SINKING OF SUBMARINE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 October 1939, Page 3

SINKING OF SUBMARINE

WITNESSED BY LINER PASSENGERS

ON ATLANTIC VOYAGE. DESTROYER DROPS DEPUTE CHARGES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, October 16. To see an escorting destroyer sink i a submarine by depth charges only i four hours after they had left port was ’ the experience of passengers on a large ’ liner which crossed the Atlantic to ; Canada less than a fortnight after war I was declared. Among the passengers were Mr and Mrs W. Patterson, of . Auckland, who have returned after a i holiday visit to Britain. Mr Patterson said that when the ship > sailed for Canada she was completely ■ blacked out and carried a large naval gun as well as an anti-aircraft gun. Before leaving port she was joined by another large liner and two destroyers. , "We certainly felt much safer with > one of these fast destroyers on each ! side of the liners,” said Mr Patterson, “but about four hours out from port ■ the excitement started. I was on deck ' at about 7 p.m., when a submarine, was sighted. The destroyer on our port ' side turned round very quickly and . chased the submarine. We could see her slow down and drop three depth charges. “The effect of these three explosions on the liner was terrific. The ship vibrated, and many passengers, some of whom were dining, thought we had been struck by a torpedo. They made a dash for the boats with their lifebelts. • “We had about 130 survivors of the Athenia on board making their second attempt to get home,” continued Mr Patterson. “Most of them thought they had been torpedoed a second time. The destroyer reported, however, that she had sunk- the submarine, as a large amount of oil was seen on top of the water before she left the spot to come alongside us again.” Mr Patterson said the destroyer left at daylight next morning and the liner continued alone at a speed of about 22 knots with all the lifeboats swung out over the side ready for any emergency. “Everything went well till the afternoon, when we were out in the Atlantic,” continued Mr t'aiterson. “A large black aeroplane appeared, coming toward the liner’s stern. it flew over the ship and then turned and flew over the gun crew aft. The gunners trained the gun on the machine’, which had a crew of three and carried machineguns and bombs. After flying over the ship three times the airmen signalled to. the gunners not to fire. Then they signalled to the bridge,- asking who we were and where we were bound. When they got our answer they dipped their wing and made off toward land, much to our relief. “Not till they djpped their wing did we know it was a friendly machine. Till we told them who we were they did not know we were British. Seeing our guns they probably thought we were an armed raider, as we were flying no flags and the ship was painted all grey.” The remainder of the trip to Canada was peaceful, but the tension was not relaxed, as many of the passengers, particularly the Athenia survivors, ( never undressed, and carried their lifebelts with them. There Was nothing for people to do except sit in the lounge and look at each other. The gun crews were always on duty and one gun was tested by firing at an iceberg when the liner approached the Canadian coast.