SEA MYSTERY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 February 1939, Page 6

SEA MYSTERY

SAS. CALL FROM MIDDLE OF ATLANTIC SHIP REPORTS ATTACK BY SUBMARINE. “TORPEDOED & SINKING.” By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LO.NDON, February 23. The Portishead radio station yesterday picked up an S.O.S. message from a ship which gave the call sign PECC and its position 32 degrees 10 minutes north and 37 degrees 45 minutes west, stating that it had been torpedoed by a submarine and was sinking. The call sign, which is not recorded in the marine registers, resembles signs allocated to Dutch ships, ' but Lloyd’s state that it is not likely to be a Dutch vessel, and that they are investigating the. possibility of its being Swedish. There is also a possibility that the S.O.S. was from the British tanker Pecten, which left Trinidad on February 8, and is due at Southampton on February 27. A New York message states the S.O.S. was picked up by an American ship and relayed ter a nearby radio station. It cannot be determined from the records whether the vessel is the Dutch ship Flandria or the Belgian Flandres. The Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Australia, which was closest to the position given by the wireless message, reached the spot on Wednesday night, but reported no sign of a wreckage.

SUPPOSED HOAX. SEARCH ABANDONED. (Received This Day, JO. 15 a.m.) NEW YORK, February 23. The P.E.C.C. SOS is regarded as a hoax and the search has been abandoned. It is believed that an amateur operator in Southern Europe or the Azores Islands was responsible. A later London message states that the master radioed the owners that the Pecten is due to arrive at Southhampton on Sunday. SUBMARINES SIGHTED. (Received This Day, 10.15 a.m.) HORTA (Azores), February 23. A steamer arriving on February 17 reported two submarines, of unknown nationality, south of Fayal Island. It is pointed out that naval manoeuvres are common in Jho vicinity of Fayal Island in the spring time. Two German cruisers and one supply ship visited Horta last week, while two Italian cruisers and one supply ship arrived on Wednesday. A Dutch warship also is expected. The position given is near the middle of the Atlantic due west of Madeira.