MEN ON RAFT
ENCOUNTER WITH U-BOAT. (Per British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, July 13. The encounter of a raft on which thirteen seamen had been clinging for nearly six days, with a. German U-boat has been described by a survivor who recently landed in Britain. After their ship had' been torpedoed, those on the raft drifted aimlessly and on the third day saw a liner, but were not themselves seen, owing to the rough sea. On the sixth day, a German submarine appeared, and approached to within twenty yards. A seaman on the raft saw a machine-gun on the U-boat bridge trained on them, and he ostentiously threw overboard the one rifle they had with them. The U-boat circled slowly and close round the raft. Then the commander waved, and went away. The survivors, said the seamen, were relieved at not being taken prisoner, rather than despairing at not being rescued, and they celebrated the event bv a double ration of water. Later in the day they were rescued bv a British destroyer.
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Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1940, Page 5
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172MEN ON RAFT Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1940, Page 5
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