ONLY ONE CASUALTY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 November 1941, Page 5

ONLY ONE CASUALTY

IN LOSS OF ARK ROYAL STORY OF GALLANT EFFORT TO SAVE SHIP. DESTROYER TAKES OFF CREW. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 15. (British Official Wireless.) Following’ the Admiralty communique yesterday announcing the loss of the air-craft-carrier Ark Royal, a communique issued by the Admiralty today states that information has now been received that there was only one casualty in the Ark Royal. Commenting on the loss of the ship, the “Daily Telegraph" says: “We have the consolation that our aircraft-car-rier strength is very different today from what it was when Goebbels first ‘sank’ her. Since then we have lost the Courageous and Glorious, but the newly-biult ’carriers Illustrious, Victorious and Formidable have gone to sea, and others will soon be ready.” WATERS RISE FAST. In an account of the sinking, engineer officers of the Ark Royal said: “We found the switchboard smashed, but we managed to get the dynamos working with the portable apparatus. We got the pumps started, but the water was rising fast. The captai \ called for steam in the boilers, and we managed to get some steam, but after a while the gauges fell and the lights dimmed, and we knew we had set ourselves a hopeless task. “After receiving our report at 4.30 a.m. the captain realised that the ship could not be saved, and he ordered everybody to abandon ship. A destroyer came alongside and took us off. “The order had been given, ‘Everybody to the port side,’ and immediately afterward, ‘Prepare to abandon ship.’ The men who reached the boat stations on the weather deck found it impossible because of the heavy list to launch the lifeboats. Crowding the decks were hundreds of the ship’s crew. Ropes began to snap down from the flight deck, and cork rafts splashed into the sea. “Then we saw the destroyer coming alongside. An officer ordered the men to form up four deep as the destroyer came clase under the rails. Ropes leaped from her. They were caught and made fast, and the men began to slip down 15 feet of rope to the detroyer’s forecastle. “Two hours later the Ark Royal plunged to her grave. Just before she sank she had a list to starboard of 35 degrees. Her stern reared up for a moment, and then gently she slid beneath the waves.” CREW UNDISMAYED. Earlier, while the night-long fight to save the ship was going on, tugs and motor-launches had raced out from Gibraltar. When the crew left the Ark Royal everyone went down on to the destroyer laughing and joking. “Blimey, he’s had time to pack,” remarked one rating as the paymaster commander arrived on deck with his records and two suitcases stuffed with bank-notes worth £20,000. One fell into the sea, but it was quickly recovered. NEW ARK ROYAL GREAT EFFORT BY CITY OF LEEDS. WARSHIPS WEEK IN BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, November 15. The City of Leeds, which intended to adopt the Ark Royal after the “Warships Week” in January, aims now to raise £3,500,000 for a. new Ark Royal. “Warships Week” began today in more than 20 British towns. Liverpool, which intends to raise £10,000,000 — enough to adopt the battleship Prince of Wales, which was built at Birkenhead —obtained half this sum today within half an hour of the opening of the campaign. Striking results were obtained in the campaigns held in various other towns from November 1 to 8. Ten districts dr towns greatly exceeded the totals they had set out to obtain. •> NAZI SECOND THOUGHTS SERIES OF SUCCESSES CLAIMED. MALAYA ALLEGEDLY HIT, (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 15. A special announcement from Berlin stated: “The Navy has won a great new success. in the western Mediterranean attacked a group of British warships. Two U-boats, under Captain Reschke and Guggenberger, sank the Ark Royal and damaged the Malaya so severely that it had to be towed to Gibraltar. Other British units received torpedo hitsT