OTHER SHIPS LOST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 March 1940, Page 5

OTHER SHIPS LOST

BRITISH & NEUTRAL VESSELS MINED. ATTACK ON THE SOUTHGATE. LONDON. March 4. A message from Oslo states that the Norwegian steamer Silja (1259 tons) has not been reported since February 2 and is presumed to have been sunk. She carried a crew of 16 and was the sister-ship of the Eika, which was torpedoed in the Bay of Biscay. The British steamer Albano (2364 tons) struck a mine off the Scottish coast and sank. The captain and second officer perished, but the remainder of the crew have been landed. The Cato, another British steamer of 1436 tons, sank off the west coast. It is believed she struck a mine. Two members of the crew were killed and two have been landed. Eleven are missing. It is reported from San Juan (Puerto Rico) that the crew of the United States coastguard vessel Unalga said they believe that the British steamer Southgate’s report that she was attacked by a submarine will be confirmed when she reaches port. They

said the Unalfia received three messages from the Southgate on March 1 the first saying she had been torpedoed, the second stating that she liacl been attacked, and the final message adding that she was undamaged. Conflicting earlier reports on the Southgate, which was found safe by United States naval planes after she had sent an SOS from'a point 130 miles from Puerto Rico, concerned the question of whether she had made a mistake regarding a submarine in the vicinity.