BRITISH SUBMARINE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1939, Page 6

BRITISH SUBMARINE

DISAPPEARS DURING TRIALS OFF BIRKENHEAD FAILURE TO RISE AFTER DIVE. ALL POSSIBLE STEPS TAKEN BY ADMIRALTY. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received This Day, 9.25 a.m.) LONDON, June 1. I The new submarine, 11.M.5. / Thetis, after diving during i trials off Birkenhead, was not ' seen again. r The Admiralty announce that they are taking all posr sible, steps. ? The full complement is re- ’ ported to be 53. Represental lives of the builders, Cam- ( mell and Laird, are stated to ■ be aboard. no' signal received THREE HOURS AFTER DIVE. ALL WARSHIPS,IN VICINITY SEARCHING. f (Received This Day, at Noon.) LONDON, June 1. The Thetis was undergoing acceptance trials and left Cammed and Laird’s yard in the morning for Liverpool Bay, beyond the Bar Lightship, at the mouth of the Mersey. She dived at 1.30 p.m., at a point 50 miles off Birkenhead, and was expected to rise to the surface at 4.30 p.m., but no signal was received. All warships in the vicinity have been ordered to search. The complement of the Thetis is officially stated to be 5 officers and 48 men, with builders’ representatives in addition. Cammell and Laird have issued the following statement: "We are absolutely in the dark at present. The Submarine carried twenty of our staff, in charge of Mr Grout. She also carried a number of Admiralty experts. The Thetis left our yard at about 10 a.m., . accompanied by a tug. We understood that it is from this tug that the Admiralty received a message that something was amiss.” The Thetis 'Was completed and com- ; missioned for duty on March 4, at a < cost of £350,000. She is commanded by Lieutenant-Commander G. H. Bolus. | The naval correspondent of the . London Press Association says it is be- . lieved that there is a total of 100 per- ( sons aboard the Thetis. .-

ADMIRALTY FEARS VESSEL MAY HAVE STRUCK SUBMERGED OBJECT. AT LEAST SEVENTY-FIVE MEN ON BOARD. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 12.35 p.m.) LONDON, June 1. No message has been received from the Thetis since she dived. The Admiralty at 10 p.m. had no news. Officials stated that every effort was being made to locate the Thetis, which is believed to have , sunk in-132 feet of water. It is feared that she may have struck a submerged object, which put'all , her electrical equipment out of action. It is estimated that at least 75 men are aboard. A tug and a number of warships are at the spot. The weather tonight is misty. S.O.S. notices were flashed upon the screen of cinemas and theatres in Weymouth and Portland, recalling men serving' in the First Anti-Submarine Flotilla and the Sixth Destroyer Flot tilla to their ships.-. Eight destroyers of the tribal class are sailing for the Mersey from Portland and the First Anti-Submarine Flotilla is preparing to sail during the night. These and the destroyers are all fitted with the latest secret detector devices used in underwater operations for locating craft. All members of the crew of the Thetis arc fitted with Davis escape apparatus.