The Aparima.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 March 1918, Page 2

The Aparima.

TORPEDOED BY SUBMARINE SURVIVORS RETURN HOME. ACCOUNT OF THE SINKING. LONDON, March 7. Several officers, cadets, and members of the crew of the Union Steam Ship Company’s steamer 'Aparima, which was .torpedoed and sunk in the English Channel, in November last, airived in Auckland. The Aparima’s complement consisted of 22 officers and men, 30 Mercantile Marine cadets, and 61 Lascars, The whole of the Europeans saved, with the exception of the commander, have returned to New Zealand. They consist of eight officers, six seamen and 12 cadets.

ATTACKED WITHOUT WARNING

The explosion caused by the torpedo is considered to be responsible for the largo loss of life. The vessel was commanded by Captain (Jerald Doorley, R.N.R., who is well known in New Zealand. Ho first came to the Antipodes as an officer of the Morning, the relief ship for Captain Scott’s first Polar expedition, and later, he joined tho Union Company’s service. The Aparima was used as a trooship by tho New Zealand Government for the first two and a-half years of the war, but it was the opinion of the military authorities that the vessel was too slow for this work. When released by the Defence authorities, she was loaded with .produce' for Great Britain, and left Auckland on September 5, 1917. She discharged her cargo at London and was then requisitioned by the Admiralty. She was proceeding to Cardiff, on the West Coast of England, via the English Channel when she met her fate.

The sinking of the Apirama was particularly sudden. It occurred at five minutes to one o’clock in the morning, when the vessel was abreast of Anvil Point, and six miles off the land. There was no warning —only a tremendous explosion at a spot aft, supposed to be near No, 4 hatch but certainly in very close proximity to the cadets’ Quarters. Many of the officers and crew were asleep, and they rushed out of the cabins, having absolutely no time to collect any clothing or belongings of any kind.

SECOND OFFICER DROWNED. The Lascars showed exemplary conduct. Those working below decns at once went into the engincroom and asked what they should do. They were given instructions to make their way ou deck as speedily as possible. The other Lacans employed above decks in various capacities had been well drilled Without a great deal of excitement they formed up on deck, awaiting orders. Three boats arc said to have been launched. One was overturned and and the survivors had to cling to it for some time. The water was icj cold. Two attempts were made to save the second officer, G. Macdonald, He nad evidently been stunned and was semiconscious. He was utterly exhausted, too, and he said to one of the egnineers who had twice pulled him: on to an overturned boat, that “it was no use” and he quietly slipped back into the water, and no more was seen of him. Other men who had jumped overboard

and who were clinging to pieces of wreckage, wore picked up by the other boats Two boats were drifting about until the arrival of some motor-boat patrols, who hurried to the scone, having heard the explosion from afar off) The third boat was picked up by a Norwegian steal mer, and the occupants taken to St. Helen’s Bay, and from there in a destroyer to Portsmouth.

The Aparima did not remain above

the water long. A huge gaping hole had evidently been torn in her hull, and directly after the explosion she began to fill with water. She com-

menced to sink by tlm and quickly her bows canted perper'’icularlv and in five minute? she disarmcar-

aonr sicht

A PERBNAL NAEEATIYE

A member of the crew states that when the explosion took place ho was asleep in his bunk. He dressed in an old uniform and ran along to the cngincroom. and reached the stecringgmr platform. The water was then

h-.l’.' v.ay an the engine columns, and he concluded it was useless to attempt to do anything in the engineroom.

“£ then made my way to the boat d'X'.k,” ho continued “and let go the after tackle of the No. 2 boat. The water was just up to the bottom of the boat, and I was immediately sucked down, and I do not reme.mbee anything further until I felt- my feet

boat, which capsized when it got into the water. I was underneath. I dived under the thwarts of the boat, and two people caught aud helped instep. The boat was crowded on top. Presently it begafc- to roll very considerably and I told all hands to endeavour to turn the boat over. I could not say whether there were Europeans or Lascars. When the boat was righted there were seven natives, three cadets and myself. We heard a voice near us, and it proved to bo a cadet clinging to a piece of wreckage. A rope was thrown to him, and the dockage made fast to the boat. After drifting about for an hour and a-half, three of the Lascars died from exposure. At daybreak we found alongside the body of the chief steward, James Mackie. He had a largo scar over the top of hia right eye. He must have received a severe blow before he was drowned. At 7.30 am. we were picked up bj r a motor-boat and at the same time we saw the occupants of another boat being rescued. It took about three-quar-ters of an hour to take us into Weymouth Bay, where were we were transferred to a tug. After landing we were taken to the British and Foreign Sailors’ Society’s Institute ancLcared for.” V