JAPANESE LINER LOST

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVII, Issue 21509, 23 November 1939, Page 7

JAPANESE LINER LOST

SENT DOWN BY NAZI MINE

Passengers and Crew

Onlted Press Association—By Electric Telegraph Copyright LONDON, November 21.

The Japanese liber Terukuni Mani, of 11.930 tons, bound for London from Japan, was sunk by a mine off the east coast of England to-day. The vessel carried a crew of 180 and 26 passengers. The commander is the Commodore of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha Line. The sinking was seen from a hill. Creat volumes of water rose high in the air. Lifeboats and other craft rushed to the scene, and the survivors were landed. All the passengers and crew are believed to have been saved. They were brought ashore in relays. The Terukuni Maru was afloat for a considerable time after the explosion.

It is revealed that she was due last week, but was up off the coast.

A Gerr.-.an mine sent down the Tc:ukuni Maru almost within sight of the terminal port. One thousand people saw the explosion and watched the ship founder, and those aboard rescued. It is officially confirmed that all were saved and only three were injured. The passengers included thirteen Britons. SL: auxiliary craft, a pilot ship and lifeboats participated in the rescue. The liner sank bow first. The stern lifted high out of the water and remr ’ there for fifteen minutes before sinking. The vessel had disappeared entirely forty minu f — after the explosion. The injured Included a seventy-year-old British woman, who was thrown down on the floor of the saloon. Passengers said that there was no panic. The ship heeled re-er when the explosion occurred, and all went on deck. They saw ■>. traw'er’s lifeboats hurrying to the scene. Everyt >dy was taken off without even wetting their feet. Further British Losses Four more British ships, a minesweeper, two trawlers and a steamer of 4915 tons, have been sunk by enemy action. One member of the crew is dea ' and five are missing from the minesweeper Mastiff, which was sunk by a German mine off the east coast. The trawler Thomas Hankins was sunk by a submarine. A companion trawler rescued the crew of twelve after they had been twelve hours in an Open boat, and landed them In Northern Ireland.

The trawler Seasweeper was sunk by enemy action. A steamer picked Up the crew.

The survivors of the Arlington Court which w- sunk yesterday were landed at an Eire port early this morning. Most of them were injured, several being stretcher cases. They declared that the ship was torpedoed oh Thursday. They drifted for three and a half days In a lifeboat, Which was damaged in launching, necessitating continuous bailing, before they were picked up. Torpedoed Without Warning The Arlington Court was torpedoed without warning. The sea was rough, and both lifeboats were badly damaged in launching. The remaining members of the crew enured the ship's jolly boat. A second torpedo was fired and sank the ship, which foundered in less than half an hour. The survivors, for wh-m sleep was out of the question owing to the condition of their boa* and whose food rat' *n was restricted to three biscuits and three glasses of Water dally, with a little bully beef and condensed milk, were in an exhausted condition When they landed. The Arlington Court was a sister ship to the Ketr'ngton Court, Which was sunk In the Atlantic by a German submarine. A British mine was among a number washed up at Ostend. Warships captured the German steamer Rheing-ld ir-’en With wheat and took her to a Scottish port. The crew were intern'd, A message received early this morning states that the Italian steamer Fianona, of 6660 tons, struck a mine of the south-east coast. The hull was slit in twain. It is believed that none of the 33 members of the crew was injured.