ZAMZAM SHELLED BY GERMANS

Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 5

ZAMZAM SHELLED BY GERMANS

SINKING OF VESSEL DESCRIBED NINE PERSONS SEVERELY WOUNDED (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, May 26. The Biarritz correspondent of the British United Press says that Mr J. V. Murphy, one of the survivors of. the Zamzam, who is also one of the editors of the American magazine Fortune, vividly described the sinking of the vessel.

“We were four days from Cape Town, just before dawn on April 17, when nine shells hit her. Captain Smith attempted to signal, but the ship s blinker was shattered. He ordered the Egyptian flag to be unfurled, and grabbed a hand-torch and began signalling himself. The firing ceased, but nine persons were badly wounded and many others were hurt. There was utter confusion aboard. A number of men, women and children swam round in the water for over 20 minutes before they were picked up. Fortunately the sea was calm. Members of . the American Ambulance Brigade dived overboard and towed pieces of floating wreckage to the women and children to help them to float. Everyone was taken aboard the raider by 7.30 a.m. The raider’s captain expressed regret about the shelling. “Next day all except two wounded. Americans and one wounded Englishman were transferred to a merchantman whose captain was not so polite.

He declared in English: ‘lf there is any monkey business we will answer with machine-guns.’ The survivors were aboard the merchantman for 33 days before they were landed at St. Jean de Luz.”