SERIOUS COLLISION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 August 1940, Page 6

SERIOUS COLLISION

OFF CAPE CAMPBELL NORWEGIAN TANKER & BRITISH MOTOR-SHIP. LATTER VESSEL BADLY HOLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A serious collision between two large overseas ships occurred shortly before 9 o’clock' last night at a position 20 miles east of Cape Campbell and 40 miles to the southward of Pencarrow Head. The vessels involved were the British motor-ship Armadale, • doth) tons, and the Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob, 830(1 tons. The former ship was seriously damaged in No. 1 hold, but the extent of the injury to the tanker was not ascertainable last night.

The news of the collision was made known by an SOS message transmitted by the Armadale, whose master reported that his ship was badly holed forward. The No. 1 hold was flooded. The weather was fine and the sea smooth, and the Armadale was in no danger as long as her bulkheads held. The tanker was standing by the Armadale, which asked that assistance be sent to her. Immediately the news was received steps were taken to send tugs to the assistance of the Armadale. The Wellington Harbour Board tug Toia and the Union Steam Ship Company’s tug Terawhiti, with heavy towing hawsers and other gear, were dispatched shortly before midnight and were expected to reach the Armadale about 4 o’clock this morning. The Armadale will be towed to Wellington and may be expected to arrive here during the forenoon today. She will be placed on the floating dock for repairs. The Armadale, which was coming up from the south, was bound to the westward through Cook Strait. It is understood that she was in light trim. The tanker Ole Jacob, which was bound to the southward, was fully loaded with a cargo of motor spirit. From the fact that the Armadale was badly holed forward, it would appear that she was struck by the tanker, which may have sustained damage to her bows. The Armadale, which is well known in New Zealand ports, is a cargo vessel of 5066 tons gross register, built in .1929 and owned by the Australind Steam Shipping Co. Ltd (Trinder, Anderson and Co.), of London. The Ole Jacob is a large motor-tank-er of 8306 tons gross register, 470 feet in length by 59 feet in breath. She was built last year at Gothenburg, Sweden, for Mr Jobs. Hansen, of Arendal, Norway. BOTH SHIPS IN PORT ARMADALE MUCH DAMAGED. NEED OF EXTENSIVE REPAIRS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Considerable damage was done to the British motor-ship Armadale, which is badly holed forward, in her collision off Cape Campbell with the Norwegian tanker Ole Jacob. Both ships arrived in Wellington under their own power. Apparently the Ole Jacob struck the Armadale, which gave the first news of the collision in an SOS, the master. Captain H. E. Webb, reporting his ship badly holed forward and the No. 1 hold flooded. The tanker stood by the Armadale, which requested assistance. On reaching the ships, the tugs Toia and Terawhiti found that towing services were not required. The Armadale arrived at about 7 a.m. and the tanker about an hour later. The tanker is now tied up at the oil wharf at Miramar. The ships were travelling under war conditions, without lights. The hole in the Armadale is roughly square in shape, but wider at the top. It extends some distance below the waterline, to within about six feet of the fore deck, with the broken portion, about 25 feet wide, jammed hinge-wise backwards into the hold. A quantity of cargo was lost, but how much has not yet been ascertained. Captain Webb trimmed ship by shifting part of the cargo of oil drums. Lloyd’s surveyor has made an examination of the ship. The repair job will be a big one, and with so large a section of the hull and frames damaged it may be necessary to get new material from Australia, according to Mr C. M. Turrell, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company.