Several Raiders Attacked Holmwood

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 2, 3 January 1941, Page 7

Several Raiders Attacked Holmwood

“VERITABLE FLOATING FORTRESSES” Received, Thursday, 7.30 p.m. SYDNEY, Jan. 2. A survivor of the crew, describing how the Holmwood was attacked by German ships south of New Zealand, said: “Several enemy ships came at us from different points of the compass and we had no chance. One of the ships fired a warning shot across our bows and wo hoveto. “Before the passengers and crew were taken to one of the raiders our captain addressed us on deck in an effort to cheer us up. He said: ‘I am very sorry but we are all going for a long cruise with the enemy. It is just bad luck and we must make the best of it.' “The enemy ships were heavily armed. In fact they seemed to have as much armament as they could possibly carry. They were veritable floating fortresses. We were prisoners on the raider from September 25 to December Ist. All bore the three months’ ordeal without a murmur.” A British officer from another ship, referring to the good treatment by the Germans, said the Nazis admitted that , the episode of the Altmark prison ship was a bad blunder which produced most unfavourable world reaction. They added that the mistake would not be repeated. When the survivors landed at Emirau they were put ashore and a boat was given them wherewith they could contact Rabaul. The stranded crews rigged this boat but it was not needed as a local resident made the boat available.