FACE TO FACE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 January 1940, Page 5

FACE TO FACE

WITH BRUTAL WAR TRAWLER'S HARROWING EXPERIENCE UNARMED RIVER EARN SUNK BY PLANES AT FISHING GROUNDS [British Official Wireless] (Received 10th January, 10.12 a.m.) RUGBY, 9th January. The story of how the British fishing trawler River Earn, unarmed and devoid of any protection, was brought face to face with Germany’s brutal and illegal methods of waging war at sea is revealed. The story begins with the rescue by the River Earn of three survivors of the Danish steamer Bogo at 3 a.m. on 18th December. The men, whose flares attracted attention, were found clinging to a raft after their vessel had been sunk by a German mine. The Danes were in a dreadful state from exposure and they received such attention as was possible as the River Earn nosed her way towards the fishing grounds. That same evening a single aircraft was sighted. She came close, flying low, and had a good look at the River Earn. Those on board the trawler could clearly see black crosses on the wings and fuselage. The aircraft attacked the trawler and dropped a bomb. They missed and the aircraft flew away.

BOMBED AND MACHINE-GUNNED The following day another German flying-boat circled the River Earn, flying very low and very close, apparently to make certain that it was nothing more than an innocent fishing vessel. It then dropped a bomb which fell some yards from the trawler, which having escaped destruction continued its peaceful occupation. Soon after two more German aircraft appeared and circled the trawler, flying so low that they were hardly higher than the mast-head. The very first bomb, a comparatively small one, scored a hit right forward. The crew set about getting their lifeboat out in order to abandon ship, whereupon the Germans began spattering the upper deck of the trawler with machine-gun bullets. Two bursts ripped open the engine-room casing and ricochetted to the deck, but mercifully no man was hit. As the crew and the three survivors from the Bogo tumbled into the lifeboat and began to row away the bombing continued. The German aim, however, had deteriorated and for some time no further hit was registered. LIFEBOAT NEARLY SWAMPED One of the German aircraft aimed a bomb at the heavily-laden lifeboat and almost swamped it. Finally the River Earn was hit by a heavy bomb and it sank. The Germans flew off leaving the seven-foot lifeboat with 13 men in it a long way from land or shipping routes. The boat was actually rowed no less than 60 miles before its 13 men were picked up by the Swedish steamer Triton. The occupants had to bail as well as row, for the boat was continually shipping water. The weather was very cold with squalls of hail and snow. For 36 hours the skipper of the River Earn stood at the tiller; there was no room for him to sit down.