CAPTIVE BRITONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 June 1943, Page 6

CAPTIVE BRITONS

ESCAPE ’ FROM'SUBMARINE

British troops and airmen imprisoned in the torpedo room of an Italian submarine, fought their way to safety through panicky Italians when the U-boat was attacked by a British plane and finally sunk (wrote Reuter’s Special Correspondent at Cairo recently). United States airmen were also prisoners in the submarine. They were all saved, too. They had nothing but praise for the accuracy of the British attack and little but contempt for the Italians, who left the prisoners without lifebelts. The attacking plane was piloted by Flying Officer J. N. Cartwright, of Siitton Coldfield.

“The depth charge was “terrific,’' said an American survivor. “We were locked in the torpedo department, with Italian soldiers at the door as guards, when it came. There was a terrific ear-splitting crash and the lights went out. I found myself on the floor, and then followed two enormous explosions. Some Italian sailors were by that time lying on the floor, where they had been thrown. They' were all very sick. A British major took charge in the dark and reconnoitred the prospects of getting through to the conninglower hatch.

“Water trickled into our compartment and we heard air hissing through the submarine, indicating she- was blowing her tanks. Whin our compartment was opened by a sailor we brushed him aside ami rushed to the conning-tower. “We got out through the conningtower, and 1 can tell you our aircraft flying around looked good to us. Tht Italians were panicking like mad and hoisted an Italian’ flag, which we forced them to take down.” Flying Officer Cartwright broke in to explain: “We saw that flag. We signalled lor some destroyers to come up. Then, as the Italians waved white flags, we came in, but wore met with machine-gun fire. For that my gunner shot an Italian gunner and four others.”

The American, resuming his account, said: “The Italians were absolutely crazy. The destroyers started dropping shells, and the Italians jumped overboard like flies. Wc were not long after .them. “The submarine went down stern first. We swam about for two hours before we were picked up by destroyers.”