SUBMARINE ATTACK

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 248, 31 July 1937, Page 7

SUBMARINE ATTACK

ON THREE SPANISH VESSELS. LOSS OF TWENTY LIVES. ACTION IN FRENCH WATERS. ONE IN FLAMES AFTER DAMAGE. •>• i , (United Press Association—Copyright.; (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) ■ - ’ PARIS, • July 30. An unknown submarine attacked two Spanish tankers and the cargo boat Andutzmendi within French waters. The Andutzmendi was ablaze. Twenty of the crew are missing, but the regaining 11 managed to reach shore, taking refuge at Nimes. SHELLED FOR 45 MINUTES.

FIRE OPENED WITHOUT WARNING eight survivors reach land. . i- " " . (Received This Day, 10.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 30. The Nimes correspondent of the “Daily Telegraph” says that the captain of the Andutzmendi, Ahdulio Castel, stated that he was proceeding in ballast with a crew of 31, from Barcelona to Marseilles, when two submarines of undistinguishable nationality closed in to 30 yards from the ship and shot down several of the crew with a machine-gun volley, before the captain could even signal. Panic broke out and a number oi the survivors jumped overboard, while others took refuge in the holds. The . captain stood helpless op the poop oi the unarmed vessel while the submarines fired on her with machine-guns and incendiary shells for 45 minutes, in flicting heavy damage and setting fire to the s"hip.

The captain launched the lifeboat, in which he, five officers and two seamen reached Saintes Maries de la Mer, all hurt.

The wreck burned all night and is now sinking off Espiguette Lighthouse. Three bodies have been washed ashore. V " THREE MORE SURVIVORS LAND. SAILOR DECAPITATED WHILE SIGNALLING. (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) . c , x LONDON, July 30. Two more bodies have been recovered. One is that of the first officer and the other that of a seaman who was decapitated by a shell while hoisting a shirt as a white flag. , A second lifeboat landed with three additional survivors. Fishermen quenched the flames on the Andutzmendi and may keep her afloat. > • i, , •/ ■■ •({ ■■ . OFFICIAL STATUS LOST. t: :/,'f: r .. SPANISH COMMERCE CHAMBERS. (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) MADRID, July 30. The Government has issued a decree depriving Spanish Chambers of Commerce abroad of their character and privileges. NON-INTERVENTION PLAN. GOVERNMENTS TO RECONSIDER. (Received This Day, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, July 30. The chairman’s sub-committee of the Non-Intervention Committee for over three hours examined the replies received from the various Governments concerned. After a general discussion the sub-committee adjourned to enable the Governments to reconsider the situation. Declining a request by Major Attlea (leader of the Opposition) and Mr Lloyd George that he should pledge the Government to summon Parliament in any event before the grant of belligerent rights to the Spanish insurgents, Mr Eden made a statement in the House of Commons.

“There is a pledge 1 can give so far as the present British plan before the Non-Intervention Committee is concerned,” said Mr Eden. “We do not propose to agree with any major modifications of it.” The Foreign Secretary confessed that he found it difficult to see how, if the International Committee failed to reach agreement on the British plan, the policy of non-interven-tion could be saved. If in the Government’s view the situation was so serious as to warrant summoning Parliament, it would avail itself of the provisions in the motion for the adjournment, enabling the Speaker to call the House in an emergency, but he (Mr Eden) would not have them under-rate the desire of other nations to prevent a breakdown of the non-intervention plan.—British Official Wireless.