Brilliant Salvage Work By Australian Experts

Northern Advocate, 5 March 1945, Page 5

Brilliant Salvage Work By Australian Experts

(1.40 p.m.) CANBERRA, This Day. The Commonwealth Marine Salvage Board salvaged 600.000 tons of shipping and 500,000 tons of valuable war equipment between 1942 and the end of January 1945. The Minister for Supply and Shipping (Mr. Ashley), releasing these figures, said that the ships were victims of attacks by submarine, i surface raiders, Japanese aircraft, or were wrecked by navigation hazards in Australian and New Guinea waters. A large number of vessels were Liberty Ships. “The value of war equipment and essential civilian supplies was several million, pounds, but in terms of our needs at the time it was priceless,” said the Minister. He quoted a case where an Australian regiment waiting for an expected Japanese landing at Milne Bay, in 1942, was rendered powerless when its guns, ammunition and equipment were sent 40 feet to the bottom of the bay in the steamer Anshun which was sunk by a Japanese cruiser. The guns were in the lower holds of the ship. The surface of the water was covered with oil and the Japanese Were making daily bombing attacks.-Salvage officers could go down only at night, but after four nights of dangerous, back-breaking work, they brought up every gun uri|damag’e'd. Later, when the Japanese made a landing at Milne Bay, the Australians were ready and the Japnese suffered their first defeat on land in this area. •