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SINKING OF THE TURAKINA

Tasman Sea Battle With Raider

SURVIVOR RETURNS TO

NEW ZEALAND

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 7. One of the epic stories of the war which is still to be fully told is the lone battle which the New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamer Turakina fought against a heavily-armed German raider in the Tasman Sea for nearly three hours on August 20, 1940. Some details of the action have now come to hand.

It has now been definitely ascertained that the German raider Murmark (raider “A”), under the command of Rear-Admiral Kurt Wager, which laid the minefield that sank the Niagara outside Hauraki Gulf, and which was operating with raider “B” when the Holmwood and Rangitane were sunk, was the same raider which attacked and sank the Turakina.

Shortly before 6.30 p.m. on August 20, 1940, a distress signal was received in New Zealand from the Turakina, which was on her way from Australia to New Zealand to load for the United Kingdom. It seemed that a German raider at the time was doing its best to “jam” the Turakina’s wireless signals. The SOS stated that she was being shelled by an enemy raider, and gave her position. An intensive, but fruitless search by sea and air of the locality given in the message was made. No more was heard of her for over four months, and then wreckage and large quantities of oil fuel were washed ashore on the north-west coast of the North Island, proving that she had been sunk. Although she was armed with only a 4.7 in gun against the six or eight 5.9 in guns of the raider, the Turakina, it was stated, had fought the raider for nearly three hours, and went down with her colours flying. ESCAPE FROM GERMAN CAMP Over two years later, two mess stewards of the crew of the Turakina escaped from a German prisoner-of-war camp. They were two of the 23 survivors of the Turakina s original crew of 58, and had got away from the blazing ship in two lifeboats. The Turakina had scored one hit on the raider, but had not greatly damaged her. According to these stewards, the raider finally sank the ship with two torpedoes. They were picked up by the raider and were eventually taken to a German prisoner of war camp. A. J. Forbes, who returned to New Zealand on the Rangitiki, was in prison in Germany with three officers of the Turakina. They were the third officer, J Wallett, and two engineering officers, C. L. Morris and A. Slater. Forbes was unable to add to the details already available.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST19451008.2.34

Bibliographic details

Southland Times, Issue 25797, 8 October 1945, Page 4

Word Count
437

SINKING OF THE TURAKINA Southland Times, Issue 25797, 8 October 1945, Page 4

SINKING OF THE TURAKINA Southland Times, Issue 25797, 8 October 1945, Page 4

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