BRAVERY AT SEA
first awards made f GALLANTRY OF CAPTAIN ESCAPE FROM SUBMARINE SAVED UNARMED SHIP (Eluc. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. Nov. 4. 2 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 3. The first awards in the merchant . navy during the war have been announced.
Captain Hugh Roberts, master of the ship Mopan, gets the 0.8. E. for “great courage, resolution and skill in saying an unarmed ship when under continuous fire from a submarine for four hours.”
Richard Smith, the chief engineer, is officially commended. J. G. Turner, the wireless operator on the Manaar, which was torpedoed without warning on September 8, received the Empire Gallantry Medal. The Mopan was nearing home when a U-boat came to the surface. Captain Roberts ordered the men to take cover and zig-zagged into the wind, compelling the submarine to follow ana thus placing out of action the aftei gun and causing the waves to break over the fore gun. The submarine fired intermittently for 37 minutes. The Mopan was struck by fragments of shells. After two hours the U-boat seemed to be slowly gaining, but the Mopan made a supreme effort, increased her speed from a normal 13J to 16£ knots, and increased her lead to four miles, whereupon the submarine gave up and disappeared.
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Bibliographic details
Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20087, 6 November 1939, Page 11
Word Count
210BRAVERY AT SEA Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20087, 6 November 1939, Page 11
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