ATTACK BY SUBMARINE
FATE OF THE ATHENIA MANY STILL MISSING (Reed. Sept. 7, 10 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 5. 'lt is understood that 125 of the passengers and crew of the Athenia, which was torpedoed in the Atlantic about 250 miles off the coast of Northern Ireland on Sunday are missing from the total of 1418, of whom 1103 were passengers and 315 members of the crew. An announcement to this effect was made in the House of Commons today by the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Winston Churchill. A submarine came to the surface after the torpedoing and fired a sheTl which exploded on the middle deck. It is now clearly established that the disaster was due to a submarine attack made without warning at 7.45 a.m., British standard time', on Sunday. The Athenia was unarmed. Twelve eye-witnesses swore affidavits that a submarine cruised round the sinking ship. Possibly some of those unaccounted for ■ were aboard the Southern Cross.
The London correspondent of the Associated Press of America places the Athenia’s deathroll at 44 after compiling reports from the rescuers, listing 1374 survivors.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20036, 7 September 1939, Page 4
Word Count
184ATTACK BY SUBMARINE Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20036, 7 September 1939, Page 4
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