SEA WARFARE

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 August 1940, Page 5

SEA WARFARE

SUBMARINE LOST.

[BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN.—COPYRIGHT..]

LONDON, August 17.

The Admiralty announces that the submarine Orpheus is considerably overdue and must be presumed lost.

TWO SHIPS TORPEDOED.

LONDON, August 16.

Fifteen survivors of the tanker British Fame have landed at the Azores. A U-boat torpedoed the tanker, which was bound for South America, killing three of the crew and taking the captain prisoner. Two lifeboats, with 35 of the crew, are missing. The Mackay radio, New York, states that the British freighter Clan McPhee, was torpedoed about. 40.0 miles north-west of the northern coast of Ireland.

PORTUGUESE RESCUES.

RUGBY, August 18.

The appreciation of the Admiralty and officers and men of the Royal Navy has been expressed ■of the courageous action of the Portuguese destroyer Dao, in making repeated successful searches for survivors of the British Fame, which was outward bound in ballast, and, sailing independently, was torpedoed without warning off the Azores, on August 12. The Dao’s first search‘failed to locate the lifeboats, but later one boat containing 15 men arrived at the Azores. The Dao thereupon carried out a further search and rescued 30 missing men, who had been seen in two lifeboats.

SWEDISH SHIP SUNK.

LONDON, August 17.

Twenty-seven survivors of a Swedish steamer, the Artos, of thirty-five hundred tons which has been torpedoed by a U-boat, have landed at a north-west English port. The attack was made in daylight. The ship’s nationality was clearly marked on the hull. TRAWLERS’ CASUALTIES. (Recd. August 19, 1.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 18. The casualties on the Odin and the trawlers Oswaldian, Edwardian, River Clyde, and Drummer totalled 111 killed, wounded, or missing, and presumed killed. The Odin had five officers and 50 ratings missing, presumed killed. GERMAN CLAIMS. LONDON, August 17. The German High Command reports: U-boats sank several convoyed armed merchantmen of a total tonnage of 25,700 tons, including a tanker of 5,700 tons. ITALIAN CLAIM. (Recd. August 19, 10.45 a.m.). ROME, August 18. A cqmmunique stated that an Italian submarine sank a British 9000ton tanker, in the Atlantic. N.Z. MANNED TRAWLERS. RUGBY, August 17. Mr. W. J. Jordan inspected seven minesweeping trawlers officered and manned by New Zealanders at a southern port. They all arrived from the Dominion recently, and are now on active service. Mr. Jordan clambered aboard £lll the trawlers, and warmed complimented the men on their smart'appearance. He met many British officers who served on the New Zealand station, including Rear-Admiral Burgess Watson, and also spoke with a rating recovering from appendicitis. He promised to send Lady Dunbar Nasmith clothes sent to England by the New Zealand Patriotic Society. AN APRIL TRAGEDY. (Received August 19, 12.55 p.m.) LONDON, August 18. The French destroyer Maillebrese sank off the west coast of Scotland, in April, after a series of violent explosions, setting her ablaze from stem to stern. She had 300 men aboard. British naval units fought to release the French sailors, who were trapped behind a wall of fire. The explosions shattered windows in a town. The disaster was the sequel to the handling of a torpedo, which exploded, wrecking the fore-end of the ship. Thousands watched the drama from the waterfront. Scores of craft picked up the survivors. Priests knelt on the quayside beside dying sailors. Twelve were killed, and over 60 were injured. The loss has been one of the bestkept secrets of the war.