RAIDER IN TASMAN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24399, 10 September 1940, Page 8

RAIDER IN TASMAN

AUSTRALIAN ANNOUNCEMENT TWENTY-FOUR HOURS AFTER NEW ZEALAND'S (From Our Own Correspondent) SYDNEY, Aug. 24. The official announcement of the shelling of the freighter Turakina by an enemy raider in the Tasman was noi made in Canberra until 24 hours after the Prime Minister of Ntw Zealand (Mr P. Fraser) made his announcement on Thursday night The Australian Minister for the Navy (Mr A. G. Cameron) released the news on Friday night, stating that the Turakina had wirelessed the Commonwealth naval authorities that she was being attacked and giving her position. " The Commonwealth naval forces and the Royal Australian Air Force immediately set out to locate the raider." said Mr Cameron. "They are working in conjunction with the New Zealand naval and air forces. The operations are continuing. I hope the next statement I give vou is the sinking of the-raider." Mr Cameron refused to answer any more questions about the Turakina. Passengers who reached Sydney on Friday by the Tasman flying boat were astonished that their Sydney friends did not know of the shelling of the Turakina. They had read in newspapers Mr Fraser's statement made the previous night. Auckland newspapers containing the statement arrived in the flying boat. The flying boat, whose Departure from New Zealand had been delayed 24 hours without official explanation, had been kept back, it was assumed, because of the presence of an armed enemy ship in the Tasman. The flying boat's crew kept a sharp watch from the aircraft's cockpit, but saw no trace of the raider. The Dassengers also kept a close watch on the sea. The Turakina's crew included two Australians. John Mahoney. 34. refrigerating machinery greaser, of Dapto. N.S.W. and Edward Sweeney.. 19, deck boy. of Melbourne. Mahoney signed oh in Sydney at the beginning of the voyage on which the Turakina was attacked. He has spent several years at sea. mainly in the Union Company's boats. He had a spell of 18 months', away from the sea. and then, about six months ago. he left his home at Dapto and his family has not since heard from him. and they did not even know that he had recently been in Australia. He'was born in Invercargill.