SIGHTING OF JAP SUB IN N.Z. WATERS

Chronicle (Levin), 16 September 1946, Page 5

SIGHTING OF JAP SUB IN N.Z. WATERS

-Press Association

FLANE WAS LOADED WITH FOOD NOT BOMBS

By Teleqraph-

WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. One of two aircraft which "attacked" a Japanese submarine in New Zealand waters in November, 4943;, -was unarmed and had its bomb bays f ull of meat and other supplies,; i Its( pilot,j Mr-, Wt rK;: Wllby , . noty a'ssiVteC^tt k»wp • derk-.at .Belbne, revealed this-''to-day. Until he read the 'cofficial-^ejSrrespdndentfs dispatch from Kiire, Mr. Wilby had had no confirmation that the vessel he saw was a .Jap submarine. Mr. Wilby said he first sighted the submarine about 9 a.m. on Uovember 27. The plane, a Hudson, was about 60 miles north of Cape Reinga on its way to Fiji as a replacement. 1 ' "We were at 1900 feet over cloud at 1500 feet when I saw a sub dead ahead, making about' ten knots," said Mr. Wilby. "I drew the attention of the crew to it as there was no mention of shipping in our operational order. , About the same time the sub must have seen us, for it started to dive. We dived, too, and could plainly see it under the surface as we passed over. Probably that gave rise to the Japanese officers report of an attack, but we had no bombs aboard, only meat, fish ahd vegetables. "We circled round, but there was no more appearance of the sub, and after reporting sighting it we flew on to Norfolk Island."