TERRIBLE ORDEAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 February 1940, Page 5

TERRIBLE ORDEAL

SURVIVORS OF TORPEDOED GREEK SHIP

THIRTEEN OF CREW DIE IN SMALL BOAT.

FOUR DAYS AT MERCY OF ELEMENTS.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, February 2.

Twenty survivors of the crew of 33 of the Greek steamer Eleni Stathatos (5625 tons), which was torpedoed early last Sunday morning, were.landed at a small Irish fishing village yesterday afternoon, and had sufficiently recovered today to give some account of the appalling hardships they suffered. Their vessel was proceeding in ballast to Key West,. Florida, when the torpedo stuck the vessel, holing it badly and necessitating taking to the boats, one of which was cut in two by the propeller. The men, thrown into the water, were picked up, and the second boat was overcrowded, the occupants having only some dry biscuits, a-tin of water, and some corned beef on board to sustain them on what proved to be over four days’ ordeal at the mercy of the elements. After rowing three or four hours they hoisted a little canvas sail. The boat was making water and continuous bailing was necessary to keep it afloat in the heavy seas. The 33 men huddled together in the small boat suffered terribly from the cold, and rain on Monday added to their hardships. The wind and rain increased on Tuesday. “Lack of food and drink, as well as exposure and mental anguish,” said one of the survivors, "were taking heavy toll of us all, and disasters were on their way. They came all too quickly. “The insanitary state of the boat added to our privations. On Tuesday night two men died after the first had gone mad. They were immediately slipped overboard. Our tiny rations were becoming exhausted, and the first deaths had a shocking effect on the rest of the crew.

“On Wednesday morning two or three more were dead, and we had to go through the ordeal of another hasty burial. Two or three more died on Wednesday, and the last two died on Thursday morning.

“Only our tiny sail brought us along. We saw the light of a lighthouse and headed for it.”

Trawlers were sighted, but they did not pick up the signals of the remaining 20 almost-demented men who pulled toward a village, at which they were landed by a motor-boa,t which went out and took them on board. The chief engineer of the steamer declared, “We should not have been sunk. We were a neutral ship bound without cargo for a neutral port. “I saw the second mate jump into the sea. Another bit himself in an attempt to suck his blood and quench his thirst, and he also tried to bite others. One lost his speech, poked out a shrunken tongue, and collapsed and died.

“We did not see a British naval vessel or aeroplane the whole time. They told us to keep to that route, and surely they could have guarded it. The Greek flag was painted on both sides of the ship, and the flag astern was illuminated by a spotlight.

“We could not have survived another night.” Fourteen of the survivors are in bed in hotels and houses, and six are in hospital at an Irish village. TO RUN BLOCKADE GERMAN STEAMER LEAVES BRAZILIAN PORT. DUTCH SHIP MINED NEAR ENGLISH COAST. LONDON, February 4. ' A message from Recife (Brazil) states that the German steamer Wolfsburg (3648 tons) has sailed in an attempt to run the blockade. Twelve remaining German merchantmen are loading meat, cotton. rubber and lard.

Despite the Nazi boasts that the City of Flint’s cargo would never reach England, the last consignment has arrived in Liverpool and Manchester. The perishable portions were auctioned at Bergen and the remainder shipped to England. It included machinery and raw materials. An Amsterdam message says that the Dutch steamer Laertes (5825 tons), was mined and set afire south-west of England. The crew of 100 took to the boats, but later returned and extinguished the flames. The ship is continuing at half-speed.

The British steamer Polzella is reported to be overdue, and presumed lost.

The safe arrival at Buenos Aires of the French vessel Jamaique disposes of a foundationless suggestion contained in a recent German broadcast. This stated that the Jamaique. together with the Highland Patriot. Highland Monarch and Andalucia Star, was overdue, not having been heard of for over a fortnight. In fact, Ihe Highland Patriot left Santos for Rio de Janeiro on January 29. and the Highland Monarch arrived in Buenos Aires on the same day. The Andalucia Star is not yet due at Buenos Aires, but her whereabouts is known.