THRILLING STORY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20110, 2 December 1939, Page 3

THRILLING STORY

TANKER TORPEDOED SUNK BY U-BOAT N.Z. YOUTH'S EXPERIENCE A Hawera youth, Colin Faulkner, who was aboard the oil tanker Cheyenne which was torpedoed by a U-boat, tells a thrilling story of the happening in a letter to his parents. “You will remember that last time I wrote I was on a ship called the Cheyenne, owned by the Anglo-Am-erican Oil Company,” he wrote. “Well, the Cheyenne is no more. We were torpedoed by a German submarine off the Irish coast about three weeks alter leaving a Dutch West Indies port. “Three days after leaving port war was declared and that ‘put the wind up' all of us, because we were carrying such a highly explosive cargo. Eighteen days later lit was a Friday too!) in our watch we sighted a submarine about two points off the port bow. And boy was she scamping! She had seen us and was coming up at a great bat, only her conning tower showing.

Kept Running

“The order was immediately given ‘hard a starboard.’ We started running from her as we had no guns. She sent across a warning shell. The captain ignored it axjd we kept running, zigzagging all the time. For two hours we kept going at full steam, engines flat out and nearly jumping off their beds. But it was no use. We were not fast enough and ‘Jerry’ was getting very close with his shells. “Finally the captain whistled for ‘stand by.’ That was me and I was scared. We all were. But up on to the bridge I went. ‘Put the flag’ up’ was the next order. Well, if I tried to put that flag up once I tried half a dozen times. Every time I was about to run it up to the staff head another shell would come across. Phew! I was scared. Then a shell landed dead centre about a hundred yards off and under our counter. It picked both flag and myself up, flung us across the poop and dashed me up against the after windlass as though I was a feather.

“It - seemed like the end ‘to me although I only hurt my ankle. But that flag had to go up and somehow I managed it. No sooner was it up however (or so it seemed to me) than the order came to surrender and then “haul down flag’ came across. Next came ‘abandon ship.’ Firing Stops “I must give the U-boat commander his due. He was a thorough gentleman. No sooner did our flag come down than he stopped firing and gave us ample time to take to the boats. The*, boys were wonderful. Imagine how you would feel if the shells were falling all around you and with the ship full of the most highly explosive spirits you can get! Well, those boys, although frightened badly, looit to the boats as calmly and efficiently as if it were an everyday event. Every man knew his position and carried out his duties as he ought to have. “After we had pulled about a mile from the Cheyenne we saw a huge column ol’ water shoot into the air oil the port side of the ship. They had torpedoed her from the ■ starboard side but the torpedo for some reason or other did not explode on striking the ship but penetrated and exploded on striking the inside of the port side. What we could not make out was why the boat did not go up in a flash. Instead she just broke in half. “The submarine then came over to us, all her officers and crew standing around the conning tower. They greeted us with friendly grins. The commander demanded the ship s papers, but naturally we had no papers. ‘Why did you try to run away?’ ho asked the captain calmly. Just as calmly the captain replied. ‘Self-preservation, of course.’ Destroyers Arrive “The commander then asked us if we wanted anything, and even asked us if we wanted a cup of tea. But just at that moment two British destroyers showed up on the horizon, so •Jerry’ had to submerge. The destroyers started dropping depth charges. I don’t know whether they got the submarine or not and I do not know whether I hope they did or not. The commander was so jolly decent. “Well, anyway, we were picked up by a Norwegian ship, the Ida Bakke, and put ashore at Baltimore in County Cork. The funny part about it is that the Ida Bakke only the previous night had picked up the crew of ,the torpedoed British Influence in about the same place. We finally. arrived at London and were paid off there, and that is the whole story.”