A WAR INCIDENT

Hokitika Guardian, 30 December 1931, Page 6

A WAR INCIDENT

A TORPEDO ATTACK. RARANGA’S NARROW ESCAPE Although it is now over thirteen years since toe conclusion of the war, there are still comparatively few people in New Zealand wlio are awaie that tlie Shaw, fcavill and Aiuon Conner Raranga, which is now completing her loading at Lyttelton lor London, nearly met her end during the 'latter part of the war as the result of a torpedo attack by a German submarine. The Raranga regularly trades to Lyttelton. It was while walking along the Lyttelton waterfront yesterday morning that Captain A. J. Charman, ATarine Superintendent for the Shaw, gavill. and Albion Company, recounted the story of how, in .June, 15*18, a convoy was attacked in the early hours of the morning. He was then master of the Raranga. Just on 1 a.in., on -June 26, said Captain Charman, the Raranga was proceeding as part of convey of forty-three steamers bound from New York to England. The night was dark and the convoy was then about twenty miles south-east of the Isle of Wright. All but fourteen ships had, »y this time, been despatched for’their different destinations. The fourteen remaining ships, including the Raranga, which was acting as guide ship, formed two lines of six vessels,, with two others following.

Six destroyers were accompanying the convoy as escort. At 1-9 a.m. a torpedo got the Raranga in the centre of No 4 hold, aft of the engineroom. A terrific explosion tore a hole 31 feet in length by .25 feet in depth. Fortunately, no one was injured. The hatch was filled with New Zealand meat, cheese and butter. Ihe 'bold immediately filled with water and the cißgo rolled out of the ’tween decks, leaving a tra'l right to Gosport where Captain Sharman was able to beach his charge at 7 o’clock the same morning.

The Raranga lay on a sloping sandy beach until she was later refloated and take into Southampton to be d’scharged. Later, she was removed to Portsmouth dockyards for repairs, which were completed in three months. After * being repaired, she was taken over bv the Admiralty and used as a storeship until the end of the war. - ALL CAMOUFLAGED. During the war, all ship’s names were painted out and 'those carrying troops were given numbers. The vessels were hardly recognisable, on account of the clever way in winch they were camouflaged. They were just ships to the onlookdrs. Visitors were not allowed on the wharves near overseas ships without special permits from the military authorities and all wharves were barricaded. So, a number of ships still trading to these shores, which, did their bit ior trie Empire, and still wear sears of the war, go unnoticed. The Rarftnga is one of these.

An interesting fact regarding the building of %he Raranga is that she was began-with male labour and completed solely with female labour in 1916. She was built at the yards of Armstrong, Whitworth and Co. and ■is of 7*396 gross- .tons, 478 feet in length, 63.2 feet in width, with a draught of 31 feet.