WAR AT SEA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20077, 25 October 1939, Page 7

WAR AT SEA

BRITONS RESCUED SWEDISH SHIP SUNK I ATLANTIC VOYAGERS ZIG ZAG COURSE GUNS AT PRACTICE (Reed. Oct. 25, 12 noon) LONDON, Oct. 23. An explosion which is believed to have been due to submarine action sank the Swedish steamer Albania in the North Sea. The crew took to a raft. A collier picked up 19 men but the chief engineer and a fireman were drowned when the raft capsized, though it was afterwards righted. The survivors were landed in England. A New York report states that after zig-zagging for 10 days while on a trans-Atlantic voyage, during which lifebelts were worn or carried continuously was described by New Zealand and Australian passengers aboard a popular English liner which arrived at New York to-day. The majority of the 341 passengers were New Zealanders or Australians returning via the Pacific owing to the uncertainty of the Suez Canal service. The weather was rough. The ship was not convoyed as she is able to maintain over 1(1 knots. The vessel was painted war grey from the mastheads to the waterline. The ports were blacked over and closed at night making it hot and stuffy below decks. Two guns were mounted in the stern.

Excellent Spirits Mr. W. G. James, of the Australian Broadcasting commission,' said that excellent spirits prevailed aboard the vessel. The passengers were constantly watching the sea. However, the only unusual happenings were shots from the ship’s guns at practice. Boredom was the worst enemy and the oassengers would almost have welcomed an incident. He added that the British Broadcasting Corporation propaganda was proving effective. A Washington message says 'that the United States Maritime Commission has announced that the American steamship Crown City rescued the entire crew of 31 of the British ship Ledbury and also five from the British steamer Meninridge. Twenty-two of the latter were lost. The Crown City was within a 300-miles radius of Gibraltar.

A Valparaiso message states that the Chilean Navy sources report that an unidentified submarine was seen off Valparaiso.