LINER'S ESCAPE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23817, 19 November 1940, Page 8

LINER'S ESCAPE

ATTACK ON CONVOY RANGITIKI SHELLED STRADDLED BY SALVOES CAPTAIN'S NARRATIVE By Telegraph-—Press Association— Copyright LONDON, Nov. 17 Captain Henry Barnett, relating the story of the Bangitiki's escape from the German raider, said the passengers sang and played games while the liner was zig-zagging through heavy seas with shells falling round her. "Three-quarters of an hour after Fighting the ship 'she could be identified as a warship of heavy calibre," Captain Barnett said. "The enemy fired against the Jervis Bay as the convoy, acting swiftly under orders, turned to starboard and dispersed. "Meanwhile tire Jervis Bay steamed toward the enemy, whose second salvo hit the /escort amidships. Then the raider concentrated on the Bangitiki. The first, salvo fell 400 yards short and the second straddled us amidships. "The third again straddled us forward of the bridge. One shell landed less than 50 yards away, smothering the bridge. Shell fragments did no appreciably, damage. But for a light south-easterly enabling smoke to screen us; it is unlikely we would have escaped." Captain Barnett was not able to remove his clothes for a week. NAZI REGIME OPPRESSION IN NORWAY USE OF FORCED LABOUR , V. : LONDON, Nov. 17 The Stockholm correspondent of the Times says the Germans have made an agreement with the Quisling Government to send Norwegians to Germany as labourers for rates of pay according to German , usage: It is explained that Norway hsst 'a number of unemployed, but simultaneously the Norwegian newspaper Handels Tidende complains that ' the scarcity of Labourers in Norwegian forests makes it impossible to fulfil the winter lumbering plan. The Helsinki correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says the Norwegian authorities have ordered headmasters to expel' boys for taking part in demonstrations or doing anything to lower the prestige of the Quisling regime. A school strike occurred at Lillehammer after the expulsion of several pupils. , The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter reports the suppression of 50 Norwegian provincial newspapers. The rest are only allowed to select headlines from a list of ten given them. GERMAN ESPIONAGE DELEVERY OF AIRCRAFT ATTACKS NEAR IRELAND NEW YORK, Nov. 17 An American pilot who is engaged !n "ferrying" aeroplanes to Britain, stated that whenever a fleet of United States or Canadian machines was flown across the Atlantic it was met with uncanny accuracy in timing by German squadrons as it neared Ireland. The ability of the Germans to intercept the „aeroplanes is directly traceable to a highly-organised Fifth Column, because the transatlantic flights are arranged with the greatest secrecy.

ANOTHER EXPLOSION 'AMERICAN CHEMICAL PLANT INVESTIGATIONS PROCEEDING* PITTSBURG, Nov. 17 An explosion injured two people and caused damage estimated at 250,000 dollars at, the Bridgeville plant of the American Cyanide and Chemical Corporation. The investigation is continuing into the explosion at the company's Burton plant at Edinburgh, Pennsylvania, last Thursday.

NAVAL CASUALTIES SUBMARINE AND TRAWLER (Received November 18, 5.5 p.m.) . - /<; LONDON, Nov. 17 The Admiralty announced that casualties in connection with the loss of the submarine H 49 were four officers and 23 ratings. •In connection with the loss of the naval trawler Tilburyness (announced on November 4) as the result of damage, 10 ratings are missing and presumed killed. TURKEY AND GERMANY NO CHANGE IN RELATIONS LONDON, Nov. 17 The Ankara correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that the Turkish Ambassador to Germany, M. Gerede, on his return from Berlin, where he saw the Soviet Premier, M. Molotoff, stated that political relations between Turkey and Germany were unchanged. He said he,was satisfied with the talks between Germany and Russia. BRITISH TRADE MISSION .VISIT TO SOUTH AMERICA LONDON, Nov. 18 The British Economic Mission, under Willingdon, has arrived at Rio de Janeiro. The mission will visit all the South;, American republics except Paraguay. Lord Willingdon said that Britain was fully capable ol supplying foreign markets, since the effect of the war on Fmpire trade had been surprisingly shi ail. One object of the mission, ho added, would be to investigate losses and inconvenience caused lo South American countries by tha blockade.