ON THE SEAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 May 1943, Page 5

ON THE SEAS

TWO AXIS SHIPS SUNK

RUGBY, May 17. The Admiralty states that two more enemy vessels, which attempts to break through the Allied blockade, have been scuttled after interception |w British warships. One Geima.i armor! ship, the Silfaplana 4753 tons was inward bound from the Far Last with a valuable cargo ot I’ubber an<d tin. She was sighted by. the cruiser Adventure, about 209 nines off CaP' Finisterre. and ordered to stop. V uiin a few minutes, and before tnc Silvaplana had lost way, her crew proceeded to abandon the si if • Flames enveloped her bridge, anc. a series of explosions rent her hull. She heeled over and sank stern tust. The ship’s company were rescuer.. The other blockade-runner, tnc German motor ship. Regensburg, 8068 tons, also heavily laden, inward bound from the Far East, was intercepted between Greenland and Ice land by the cruiser Glasgow. V aiming shots were followed by signs ol panic aboard. The enemy signa.led “I stop," but soon . afterwards scuttling charges were fired, and owing to the heavy weather and icy water, only six of the 75 personnel were rescued.

(THREE GERMAN VESSELS MINED

(Recd. 12.45) STOCKHOLM, May 17. Swedish seamen at Malmo report that the German merchantman ■Gneisenau, 18.160 tons hit a mine and sank in the Baltic Sea at the end of April. Mines also sank two Geriman tugboats while towing a dock date in April. Forty were killed.

JAPANESE LOSSES.

RUGBY, May 17

The sinking of Japanese ships, including a destroyer is recorded in a United.' States Navy communique which states: Avengers attacked four cargo vessels on May 15, in the Buin area. One ship was set on lire. American submarines, have reported actions in the Pacific and Far East. They' sunk one destroyer, one large and one medium-sized cargo ship, one medium transport, one small passenger freighter, and one small escort vessel, and damaged a large tanker.

BRAZILIANS SINK U-BOATS

(Recd. 1.45 p.m.) RIO DE JANEIRO, May 17.

The Government News Agency announced that the Brazilian Air Force sank a U-boat, bringing the '.otal destroyed by air to eight. It was previously announced that the Brazilian-American Navies sank five< others in this area.