CAPTURED AT SEA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20094, 14 November 1939, Page 7

CAPTURED AT SEA

PRISONERS OF NAZIS FALSE COLOURS HOISTED DIARY TELLS STORY LONDON, Nov. 1. Events on board the American ■ learner City of Flint after her capture by the German, battleship Deutschland, which placed a prize crew on board her, are described in. the diary if the radio operator, Mr. James YlcConnochie, who gave the first eyewitness story of the capture. Mr. McConnochie escaped from his captors when the City of Flint was :aken into Tromso, Norway, on the way to Murmansk, to land survivors from the British ship Stonegate, which was sunk by the Deutschland. The extracts from the diary, made after the capture and published in a world copyright article in the Daily Mail, are as follows:- —

October 13, a Friday.—Men’s nerves getting worse. Talked to the Germans, who'arc mostly aged between 22 ana 20. Still steaming north. The Arabian sailors from the Stonegate are feeling the cold badly.

October 14.—T0-day the Germans made a Danish flag.

October 15.--Sighted a huge iceberg at nightfall. Temperature 17 degrees below. The deck was covered with ice and snow. Time-Bomb in Engine Room October IG.—Still afloat after a nerve-racking night dodging icebergs and stopping frequently. Most, of us staved up all night. We seem to be heading for North Cape. Still hoping to meet a British warship. To-day they put a time-bomb in the engineroom. I think we' are going to Norwegian waters. The German skipper expects Nazi destroyers to escort us through a minefield. The sea is fiat, the cold unbearable

October 17. —Some excitement. The look-out mistook a planet for a ship’s tight and the course was changed. All the English were confined to their cabins. The funnels were repainted and the ship’s name and the United States Hag painted out. and a false

name substituted. We are now sailing under 'a '.Danish flag. Not so cold now; heading north-east .The Germans are now carrying daggers in addition to revolvers. We have given up hopes of rescue. Our fresh water is getting short. Guns Hidden Under Jackets October 18. —Heading due east. Should sight Norwegian coast to-mor-row. Danish flags are on both sides of the ship, which is now sailing under false colours. October 19.—Much warmer. We are taking soundings. We stopped at midnight. as we were not certain of our position. Omober 20. —Picked up a pilot in the morning. Now flying a German flag. The Nazis are concealing theii guns under their jackets. Anchored at fromso at 5 pun., and took in C’O tons ■if water. Customs officials came on board and discovered our true nationality. The Norwegians would not permit us to depart until the American flag had been repainted on the ship. Norwegian destroyers stood by. The Germans landed the Stonegate's crew, and 1 managed to squeeze in among them. We were brought immediately to Bergen.