A FOUL CRIME

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 244, 3 July 1918, Page 5

A FOUL CRIME

ANOTHER HOSPITAL SHIP

TORPEDOED

SAFETY OF SURVIVORS NOT CLEAR

ONE BOAT PICKED UP

London, July 1. The hospital ship Llandovery Castle, carrying Canadian dollars ami nurse?, was sunk by a submarine 011 Thursday off Pastnot. Two hundred are missing.— Renter.

THE ADMIRALTY'S REPORT. (Rec. July 2, 5.5 p.m). London, July 1. The Admiralty reports:—"Tho British hospital ship Llandovery Castlo was torpedoed at 10.30 o'clock 011 th: night of June 27, 116 miles south-west of Fastnet, and sank in ten minutes. Sho was homeward bound from Canada, and therefore had no sick or wounded aboard. The. crew consisted of IG4. The ship also carneo. eighty Canadian Army medical men and fourteen female nurses —a total of 258. Ono boat load of twenty-four has been landed. There is a bare possibility that there are other survivors. It must be noted in this, ns in all other instances, that tho German submarine had a perfect right to stop and searoh tho hospital ship under Tho Hague Convention, but preferred, 'however, to torpedo tho ship, which showed all navigating and regulation hospital lights.—A.N.Z.C.A.-Reuter. A WANTON, DELIBERATE CRIME , STORY OP THE ATTACK. (Anst.—N.Z. Oablo Assn. and lieuter.) (Rec. July 2, 11.10 p.m.) . London, July 1. The Press Bureau states: "Germany's awful debt to tho world continues to grow. Another hospital ship has been torpedoed, this time 170 miles from the noarest land, her peoplo being turned adrift in boats to sink or swim, and though, as it happened, she was a Canadian hospital 6hip returning from Halifax with no wounded on board, the tale of tho irimo reveals wanton deliberation on the part of tho submarine commander, almost suggesting that lie hoped to find her full of helpless and injured' men. The Llandovery Castlo was chartered by tho Canadian Government 'to convey sick and wounded from England to Halifax, and had on board at the time eight)' members of tho medical corps, including seven officers. She was steaming _ at_ fourteen knots, with tho usual navigation regulation hospital ship lights, under an overcast sky. She was plainly visible and unmistakable for anything but what she was, a ship immune by every law of war and peace from attack or molestation.

No one on board eaw the wako of tho torpedo. Tho first intimation that a submarine was in the vicinity was a jar and tho roar of tho explosion from aft. Then tin lights went out, and' everything after that occurred in tho darkness, cxcept for a dim light shed by the emorgency dynamo until just _ before the ship foundered. Tho engines wero immediately rung to stop, then for full speed astern, but from the engineroom came no answer. Tho ship's rehearsed routine, however, held good, for with Germans ono must bo prepared for every such emergency. Along the darkened deles the crew groped their way to tho boat stations and stood by for orders to leave. The captain megaphoned from tlio bridge: "Hold on till tho way is off tho . ship." The carpenter went aft and examined the damage. The Marconi operator remained in his cabin, vainly striving to transmit tho ship's position, but gained no response. Tho carpenter reported that tho hold aft had beoa blown in, and the ship could not remain afloat. ,Tho order was given to lower (he boats and abandon the ship. Tho Officer Commanding tho Canadian Medical Corps reported that all his people were out. This is important, inasmuch as only the captain's boat has been picked up. Except for any of tho ship's company or tho engine-room crow being killed by tho torpedo, it is clear that everyone had got away. The captain and the second officer entered tho last boat, and got clear just in time to avoid being sucked under as the vessel's stern went down. One boiler seemed to explode as tho water reached it. Tho ship sank in ten minutes from the time she was torpedoed. Tho captain's boat rescued eleven from tho wreckage. A Poor Excuse. "When tho submarino was 6eon sho hailed the boat in English: 'Come alongside!' "Tho second officer replied: 'Wo nro picking up a drowning man.' A voice from the submarino replied: 'Come alongside!' "The boat held on its course, but two revolver shots were fired over it, tho commander of the submarino shouting: 'Como alongside, or I will 6hoot my big gun!'

"The boat obeyed, and tho captain was ordered on board tho submarino and questioned regarding tho namo of the ship. Tho commander of tho U-boat did not appear surprised when told that it was a hospital ship. He said: 'You wero carrying eight American flying officers.' This Hhe captain denied, stating that ho had seven Canadian medical officers on board. Tho 6liip was chartered by tho Canadian Government to carry Canadian sick and wounded. '

"Ropiying to the commander's reiterated statement thru the vessel was carrying American flying officers, tho captain gnvo his word of honour that the steamer only carried patients, medical ' officers, nursing sisters, and crow. Tho commander (hen ordered one of the Canadian medical officers on board. Ho was roughly handled by the Germans, and had ft small bone of his foot broken. He was interrogated, and protested that ho was a medical officer, lie was then ordered back into the boat with tho captain. Tho submarine cirtelod round tho wreckage, and again stopped tho boat and questioned tho second and fourth oHi eel's. Tho Germans then invented a new excuse, staling that the vessel must havo been carrying munitions owing to tho big explosion aft. Tho second officer explained that, tho explosion was duo to tho boiler. They were (lien allowed to return to Iho boatTho submarine began firing nt an unseen target, possibly at tho other Mats. The captain decided to make for tho Irish coast, and had proceeded seventy miles when ho was picked up bv a. destroyer and brought to Quccnstown