HEROISM AT SEA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24526, 7 February 1941, Page 4

HEROISM AT SEA

STORY OF A NEW ZEALAND FREIGHTER ATTACKED jPLANE (By Tasman Air Mail) SYDNEY, Jan. 28. Reports that have reached Auitealia tell of a Nazi plane attack on a W»w Zealand: Jhe the Irish coast/ and the tietptora iff its The Susse* #|#?<land .with a general, cargo, indu«ng,J\ustralian wool. Her gunners ;j».«tise<l 'during the .voyage.''tr^mgjnegPM to r dive-bomb IMMKii «• gunner*; would. know ot ;them,,, , -xffiKSiSi at : One morning. off the l*JsbsMMt. •» daylight was breaking.aplaneSrwaaseen high overhead. The gunner* were standihg.to., the. Plane crew seenied to make signs of recognition; hut *uddenlv there was a .hail of bullets.,, Capton Clarke at once gave The plane' dropped two .pomp* »noin of which scored, hits,.. One the funnel, which; crashed to.fliedecK and caused; serious burst on a. hatch and started a sre in the cargo df.-wool. ■;•■ ■ • ••; •y, :r. One 18-yekr-old gunner was seriously wounded, but refused to leave his post. The German signalled to tne Sussex to stop, but the only answer came from her guns. .Five times the raider returned to attack, but the gunfire wa3 too good for it. and; it had to turn away; the;; fire was raging in the hold.-and all hanjdawho could be spared WereVflgMingJt :*"* fire burned close to a full of explosives. A steward, climbed to the the locker and nlaved his hose the fire threatened most, bffowlng full weltt>that at any moment he njight be blown ito bits. / '•/>-•**•?

The sea was rough andjihe bridge and-chartroom were ismashedi but tha engines were working: * A-ooit'a .compass was all. Captain. Clarke .had to steer by; and that was npt ;mucb good, so he steered while by the sun. At night he knew he was out of his course. The ■. ship ran into a fog and'was' rammed by a trawler, but only lightly; The fpg was a blessing in disguise, because it hid the ihowef of sparks that. poured from the holt where the funnel bad stood:-6 At last the master got his bearings from »' patrol boat, and t6ok his ship safely to oort. ■ ■ .. ' V