BARBARIC NATION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 98, 25 March 1942, Page 6

BARBARIC NATION

JAPANESE CRUELTY AT SEA. (2.30 p.m.) RUGBY, March 24. A report has now been received in London of the circumstances in which tho British steamship kwan lung (2620 tons) was sunk south of Java on January 4. There are only twelve known survivors out ol a total complement of 98. The Kwan Tung was torpedoed without warning in the early morning and the crew took to lour boats. The Japanese U-boat surfaced and made for the master s boat, lhe U-boat’s machine-guns were trained oil the lifeboat which was deliberately rammed amidships. The survivors vveic left floating on pieces of the shattered lifeboat. ... ... The chief officer of the Kwan Lung, who was in charge of another boat and had seen the attack on the master’s lifeboat, at once put about and sailed towards him. While he was picking up twelve survivors irom the twenty-live occupants of this boat, the Japanese U-boat reappeared. A second lifeboat was destroyed bv the Japanese U-boat in the same way. No other lifeboats being in sight lhe U-boat then submoiged ami was not seen again. After the second attack only thirteen men were left alive and all were more or less injured. It was then about 8 a.m. and they floated all that day and the following night on two portions of the last liteboat which continually capsized. One of the survivors died during the afternoon of that day. About noon on the second day a steamer fortunately sighted the survivors and picked them up.