TORPEDO ATTACK ON FLAGSHIP

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 180, 17 August 1937, Page 7

TORPEDO ATTACK ON FLAGSHIP

-Preas Aaen.—

Missile Hits But Fails to Explode M0T0R-B0AT RAID

(By Telegraph-

•Copyrighli.l

(Received 17, 12.30 p.m.) SHANGHAI, Aug. 16. Mr Andrew Breunan, South Africau Trade Commissioner, witnessed a daringj attempt to blow up tho Japanese flagship, Idumo, which hitherto has borne a charmed life. A fully lighted and high-powerecl speedboat flashed down. the Whangpoo river, hooted when abreast of the Idumo and sped off down the river. Two hundred yards behind her a speedy torpedo motor-boat came surging with a crew ■. of six, and, equipped with two torpiedoes, it turned round 200 yards from the Idumo and launched a tor- ' xiedo, which tore through the water, hit something with a terrific thud, but apparentJy failed to explode. Subsequently two Chinese naval students, members of the motor-boat's crew, were picked up injured on the Bund. They declared that the torpedo struck the Idumo. The evacuation of British women and children has been halted, the Mayor of Shanghai, Mr Yui, having emphasised that the danger of Chinese air bombing, the -direction of which was not controlled by the commander in Shanghai, has passed. Whangpoo will be protectively draped Meanwhilet launches and ships in the with their national colours .and will fly white flags. The Shanghai Club has been besieged throughout the day by jthose registering for evacuation, men, women and children queuing up ten deep, with gunfire echoing in their cars. The Chinese Foreign Office, on learning that the Japanese Embassy staif desired to go lioine, is providing thein with safe eonduct to Japan via Tsingtao.,