THE MAIMOA’S FIGHT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 10 December 1940, Page 3

THE MAIMOA’S FIGHT

OVERWHELMING ODDS PRISONERS ON. THE RAIDER SYDNEY 7th December. About 110 British sailors from the British freighters Maimoa and Port Brisbane, and a woman passenger from the latter ship, are believed to be prisoners on board the German raider which sank the two vessels in the Indian Ocean. The woman is Miss Nora McShane, from Kenya Colony, who was on her way home after spendin. a holiday in Sydney. The Maimoa,, of the Shaw-Savill Line, apparently made a fight against overwhelming odds. She was able to make clear wierless signals on 20th November, saying that she was being chased by a raider and that she was steaming at 11 knots in an effort to escape. She had a defensive gun on the stern, but would be no match for the enemy, with his more numerous guns and higher speed. The wireless signals ceased, and the end of the Maimoa is still a mystery. The Australian warship which rescued 27 of the crew of the Port Bris- J bane found an empty lifeboat from the | Maimoa, suggesting that the occupants had been taken aboard the enemy vessel and the boat turned adrift. The raider made short work of the Port Brisbane (10,612 tons). on the night of 21st November. The speed with which the sinking was carried out suggested that the raider was anxious not to spend much time on the scene. Whether the raider benefited in the way of stores from the sinking of the Maimoa is not known. The steamer was a coal-burner and her fuel would be useless to the German, which relies on oil. The Port Brisbane also was a coalburner, and the Germans did not spend any time transferring stores from her. LOSSES SINCE JUNE A FORMIDABLE LIST Nine vessels have now been lost off the coast of New Zealand and Australia since June. Details of previous lccses are:— The Canadian Austra’ isian liner Niagara (13.451 tons), struck a mine somewhere off Auckland on 19th June and sank, all on board being saved. Two months later the Turakina (8706 tons), radioed that she was being attacked by a raider. No trace of the Turakina or the raider was found. , On 3rd September, Noumea reported that the French steamer Notou was ■ overdue, having presumably been sunk ; by the same raider. On Bth November, the United States freighter City of Rayville (5883 tons) j sank off Cape Otway. Victoria, after j an explosion apparently caused by a j mine. One of the crew was lost. A British vessel was also lost in the j same locality about the same time, one of the crew being lost. Twenty-four seamen we.-® lost when a passenger liner collided with the mine-sweeper Goorangai inside Port Phillip Heads on 20th November. The inter-State passenger steamer Drunga (5826 tons) ran ashore in a ?ale off Barwon Heads near the en- I trance to Port Phillip Bay on 21st £ Movember. All on board were saved. P A British ship was attacked by an r jnemy raider about 400 miles east of TS he New Zealand coast on 27th Novem-jF

her. After a brief radio message nothing was heard from her. A small coastal cargo vessel sank off j the New South Wales coast on sth I! December after an explosion, and seven ! of the crew of 20 were lost. In addition, the small steamer Holm-!! wood (545 tons) has failed to arrive at' i Lyttelton from the Chatham Islands. I For this a raider may be responsible, j ] Other losses attributed to a raider j ) have been the British Commander,. ( Maimoa and Port Brisbane, lost in the . Indian Ocean, and the Tropic Sea and, i Tirranna, seized near Norfolk Island. 1 and in the Indian Ocean respectively. ( " ! i