SUNK BY SUBMARINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24410, 23 September 1940, Page 6

SUNK BY SUBMARINE

BIG GERMAN TRANSPORT AN OFFICER'S ACCOUNT LONDON, Sept. 20. An officer of the submarine Sturgeon has told the story of the torpedoing and sinking of the big German transport announced by the Admiralty to-day. He said: "In the Skaggerak that morning it was blowing quite hard and we saw nothing at all until an aeroplane came into sight as it was getting dusk. Then the hydrophone operator reported that he could faintly hear a ship. We had a look round and saw first one small German destroyer, then another, then an enormous transport. Conditions were not very good, and the transport was about two and a-half miles away when first sighted. We went to diving stations and very shortly afterwards fired our torpedoes. As soon as we had fired we went down a bit. but after two or three minutes came up for a look round. The transport was still going along with the destroyers escorting her and the aeroplane flying round. We waited, then fired again. Not long after the second lot of torpedoes was fired there was quite a big bang in the submarine, then we had another look and saw a gigantic column of black smoke which must have gone 2000 feet into the air. We dived, but came up for another look about 20 minutes later, and saw the transport, which must have been at least 10,000 tons, burst into flames. It was a terrific sight. The transport was settling down in the water. She was a mass of flame from end to end. We had another look an hour later, and the transport was then gone. The only thing that marked the spot was the searchlights of the torpedo boats, who were obviously searching for survivors.