“CHIVALROUS” ITALIANS
BEHAVIOUR ON SINKING SHIP ATTEMPT TO RUSH LIFEBOATS NEW YORK, Ddc. 15. The survivors of a large British ship which was torpedoed off West Africa when carrying over 2500 persons, including Italian prisoners of war,, have arrived at an east coast port. The members of the crew said the known survivors totalled 1040. in addition to about 350 Italian prisoners rescued by six or seven submarines which came to the surface after the attack. The German commander said the submarine pack had stalked the transport since noon, and the attack came in the evening. An R.A.F. officer who was on board said that before the women and children could be placed in the lifeboats swarms of Italians tried to rush the boats. Others squeezed through portholes and climbed on board boats as they were being lower-ed. The guards were forced to use bayonets and guns to quell them. Another survivor related that the Germans were apparently aware that Italians were on board the transport.
One submarine commander declared; “If you had had half the Italian nation on board, we would still have fired."
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Bibliographic details
Otago Daily Times, Issue 25101, 17 December 1942, Page 5
Word Count
185“CHIVALROUS” ITALIANS Otago Daily Times, Issue 25101, 17 December 1942, Page 5
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