NORWEGIAN VESSEL TORPEDOED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21556, 19 January 1940, Page 7

NORWEGIAN VESSEL TORPEDOED

Fourteen Of Crew Missing United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 19, 12.5 a.m.) LONDON, January 18. Fourteen of the crew are missing from the Norwegian vessel Fagerheim which was torpedoed in the Bay of Biscay. Others landed at Vigo, all being sent to hospital. Four members of the crew of ths steamer Josephine Charlotte, mined and sunk off the south-east coast, are missing. Forty others were landed, five being admitted to hospital. According to a message from Lisbon the captain of the Dutch vessel Arendskerk which was torpedoed, stated that he encountered a hail of bullets from a submarine which commanded him to stop. The first officer was ordered aboard the submarine with the ship’s papers. The captain of the submarine offered him a cigarette and said it was a pity to sink such a good ship but the cargo was contraband, inasmuch as it was bound for South Africa, which was an enemy country. The submarine towed the ship’s boat back and gave them half an hour to leave in the boats. They saw 30 minutes later the whole of the deck, masts and cargo blown up, the Arend,skerk sinking In pieces. The Pedora picked them up. Two hours later they boarded the Poebaubras. They lost everything but their clothing.