ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 January 1918, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

TYPICAL TEUTON TACTICS. , hospital ship torpedoed. DISTINGUISHING MARKS CARRIED. London, .Inn. 9. The Admiralty reports that, the liritish hospital ship Rewa. was torpedo'nl and sunk in the Bristol Channel at midnight on January 4. The vessel was coming from Gibraltar. All the wounded were saved, but three Lascars belonging to the crew are missing. The Rewa was displaying all the lights and markings required by the Hague Convention, and was not and had not been within the "barred zone."

FURTHER DETAILS. j EXCELLENT ORDER MAINTAINED. 'THE RESCUE WORK. NO PERSONAL BELONGINGS SAVED. Received Jan. 18, 8.15 p.m. London. Jan. 9. The Rewa was sunk in the Bristol Channel. There were 550 aboard, ineluding a complement of woundeds. Excellent order was maintained after the vessel was struck. There was a calm sea, and the nearness of hundreds of other vessels contributed to the rescue. Boats were lowered and the cot eases safely disembarked. The vessel sank in seventy-five minutes, and within two hours all had been picked up. A member of the crew states that just as the Rewa entered the Bristol Channel, after a bad voyage, suddenly there wiik a terrific bang, the crew being thrown out of their bunks. The concussion extinguished the lights. There was no time to save personal belongings. Magnificent order prevailed. Ihe vessel had 250 wounded, and these were put in the first boats, then the nurses, who were followed by the passengers and crew. The weather was not cold. AI tank steamer patrol boat took us to Swansea. We did not suffer much discomfort.

RED CROSS A TARGET. . AN EFFECTIVE- SHOT. Received Jan. 10, S.lO p.m. London, Jan. 9. Other accounts show the Germans used tlift Red Cross mark as a. target. A torpedo passed clean through it. The lascars were probably killed by the explosion. The ship was only travelling at four knots. It was a most effective shot that sunk the ship, there not being u chance of saving the vessel. The lmm in the blinks were suddenly awakened, and made a dash for deck. In other cases there was a wild groping in the darkness for some sort of clothing. Most of the survivors landed absolutely without clothing.

BRITISH LOSSES, STILL KEEPING UP Received Jan. 10, 8.55 p.m. Lt.ndon Jan. 9. The British Admiralty report on the submarine campaign for the week ended January 5 gives the following figures: This Last week. week. Arrivals r -2055 21U Sailings 2144 2074 Sunk over 1600 tons 18 13 Sunk under lflOO tons .... 3 3 Unsuccessfully attacked .. 11 8 Over Uftder Unsuc--1000 1600 Total cessful tons tons sunk attacks Totals Dep. 39 723 305 098 572 Week ending— -741 ITALIAN LOSSES. Received Jan. 10, 11 p.m. Rome, Jan. 9. \ For the weeli ended January 5, 322 Blnps arrived and 313 departed. Two over 1500 tons were sunk, aud one was unsuccessfully attacked. BARRED ZONE EXTENDED. GERMANS' VAIN HOPE. THAT SUBMARINES WILL END THE WAR. Received Jan. 10, 8.10 p.m. Reuter Service. Amsterdam, Jan. 0. The Nord Deutsche announces a fresh extension of the Gorman barred /one. It concerns hostile bases 011 Cape Verde Islands and Bade Dakar, in the adjoining ciiastal region; also the barred zone of the Azores, which is extended to Madeira. Neulral vessels at present in har- . bor in the zone will not be attacked if they proceed to the free sea by the short- ' est rqute by the 18th. A sufficient period ■ of grace will be allowed neutral ships s entering the zone unknowingly, German Newspapers, commenting oa

the extension of (lie barred zone /or shipping, state the extension is necessary because it lias been discovered that the eneinv established points of support in places easily attainable by submarines, llu; newspapers also state the extension of tiie southern frontier of the barred zone four thousand miles from Cuxhaven proves that the submarines are increasing in capability, an,! strengthens the Herman belief that submarines will ultimately end the war.

CONVOYING MERCHANT SHIPS. ADOPTION OF ITALIAN SYSTEM. Rome, Jan. 9. Admiral Delbono, Minister of Marine, stated that all the Entente Powers had adopted the Italian system of convoying merchant ships, .which secures safety against submarines.