ESCAPE FROM RAIDER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20136, 4 January 1940, Page 5

ESCAPE FROM RAIDER

THE BRISBANE STAR MESSAGE TO ADMIRALTY Precise information, of the movements of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spec were given to the Admiralty by the Blue Star motor ship Brisbane Star, which arrived at an English port last month after narrowly escaping destruction from the battleship’s guns. The Brisbane Star, which is well known in New Zealand waters, was on route from Australia to England with produce in the South Atlantic when she picked up an, SOS message from the Doric Star, stating that she was being attacked by a battleship. The message was relayed by the Brisbane Star to all stations in the vicinity and the motor ship then crowded on all speed to outdistance the Admiral Graf Spee, which apparently picked up the message and came straight in the ship’s direction.

“We appeared to be doomed," said the chief officer of the Brisbane Star, “but when we were 30 miles distant from the German battleship, the Shaw. Savill steamer Tairoa crossed the path of the Admiral Graf Spee, which spent precious time in sinking its new victim. Meanwhile, we were going at full speed and cleared the area in which the Admiral Graf Spee would cut our course and hurried northward. "While vve hated leaving the sinking merchantmen we realised that any attempt to rescue would condemn us to their late. v« nen we reached England naval authorities informed us that our information was responsible for the tracking down of the Admiral Graf Spee.”