SECOND EDITION RESCUED NAZIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24139, 4 December 1941, Page 10

SECOND EDITION RESCUED NAZIS

DISCOVERY ON COAST WIDE SEARCH BY AIR BOATLOADS FOUND AT SEA (Rccd. 1.55 a.m.) PERTH, Dec. 3 The amazing story of how the cruiser Sydney was lost comes from the 268 survivors of the sunken Nazi raider Kormoran who were picked up off the coast of Western Australia. Flying tlie Norwegian flag the Kormoran approached within 800 yards of the Sydney at dusk on November 19 and fired a sudden broadside into her, shattering her upper structure and setting her on fire from amidships to the stern. The Sydney replied with a broadside that sank_ the attacker. The Nazis immediately took to the boats and the raider blew up. The Nazi survivors pulled toward the blazing cruiser, but she disappeared from sight. They presumed she sank suddenly. Haven on Rugged Beach The first survivors of the raider were found on the following Tuesday on a desolate, rugged beach near Carnarvon, on the central Western Australian coast. , . ' In the intensive sea and air search that followed, several boatloads of German sailors were picked up, some suffering from burns and shrapnel wounds, while three had died in the boats. Air Force aeroplanes attached to the coastal defences located a boatload of survivors 150 miles at sea and a trawler directed to the scene succeeded in finding them and towing them to safety. It was also reported that one British and two German Carley types of naval rafts, _ together with a German's body, were picked up. Lifebelt Recovered at Sea A R.A.N, lifebelt was recovered 200 miles off the coast. Considerable patches of oil were seen on the water in the ■ same locality. A further German _ lifeboat was sighted hundreds of miles at sea on Thursday morning. The words "No water" were painted in large red letters across their sail. The_ occupants crouched down when an aircraft flew over them, apparently fearing bombing. Their plight was signalled to a trawler 25 miles distant, and the men were taken aboard. These, like all others, were sufferingterribly from exposure and lack of food and water. Some, in great pain from burns and wounds, presented a distressing spectacle. They were mostly deeply grateful to their rescuers. Fortunate to be Alive It is now apparent the German survivors are fortunate to be alive. They can be thankful they were located from the air, as otherwise their plight at the foot of cliffs rising 300 feet many miles from civilisation, would not perhaps have been known for days or weeks.

The first batch of 46, poorly provisioned and without water, reached the beach on November 23. They had yarded four sheep, one of which they killed. They were transported into Carnarvon on November 26. A second boatload of 57 was found 15 miles farther up the coast. At least 20 were casualties and had to be carried up the cliffs. Other batches of survivors were brought to port by trawlers and coastal vessels, bringing the total to 268.

All the prisoners were placed under guard at Carnarvon, where they were interrogated by a naval officer. The German captain and first mate travelled overland to Fremantle.'