GHOST SHIPS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24214, 4 March 1942, Page 6

GHOST SHIPS

RUSSIAN SUBMARINES EXPLOITS FROM ARCTIC PORT BRITISH OFFICER'S STORY (Reed. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Mai. 2 Life at a Russian submarine base in the Arctic is described by a British naval officer, who has just returned from those waters, says the British official wireless. He is one of a number of British officers who have been passing on to the Russians experience gained in two and a-half years of war against the Germans. "When a Russian submarine returns from the sea now she fires a gun salute for every Nazi ship she has sunk," said the officer. "While I was there one small submarine returned and fired her gun three times. "Another Russian submarine reported how she had been attacked with depth charges by a German armed trawler. Instead of taking evading action, the Soviet submarine surfaced and sank the enemy by gunfire." Shroud of Ice This British officer went out on a submarine patrol in some of the worst weather of the year. Ice formation, he said, turned the submarine into a white ghost ship cruising in continual darkness. At one time the submarine seemed to become almost top-heavy from the weight of ice on the bridge. A seaman was constantly on duty beside the conning tower hatch, wiping the exposed rim of the hatch every few minutes. This is very necessary to keep tho ice clear, so that the hatch may bo slammed closed at any instant should the submarine have to make a crash dive. Several times each night the submarine had to dive deep to warmer water, which would melt its shroud of ice. British ISntertained On this patrol the crew lived and worked in a temperature of 50 degrees of frost. Officers and ratings wore boots two sizes too big for them to allow for four or five pairs of socks. They also wore fur caps and six layers of'woollens beneath their special submarine suits. British ratings who were stationed at the Arctic port to co-operate with the Russians lived ashore with Russian seamen and ate dishes of reindeer meat and bear steaks in a centrally-heated communal mess hall. Two women commissars arranged recreation for the British ratings, and a Red Army instructor taught them to ski. At the base cinema they saw British and American films. INTENSE ATTACK SWEEPS OVER MALTA WAVES OF ENEMY PLANES LONDON, Mai. 2 Malta had her first alert for March at 7.30 yesterday morning. The siren signalled one of the most intense attacks that the island has had since the German Air Force returned to Sicily in December. Throughout the morning there were several small raids, mostly Messerschmitt sweeps, calculated to wear down the island's fighter defence. The main raid developed at lunch time. From then onwards waves of Junkers 88 bombers, with fighterescorts, came over intermittently until early evening. Royal Air Force lighters and anti-aircraft artillery was continuously in action. As a result, military damage was negligible. Civilian property, however, again suffered, but fortunately casualties were light. Two enemy bombers, which were seriously damaged, together with a Messerschmitt 109, are not likely to have regained their bases. ITALIAN COMMANDER DEATH OF DUKE OF AOSTA LONDON, Mar. 3 The former Italian Viceroy and Commander-in-Chief of Abyssinia, the Duke of Aosta, died in Nairobi to-day. He had been suffering from tuberculosis, and for some time had been allowed to live in comfort in Nairobi. He was 43 years of age. The Duke of Aosta surrendered with the remnants of the Italian army in Abyssinia, and had since been interned as a prisoner of war. FREE FRENCH CONTROL POLICY OF UNITED STATES WASHINGTON. Mar. '2 The State Department to-day confirmed the London announcement that the United States had recognised Free French control of French .Pacific possessions, including New Caledonia. It was explained that the United States policy toward French overseas territories would be governed by the manifest effectiveness with which local French authorities protect the territories from tho common enemy. Mr. Sumner Welles told the press that the statement did not include the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Newfoundland, which the Free French Navy seized. INFLATED RENTALS UNITED STATES ACTION (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) WASHINGTON, Mar. 2 The Price Administrator, Mr. L. Henderson; has acted to lower inflated rentals in defence production areas by ordering reduced rentals in 20 communities and 13 States within 60 days and threatening Government action after the expiry of that period. The areas take in 8.000,000 persons and include vital production centres in Detroit and Cleveland. Mr. Henderson condemned rent gouging profiteering and added that 100 other communities were in line for similar action. REQUIRED FOR WAR CONSERVING MANPOWER MELBOURNE, Mar. 2 Under the Government's plan for rationalising industries the trading banks decided to-day to accept the Government proposals for closing dispensable branches in th,e suburbs and country so that manpower, equipment and premises will be released for more urgent war work. Mr. J. J. Dedman, Minister for War Organisation of In.dustry, said last night that tho banks, at a conference yesterday, agreed to work out a common plan. Many industries had already been called on to curtail their activities drastically, and the response had been most gratifying. '1 he banks were now nemg asked to do no less by the abandonment _of their peacetime methods of doing business. The Government was not at present contemplating the nationalisation uf banking, although from • some points of view that would be the simpler approach.