SUBMARINE MISSING

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11549, 28 January 1932, Page 5

SUBMARINE MISSING

DIYUP OFF PORTLAND

NO NEWS SINCE

(U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Jan. 20.

The Admiralty states that news Was received this evening that submarine M2 dived at 10.30 a.m. off Portland, and since then no further communication hasp been received from per.

Destroyers iniu.l submarines from Portland arp searching the area where the vessel was last known to be. TCvery endeavour is being made to establish communication.

A whole mine-sweeping flotilla has been ordered to assist in tho search. Men were hastily recalled from shore leave in theatres and cinemas at Weymouth, and Portland to rejoin their vessels. Other warships from Portland have sailed to aid in the search.

HOPES STILL HELD .LIFE-SAVING DEVICES

(U.P.A. by Elcc. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Jan. 20.

The missing submarine, the M2, was exercising along five miles west of Portland. 'She dived in about 18 fathoms of water.

A Portsmouth headquarters official stated that the last message was reccived at 10.11 a.m., saying that she was about to commence exercises.

“Wo are anxiously awaiting news” lie said. “The M2 could remain submerged in an emergency for 4 hours. She is equipped with the latest lifesaving devices. When fully manned she carries six officers and a crew of 48, but she may not have bad a full complement.”

“There is no need to abandon hope”, said Mr R. 11. Davis, the inventor of the escape apparatus which was used when the Poseidan sank in Chinese waters on June 9 last. “The M2 might remain below even longer than -18 hours and then rise to the surface. The officers won’t abandon the ship until all hope of raising her lias passed. Then means of escape would be available io every man aboard, also enabling them to float for a considerable period.” Tho M2 belongs to the fifth submrine flotilla. The chief officers are Lieut.-Commander D. M. Leathes, Lieuts. O. R. Townsend," H. C. Toppin, S. MacDonald, and H. C. W. Head, ami Warrant Engineer E. P. Birkett.

A sister ship, the MI, was lost off Start Point on November 12, 1926, with the loss of 68 lives. Submarines of this class are stated to be very handy, both in the dive and general control. The M2 was extensively re fitted at Portsmouth late in 1961, and latterly had been used in trials in the carriage of a small aeroplane.

OBJECT LOCATED BELIEVED TO BE M2

(U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Jan. 27, 6.5 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 27.

The Admiralty announced at 1 p m. that an object, presumed to be the M2, was located three miles west of Portland Bill in seventeen fathoms on a sandy bottom. Salvage craft and divers were sent from Portsmouth with the utmost despatch. .(Received Jan. 27, 9 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 27.

Lifting lighters and the best divers of the Navy are being rushed to West, Bay, where a circle of flickering lights, two and a half miles off Chesil Beach indicates where M2 is lying. The sea is moderate.

DIVERS TO TAP HULL FOR. REPLIES -MEN MAY LIVE SO HOURS (Received Jan. 27, 11.10 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 27

Warships are grouped in a wide circle around the M2 scene, whither the destroyer Sabre, with specially trained deep-sea divers, and two Admiralty salvage ships, with special lifting apparatus, are rushing to got. operations started by daylight, when, according to the Daily Mail, the divers will first attempt to discover whether anybody is alive hr tapping the hull and listening for a reply. The submarine is provided with valves enabling tho divers to' pump fresh air into any compartment t..

It is stated that it is possible the men may live for eighty hours, if there i.s no extensive leakage, but, in naval circles at Portland, tho worst fears are entertained. One theory is that the submarine dived with an open hatch and thatthe inrush of water prevented the inmates from Teaching the Davis appn ratu's.

FALSE HOPE THAT MEN CAN BE SAVED (Received Jan. 27, 11 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 26. Tho Daily Telegraph’s naval expert sa,ys:—

ominous that M2 vanished under circumstances recalling the loss of Ml on December 13,

1925 It is surmised that ALL got

out of control during the dive and was crushed hv the pressure of the water on passing the limit of safe submergence. Salving a wrecked submarine is a long and tedious process. To indicate that there would ho a possibility of raising the boat in time to save the men would be to encourage false hopes ” LATEST NEWS OBJECT MAY NOT BE M2 WARTIME WRECK IN VICINITY WEATHER THREATENING ; SEAS RISE (U.P.A. by Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received Jan. 2S. 12.28 a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 27. Mine sweepers continued their search all night long and, as it is known that tliere is a wartime wreck ip tho vicinity, it is now doubted whether the object found overnight is M2. Many ships assembled this morning, but tliq use of instruments capable of hearing underwater signals over a wide area was, fruitless.

The weather is threatening and the sea rising.