CITY OF FLINT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 February 1940, Page 8

CITY OF FLINT

CREW PRISONERS OF NAZIS. EYE-WITNESS GIVES ACCOUNT OF CAPTURE. Events on board the American steamship City of Flint after her capture by the German battleship Deutschland, which placed a prize crew on board her, are described in the diary of the radio operator. Mr James McConnochie, who gave the first eyewitness story of the capture. Mr McConnochie escaped from his captors when the City of Flint was taken into Tromso, Norway, on the way to Murmansk, to land survivors from the British ship Ston,egate, which was sunk by the Deutschland. The extracts from his diary, made after the capture and published in a world copyright article in the "Daily Mail.” are as follows:—

: October 13, a Friday—Men’s nerves getting worse. Talked to the Germans, who are mostly aged between 22 and 26. Still steaming north. The Arabian sailors from the Stonegate are feeling the cold badly. October 14.—Today the Germans made a Danish flag. October 15. —Sighted a huge iceberg at nightfall. Temperature 17 degrees below. The deck was covered with ice and snow. TIME-BOMBS IN ENGINE-ROOM. October 16. —Still afloat after a nerve-racking night dodging icebergs and stopping frequently. We seem to be heading for North Cape. Still hope te meet a British warship. Today they put a time-bomb in the engine-room. I think we are going to Norwegian waters. The German skipper expects Nazi destroyers to escort us through a minefield. The sea is flat, the cold unbearable. October 17. —Some excitement. The look-out mistook a planet for a ship's light and the course was changed. All the English were confined to their cabins. The funnels were repainted and the ship’s name and the United States flag painted out and a false name substituted. We are now sailing under a Danish flag. Not so cold now; heading north-east. The Germans are now carrying daggers in addition to revolvers. We have given up hopes of res-* cue. Our fresh water is getting short. October 18. —Heading due east. Should sight Norwegian coast tomorrow. Danish flags are on both sides of the ship, which is now sailing under false colours. October 19. —Much warmef. We are taking soundings. We stopped at midnight. as we were not certain of oun position. October 20. —Picked up a pilot in the morning. Now flying a German flag. The Nazis are concealing their guns under their jackets. Anchored at Tromso at 5 p.m. and took in 60 tons of water. Customs officials came on board and discovered our true nationality. The Norwegians would not permit us to depart until the American flag had been repainted on the ship. Norwegian destroyers stood by. The Germans landed the Stonegate’s crew and I managed to squeeze in amongst them. We were brought immediately to Bergen.