on May 2, laid mines oft West Africa, and on May 7 she refuelled from the 5,000-ton German tanker Winnetou and afterwards laid mines near New Zealand, On June 18 she intercepted the Tropic Sea, again refuelling from the Winnetou, and placed the British sailors and a prize crew aboard the Tropic Sea. She attempted to reach Bordeaux, but was intercepted by a British submarine.