HEAVY LOSSES IN CARIBBEAN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22201, 19 February 1942, Page 6

HEAVY LOSSES IN CARIBBEAN

Oil Shipments Held Up (6.30 p.m.) MARACAIBO (Venezuela), February 17. The Mene Grande Oil Company announced that seven ships had been torpedoed in the Caribbean Sea between Aruba and the Venezuela coast. Shipments from Aruba had been held up because of the attacks. One ship loaded with 85,000 barrels of oil was sunk and another was last sSen afire 25 miles off the coast. The survivors of others landed at Aruba. Fifty-nine seamen were dead or missing. A message from Willemstad, Curacao, states that a “dud” torpedo from an enemy submarine which participated in the attack on Aruba yesterday, exploded belatedly in Aruba to-day while it was being dismantled, killing two Dutch officers and two marines. The torpedo was of German origin. Tire Curacao radio broadcast a warning to all ships that submarines had been sighted between Aruba and Curacao in the same region where Axis submarines sank seven, possibly 10. tankers. First Brazilian Loss at Sea The Navy announced that the 5000ton Brazilian steamer Buarque was torpedoed and sunk off the Atlantic coast early on Sunday with the loss of two lives. Eighty-three survivors were landed at Norfolk, Virginia. A message from Rio de Janeiro says the authorities withheld the news of the sinking of the Buarque. the first Brazilian ship sunk in this war. The annual carnival was being held and officials feared that riots and general disorders might result among the thousands of Brazilians in the streets as well as the sacking of extensive German properties, as occurred during the last war. It was recalled that the sinking of Brazilian ships by U-boats was partly responsible for Brazil’s entrance into the last war.