U-BOAT ACTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23574, 7 February 1940, Page 11

U-BOAT ACTION

NO NEWS_OF CREW BIG SHIP ESCAPES AIRCRAFT TO RESCUE _ SUBMARINE SUNK . By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received February 6, f>.s p.m.) ' LONDON, Fob. 6 The Canadian Pacific cargo liner Beaterburn, of, OS7-1 lons, has been torpedoed in the Atlantic. There is.no news of the crew, but it is believed that other ships picked up some survivors. The vessel carried no passengers and had a crew of 70 men. i Passengers by another large ' British liner which docked at a Canadian port to-day told how a German submarine appeared while the liner, was' being escorted by ~ armed trawlers. The passengers Ewarmed on deck ready to take to the boats. ■* They could see the U-boat manoeuvr- / ing for position to fire a torpedo, when suddenly out of a cloud two British bombers dived straight for tho submarine.

" Bombs churned the water and the submarine vanished, leaving wreckage and a pool of oil. The passengers included the English novelist and explorer Miss Rosita Forbes, who is leaking a lecture tour in North Amerioa.

Built at Dumbarton in 1927 by W. Denny and Brothers, Limited, the Beaverburn, a twin screw steamer of 6874 tons, was owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and managed by Canadian , Pacific Steamships, Limited. Specially strengthened for navigation in ice, the Beaverburn was one of a fleet of five ships, the others being the Beaverdale, • Beaverhill, Beaverford and Beaverbrae, which ..trade between Canadian ports and London carrying bidk, refrigerated and package freight. The Beaverburn, with a service speed of 15£ knots, took nine days to make the trip to London. Eighty thousand cubic feet of insulated „cargo space was divided into self-con-tained compartments for the carriage of baled meats, ; hams, chilled beef, cheese, butter and fish. Of this space, 20,000 cubic feet was air cooled and ventilated for the accommodation of fruit.

ALLIES' ACHIEVEMENT

40 SUBMARINES SUNK REMARKABLE FRENCH SHIPS (Received February 6, 5.5 p.m.) ; PARIS. Feb. 5 The Minister of the Navy, M. Cesar Campinchi, estimates that the Allies have sunk 40 German submarines of the original 55 since the outbreak of the war.

He says a new French destroyer has teen built which will make a record speed of 55 knots. The French submarine Surcouf. is the only warship which can be manoeuvred 240 feet below the surface. Also she carries a rnoaoplane. The Surcouf, which was completed in 1934, is the largest submarine in the world, displacing 2880 tons on the surface and 4300 tons when submerged. She has a very large superstructure, at the forward end of which two Bin. guns are mounted. The small seaplane is housed at the after end. She has 10 torpedo-tubes and carries 22 torpedoes. The authoritative "Jane's fighting Ships" gives her diving limit as over 70 fathoms (420 ft.). It states that the Surcouf. is an experimental type not likely to be repeated.

SEIZED GERMANS BRITISH OFFER REJECTED RELEASE OF NINE MEN (Received February 6, 5.5 p.m.) TOKIO, Feb. 5 The Foreign Minister, Mr. Hachiro Arita, told the Upper House to-day that Britain had agreed to roleaao nine of the Germans removed from the Asaina Maru, but Japan had rejected the offer. ' She was continuing negotiations for the release of all the 21 Germans.

TOBACCO: FOR FORCES BRITISH FUND OVER £30,000 British Wireless LONDON, Feb. C •A sum of. more than £.'50,000 contributed by British people in all parts of the globe has now been received by the prompters of the Overseas League Tobacco Fund. This means *50,000,000 cigarettes for the soldiers at the front and for the men of tho Navy and the Air Force;

PURCHASES IN BALKANS ' LONDON, Feb. 6 The British Government, for economic reasons, has made large purchases of dried fruits in the Balkans and Near JEast. The purchases include sultanas, faiains, currants and figs.