WAR ON NEUTRALS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 March 1940, Page 5

WAR ON NEUTRALS

ITALIAN SHIP ABLAZE IN NORTH SEA

BOMBED BY NAZI PLANE. NORWEGIAN AND DUTCH LOSSES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON, March 8. The Italian vessel Amelia Lauro (5335 tons) Is ablaze in the North Sea after being bombed by a Nazi plane. The first news came from

the Nazis’ own radio nearby. The Italian vessel Titania rushed to her assistance and later wirelessed that she was launching lifeboats to rescue the crew from the burning vessel. It is officially stated in Oslo that Norway has rejected the German answer to the Norwegian sinking of the steamer Eika on February 18 by a U-boat. Norway has renewed her demand for compensation. The German reply alleged that the Eika tried to ram the submarine and that the steamer’s nationality markings were not clearly visible. Norway denies both statements. The Dutch steamer Grutto (920 tons), with a crew of 18, disappeared after her departure from London on March 5. Wreckage bearing the name Grutto has been found in the North Sea, and wreckage identified as from the steamer Vecht (1965 tons), which was on a voyage to America, has been picked up on the Zeeland coast, states a message from Amsterdam. CURIOUS BOMBS DROPPED ON ITALIAN SHIP. DELAYED INCENDIARY ACTION. (Received This Day. 10.25 a.m.) LONDON. March 8. The captain of the Amelia Lauro, which, laden with British coal, left the north-east coast for Italy on March 6, told a curious story of Nazi bombs, when he and 28 others were landed on the East Coast. Three of the crew were sent to hospital. The captain said the German raider dropped four bombs, which destroyed the bridge and wireless aerial, injured the wireless operator and killed one member of the crew, whose body was left on board. The bombs contained a number of smaller incendiary bombs. This was not realised immediately, but an hour after the attack when the crew was taken aboard the Titania, small bombs went off. A wave of flame rose up and nothing could be done to save the ship. The Titania transferred the men to a lifeboat, which brought them ashore. Members of th crew emphasised that the plane must have seen the ship’s name and flag.