GALLANT RESCUE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24274, 15 May 1942, Page 6

GALLANT RESCUE

• destroyer crews TAKEN OFF BURNING SHIP STORY OF AIR ATTACK GUNS BLAZED TO LAST 0 .73 v TeleeraDh —Press Association —Copyright JLd. 715 p.m.) LONDON. May 13 Survivors from tho three British ' destroyers, Jackal, R.ipling and Xiively, which were lost in one of the ■: fiercest air attacks yet seen in the Mediterranean, were landed at Alexandria to-day, says a news agency correspondent with the Fleet, quoted by the British official wireless. Some of them had twice within a few hours been on vessels which were sunk. < Among those saved was Commander ■ Jellicoe, nephew of the famous admiral. 'Commander Jellicoe was in temporary 1 command of the Jackal. Although wounded, he remained on the bridge 'directing operations, and was the last to leave the ship. At least one destroyer went down with its guns blazins. Sank in Four Minutes Most of the survivors owe their lives to the skill of the captain of the Jervis, who brought his ship alongside the "burning Jackal. This enabled some 500 survivors from the three destroyers to walk to safety. Interviewed in hospital, two surTivors from the Jackal, Chief PettyOfficer Lucius Pellow and Stoker Macintyre, told the following story:—"We were attacked for four hours bv three waves of 10, 12 and 15 aeroplanes which •'eeemed to come from all directions. We 'were steaming in diamond formation, full-speed, between Libya and Crete when we were first attacked. "The Lively was twice hit, but continued full speed ahead, and then ' turned on her side, and sank within 'four minutes. The Jervis and the Kip--Kng stopped to pick up survivors, many <of whom were killed or severely shocked "When a stick of bombs fell in the water. Narrow Escape of Jervis •The Kipling was hit two hours later, •and, buckled amidships, she floated on . iher side for some time before sinking. Many of the Lively's survivors were -killed when the Kipling was hit. The •Jervis picked up survivors from the •Kipling, many of whom were in the 'Water for two hours. . "The final wave of aeroplanes disabled the Jackal, starting a fire in the boiler room, but she continued firing in the darkness and averted a further attack. "Meanwhile the crew of the Jackal feverishly tried to keep the ship afloat, firing depth charges and torpedoes in order to reduce her topweight. ihe •Jervis was not hit, although she had •some near misses. She towed the •Jackal, but the fire got out of control, and she took off the crew in the glow •of the flames. Then she sank the Jackal with a torpedo." FINEST FIGHTING MEN DESERT BATTLE HONOURS NORTHUMBERLAND UNIT LONDON. May 13 Seventeen months of unbroken service in the Western Desert have added almost unprecedented laurels to the battle honours of the Northumberland Fusiliers, says the British official wireRecently, in Cairo, a solitary Fusilier was suddenly pounced upon by a party of Australians, who dragged him into a bar to have a drink. Although not known to them personally, they said: "Any chap of the Northumberland Fusiliers is a friend of ours. They're the finest fighting men we have ever seen anywhere, at any time." The regiment started the war constructing defences near the Egyptian frontier. From then until the breakout from the Tobruk garrison in November, 1941, they were in the thick of things, and it was during a critical moment around Tobruk that a machine-gun company of the "Fighting Fifth" saved a badly threatened flank. Captain Jackman, who directed the movement, won the y.C. An advance under withering fire, ending in a bayonet charge, was the Fusiliers' share of the victory of Makala, and at Bardia and Tobruk, Derna, Barce, Benghazi and Soluk they were always in the forefront of the fighting. The company once took 7000 prisoners in a day. When the Axis counter-offensive came the Northumberlands held the furthermost. position reached by the British advance, and after a splendid rearguard k action, they were among the last to march back to Tobruk. It -was in the breakout from Tobruk that Captain ■Jackman, V.C., was killed. Then and ■then only were the "Fighting Fifth" marched back to Cairo for a well-earned jrest.

GALLANT MARINES MADAGASCAR LANDING P DESTROYER RUNS GAUNTLET LONDON, May 13 Behind the capture of Antsirane, in .Madagascar, says the British official wireless, lies a story of gallantry and initiative on the part of a small detachment of Royal Marines, which, however, cannot yet be told fully. The Admiralty and War Office joint communique last Thursday spoke of a \'alu.able diversion created by Royal Marines ;who landed in the north. _ The collapse of the resistance at Ant•sirane was, in fact, brought about by this diversion. One destroyer with 50 marines on board dashed in at night through, a channel barely two miles wide, which was doubtless sown with mines and formidably fringed with batteries. To steam in this unfamiliar and perilous area at night and to rush a destroyer alongside a jetty and land marines shows the greatest possible initiative and daring. It is officially stated in London that it is the intention of His Majesty's Government that the Free French National Committee should play its due part in the administration of Madagascar. Since the committee is co-op-erating with the United Nations as the representative of fighting France this step is regarded as desirable and natural during this intermediate period. UNUSUAL ELECTION MOVE ,(Recd. 7.15 p.m.) LONDON, May 13 Mr. W. R. Hipwell, Independent candidate in the Salisbury by-election, has applied for an injunction against Mr. Churchill writing to the official candidate. Mr. Hipwell said Mr. Churchill's amazing popularity was likely to influence his would-be supporters to vote for a party man. COAL MINE DISASTER NEW YORK, May 13 A message from Morgantown (West Virginia) says a terrific explosion killed at least 53 miners ahd trapped 37 at the Christopher Coal Company's mine near here. Officials say there is only the smallest hope that the entombed men will be iound aliva.