SEA WARFARE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1940, Page 8

SEA WARFARE

THREE SHIPS ATTACKED. [BY CABLE. —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] NEW YORK, December 2. The Mackay radio has intercepted distress calls from three British vessels, all in about the same location in the North Atlantic Ocean, four hun-. dred miles west of Ireland. _ One craft was not identified. Its call letters were “GKLF.” It stated it was under attack at a point 55.03 degrees north and 18.40 degrees west at 4.53 a.m. G.M.T. to-day. The R.S. “Lady Ganely” was torpedoed at a point 55 degrees north and 20 degrees west at 3.15 a.m. G.M.T. to-day. The s.s. “Goodleigh” was torpedoed at a point 55.02 degrees north and 18.45 degrees west at 5.45 a.m. G.M.T.

FIVE MORE ATTACKED. (Recd. December 3, 1.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, December 2. The Mackay radio reports that messages were picked up showing aircraft and submarine attacks on five more ships, namely, Jugoslav Cetvrti, bombed 51.30 north, 11.52 west, s.s. Victor Ross, attacked by submarine 56.84 north, 18.30 west; Kilgerran Castle, bombed 25 miles south-west of Kinsale Head; Lochranza, with a shipwrecked crew of another vessel aboard, was torpedoed and is sinking, 54.37 north, 18.54 west. One unknown ship also sent an SOS message from the same vicinity.

TO DEAL WITH RAIDER. MANILA, December 2. Travellers from Hong Kong, and who are considered very reliable, said the British Government had requisitioned the Empress of Russia on Thursday, on the eve of sailing. She unloaded all her passengers. It is reported that the ship will be used as an auxiliary cruiser, hunting the German raider in the South Pacific. The Empress of Russia is very fast, but unarmoured. However, United States naval experts are of the opinion that she could be heavily armed with four-inch'guns-by means of facilities at Hong Kong, within two weeks.