SINKING OF C.P.R. LINER

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1942, Page 5

SINKING OF C.P.R. LINER

ENGINEER’S NARRATIVE

(N.Z.I’.A. Special Australian Correspondent)

SYDNEY, May 20

The crew of the Empress of Asia, who came to Australia, tell the full story of the sinking and how the sloop Yarra in the face of grave danger, rescued a large proportion of the liner’s troops. Mr. W. H. McArthur, one of the engineers, said that on the morning of February 4 the Empress of Asia was in convoy with four other transports in Banka Strait, which at that time was known as “Bomb Alley.” Suddenly at breakfast a formation ol Japanese bombers came over arid dropped bombs all round the ship without effect. The following day, wnen the Empress of Asia was within sight of Singapore, the Japanese again came over - in force. One bomb crashed through the deck and exploded in the first-class saloon, setting it on fire. Desperate but futile efforts were made to control the fire; then a second bomb burst just astern of the bridge. The speed was diminished and the ship was soon in a bad way. When she was within sight of her destination the Australian sloop Yarra arrived.

“I take off my hat to those Australian sailors,” said Mr. McArthur. “We were at that moment drifting into a minefield. Our ship was ablaze, but that did not deter the commander of the Yarra. He brought his little ship alongside our port quarter and made fast with lines. The troops and the crew swarmed over the decks into the Yarra, by which time the fire was so fierce that the soldiers and crew forward were cut off by a wall of flame. All they could do was to take flying leaps into the water and wait to be picked up. A few were injured.

‘Even while the rescue was going on the Japanese were still lashing at us. The Yarra’s anti-aircraft guns meanwhile were right on the mark. They brought down three bombers to my knowledge. Two fell simultaneously into the sea. There must have been 2000 of us on the Yarra, and I heard the commander shout a warning not to move our positions for fear of capsizing the sloop. “We managed to escape the minefield and the commander stuck to his perilous job until no more could be rescued. We crawled into Singapore with cur ship still blazing in the distance. All were thankful to be spared to tell the story of a miraculous escape in the nick of time.”

CATERING STAFF'S SACRIFICE.

RUGBY, May 20

A few days before the fall of Singapore the entire crew of the British steamer Empress of Asia, were brought safely into port. It is stated in London that the officers, engineers, sailors, and firemen, were divided up to man three small steamers, which were lying in the harbour without crews. They raised steam and got these ships away from Singapore, before the arrival of the Japanese. Meanwhile, 147 men, the entire catering staff of the Empress of Asia, had volunteered to assist the civil and medical services in running the hospitals of Singapore. These stewards, cooks, and pantrymen were still at their posts when the Japanese occupied the city. As far as is known, they are all prisoners.

MORE ALLIED LOSSES. NEW YORK, May 20. An Axis submarine torpedoed two medium-sized United States merchantmen in the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty men were killed on one vessel and 13 on the other. Twenty-two survivors of a vessel torpedoed and sunk in the Western Atlantic have arrived at an eastern Canadian port. Four of the crew were killed by the explosion. U-BOAT CREWS. (Rec. 9.40 a.m.) LONDON, May 20. With reference to the recent reports that Germany is building 18 submarines monthly, it is authoritatively stated in London that although this is possible, their difficulty will be to provide trained crews in sufficient numbers.

SUBMARINE’S ACHIEVEMENTS.

RUGBY, May 20. The Usula submarine, which sank a German cruiser off the mouth of the Elbe in December 1939, is stated to have been recently serving in the Mediterranean, where she sunk or seriously damaged, more than 50,000 tons of enemy shipping. Her patrols in the Mediterranean added four bars, and the Red Star to her “jolly ,’oger” ensign, the “successes” flag of submarines operating from Alexandria, and Malta. The star is for des;ruction by gunfire of an important railway bridge on the Italian coast.

The Ursula took part in the attack in conjunction with Naval aircraft on enemy convoy. A submarine officer said: We could see flares dropped by Swordfish many miles away. They led us to the convoy. We attacked, and fired torpedoes scoring hits on two separate ships. We dived deep to avoid counterattack but no depth charges followed us down. Later when we raised the periscope, we thought at least that one of our targets had escaped. Ye could see her masts, and they looked at first as if she was over the horizon, but thev really were vanishing beneath the surface. She went down as we watched. ALLIES’ NAVAL STRENGTH (Recd. 11.25 a.m.) LONDON, May 20. Jane’s 1941 edition ot Fighting Ships, published to-day, reveals that the German navy has done practically nothing to replace its losses in capital ships and cruisers. Italy with half her original cruiser fleet gone, is not believed to have received any substantial! reinforcement from ships under construction, ■ presumably owing to a shortage of steel and other metals. The United States has now the greatest quantity of capital ship tonnage under construction of any country in history. Six 35,000-ton Washington class battleships have been launched, of which two are in service. Six 45 000-ton lowa class and five 58,-000-ton Montana class battleships are either under construction or are being laid down. The first of the six bat-tle-cruisers of the Alaska class was laid down in December, 1941. Eleven aircraft-carriers and 40 cruisers are also being constructed, while the number of destroyers being built challenges comparison with the 1918 'programme. Britain has lost 70 destroyers, but Jane’s lists 84 new destroyers and over 175 corvettes.