Inquiry Into Sinking Of Rangitane

Northern Advocate, 2 April 1941, Page 3

Inquiry Into Sinking Of Rangitane

Dealing with circumstances surrounding the loss of the Rangitane, the report of the Commission of Inquiry on the loss of vessels by enemy action and alleged leakage of information states that on November 27 the Rangitane encountered the same three German raiders as had captured the Holmwood.

It appeared to be established that the Rangitane travelled some 465 miles while the raiders travelled some 410 miles. The evidence was that two of the raiders were observed simultaneously about three-quarters of a mile from the Rangitane on a dark but clear night. Captain Upton had ordered the wireless room to send the “suspicious vessel” message and. if the raiders opened fire (which the captain expected would happen as soon as his wireless was used), to send the “raider message.”

Messages Sent, Received

He also ordered utmost speed and warned the engine-room that an attack by raiders was anticipated. He had altered course to present the stern of the ship to the raider which seemed to him in the best position to fire. He sent the chief officer to report when the gun was read.s- for action, and, while the chief officer was on his way, the raider switched on searchlights and opened fire. Damage was done to the ship, including the steering gear, and casualties were suffered. Two wireless messages were sent, the complete messages reaching New Zealand. The whole of the events from the time the captain was roused from sleep up to the stopping of the ship occupied only 19 minutes. The raiders continued firing after the ship had stopped. Captain Upton sent a message to them that there were women aboard, and shortly afterwards the firing ceased. A German boarding party then approached and ordered immediate abandonment of the ship. Gun Not Used. The Rangitane did not, in fact, attempt to use her gun. Captain Upton’s reasons for this decision were because he feared that fire on the raiders might lead them to retaliate with a torpedo and that the searchlights were then still on. He considered that the blinding effects of the searchlights would make it impossible for his gun’s crew to do any damage to the raiders. Evidence had been given that the gun had first to be uncovered by the gun’s crew because the practice was to keep it covered in the Pacific. In the Commission’s opinion, to travel with the gun covered was an undesirable practice. It gave its opinion that every master should be familiar with all facts as to the equipment of the gun.

Referring to evidence that indicated that an impression was current among at least some of the survivors that on the Rangitane’s last voyage to New Zealand Captain Upton disobeyed instructions, but that he acted in obedience to instructions on the last voyage from New Zealand, and to Press reports also conveying this impression, the Commission stated that it had been at pains to examine the question with care. It found that Captain Upton did not disobey his instructions on either voyage. No Information. The Germans claimed that they had met the Rangitane by design and not by accident, and that they were in possession .of information which enabled them •to intercept her. Having regard to the amount of sea traffic from New Zealand, the actual successes of the raiders in the Pacific over a period of months did not appear consistent with their having had. during that period, any such information as it was reported the German commander had claimed, the Commission found.

Secondly, if he really had such complete and regular information, it did not seem probable that he would reveal the fact or, alternative]}', that he would afterwards release the persons to whom he had made such revelations. “The statements attributed to him seem to us to be more likely part of an attempt to impress his captives, and, through them, to disseminate uneasiness and distrust in New Zealand, or they may have been manifestations of boastfulness and of a taste for melodrama.” states the report. Claims Not Genuine. “The evidence has, however, brought to light facts which, in our opinion, tell strongly against the genuineness of the claims made by the German commander.” The report instances attempts to learn the identity of a British cruiser which the German commander then believed to be at Lyttelton. Evidence by a woman passenger revealed that women passengers on the Narvik were subjected to repeated interrogation. This evidence also showed that foreign women among the captives on the Narvik were interrogated in the German language and, with certain foreign men, appeared to become friendly with the Germans, thus making available an obvious source from which they may have obtained information as to the movements of the Rangitane from the time she left the Auckland wharf, even if they had not succeeded in getting this from unguarded remarks made by British captives in casual conversations.

Unfounded Stories.

Evidence also showed that some of the German commander’s information was quite incorrect. Referring to what purported to be a photograph of the Rangitane taken from a launch in the neighbourhood of Rangitoto, the report points out that it would-be difficult for an enemy agent to get such a thing out of New the hands of the raiders. The most probr.ble explanation was that the photograph was simply something in the possession of a passenger or member of a crew obtained on searching the ship. Unfounded stories had been proved, two instances being that the German commander displayed knowledge of the time to the exact minute at which the Rangitane left the Auckland wharf and when she weighed anchor off Rangitoto.

No Secret Information

Following the capture of the Holmwood. the report states, prisoners heard the Germans speak of attacking a big English ship the next day, but this was discounted by the evidence, while one survivor said that two or three Germans told him that they had come upon the Rangitane unexpectedly, and one had said it was a great, surprise to them to get a big ship like that.

“Although many of the survivors from the captured ships appear to believe that the Germans must have had access to illegitimate sources of information, it is also true that many of them have emerged from their experiences without forming that impression,” states the report. Two witnesses had said in no uncertain manner that they were familiar with the rumours current among the captives that the Germans had secret information, but neither believed there was any foundation at all for such a belief.