INDIAN OCEAN ORDEAL

Grey River Argus, 17 March 1945, Page 5

INDIAN OCEAN ORDEAL

SURVIVORS OF TORPEDOED FREIGHTER. (Rec. 10.30). PERTH,’March 16. A freighter has been torpedoed in the Indian Ocean. Men aboard floundered in darkness and in terror that they would be imprisoned m the doomed ship. The survivors, who lived on two malted milk tablets daily, believe that two lifeboats from the -ship are still missing. After the ship was torpedoed, the submarine surfaced, and attacked again. For six days and seven nights, parched by thb sun during the day, and frozen at night, the survivors suffered severely from exposure. The water was cut to a minimum. The first torpedo struck at 10.30 p.m., and after a second attack, the submarine disappeared. For two days the men watched the stricken ship. Then she plunged, spectacularly, to the bottom. Meantime a comprehensive search was being carried out by land and ship-based planes. Five days after the ship sank the aircraft spotted the survivors, who were picked up by a corvette.