RED-HANDED HUN.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1918, Page 7

RED-HANDED HUN.

HOSPITAL SHIP SUNK. ANOTHER BROKEN GERMAN AGREEMENT. Published in The Times London, .Tan. 10. The details of the sinking by Germans of the British hospital ship Rewa in the Bristol Channel make a thrilling story of the sea. The ship had previously picked up wounded Greeks in the ports of Malta and Gibraltar, and the total aboard was iiso. of whom 250 were wounded. Bad weather was encountered in the Mediterranean, and the vessel arrived in English waters lour days late.,. While travelling at about four knots off Swansea at nearly midnight 011 Friday the look-out saw suspicious lights. Almost immediately afterwards the torpedo crashed in with a terrific blow amidships. It was a most effective shot, anil destroyed all chances of saving the vessel. It extinguished the lights, resulting in a wild groping in the darkness for some sort of clothing to enable the men to ascend to the decks. After the first few minutes wonderful order was maintained, while the ship rapidly settled on an even keel. The conduct of the captain and officers was superb, and orders were carried out with perfect calmness. The explosion destroyed two boats, but the remainder were successfully launched and manned without the slightest accident. The first to receive attention were thirty cot cases. These were lowered in the boats, and then four nurses and other • wounded. Last came the officers and crew, until all were off except three Lascars, who were probably killed by the explosion. . Ten minutes after the last boat drew off the ship plunged bow foremost and disappeared. A tramp steamer and two patrols picked up the wireless signals, and arrived 011 the scene at full speed two hours later. They found the boats together, and took aboard all the wounded and crew safely. Observers state that the Rewa was torpedoed without warning, and sank within an hour. Many of the sick and wounded were from the East, and affected with malaria, and suffered bitterly from the exposure while awaiting the arrival of steamers. The boats were used for the stretcher cases. The less injured were covered with blankets and placed on the rafts, where they were repeatedly soaked. Fortunately no loss of life is reported. The'survivors were landed, many of them naked, and everything possible was | done to alleviate the sufferings of the I wounded, who were quickly taken to hospital. The newspapers emphasise the fact that the Rewa outrage breaks the pledge implied in the German Government's statement on January 20, 1917, that hospital ships from the west of i France to the west of England would not be attacked. It appears that the Germans used the red cross on the Rewa as a target for the torpedo, which went through it.