SUBMARINE WARFARE.

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 February 1917, Page 2

SUBMARINE WARFARE.

NORWEGIAN VESSELS SUNIt

THE CREWS WARNED.

Received this day at 12.5 p.nt. WASHINGTON, February 25. The Consul reported the sipk-* ing of two more —the Norwegians Skriin and Blenheim. ; Americans ■ were aboard. The crews were warned and saved,-

AN EXTRAORDINARY TALE. r

TOLD BY GERMAN LEGATION.

j REUTER'S TELEGRAM.]

Received this dav at 11.45 a.m. THE HAGUE February 25

The German Legation gives an extraordinary explanation of- the torpedoing. It says that the date of the safe home coming of the Dutch vessels was originally fixed \for February stlp but postponed till the Sth and then the 11th. , . , 1

In view of the situation, Holland finally informed Dutch shipowners that their vessels would leave in a group on the 22nd or 17th March.

TWO VESSELS S'UNK.

FURTHER CASUALTIES.

[AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.]

, Received this day at 10.40 a.m. LONDON, February 24. The sinkings include tile British steamers Longbirst (3053 tons) and the Beneficent (1963

tons). . The captain and six of the crew of the torpedoed'Grenadier were killed.

FURTHER DETAILS.

AN OFFICER’S NARRATIVE.

[AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION.]

Received this day at 11 a.m, LONDON, February 26. An officer belonging to one of the seven Dutch vessels, interviewed at Paddington, said: “We had'pickedfup about the western to Tthe Channel the crew of a Norwegian steamer when the submarine approached. Apparently only one of our ships noticed her and slopped. The others proceeded. . ! 'The submarine then fired ah aerial torpedo and nearly hit us. Afterwards gunshots were fired overhead until we all stopped. The submarine came to each ship, saying that we must take to the boats within five minutes as they were going to sink us because we were in English waters. We had hardly time to leave the ships before the submarine commenced its work. All the crews were picked up after several lipurs by trawlers, and landed.