SUNK BY GUNFIRE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 December 1940, Page 6

SUNK BY GUNFIRE

GERMAN STEAMER RHEIN INTERCEPTED BY NETHERLANDS WARSHIP. STORY OF THE INCIDENT. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day. 10.55 a.m.) RUGBY, December 27. Further information has been received officially of the capture and ultimate destruction of the German ship Rhein, of 6,031 tons in West Indies waters by the Royal Netherlands Navy ship, Van Kinsbergen. A suspicious vessel was sighted by the Van Kinsbergen in the early hours of December 11. The ship was identified with the aid of searchlights as the Rhein, being order to stop. The Rhein attempted to escape in the darkness but was brought to by a shot fired across her bows. A boarding party was sent over. The crew of the German ship, who had previously set her on fire in an attempt to scuttle her was transferred to the Van Kinsbergen. Alien fighting the fire for some hours it was found impossible to save the German ship. Although the attempt to scuttle her had been prevented the fire had taken too fierce' a hold of the vessel for the boarding party alone to deal with it and heavy weather prevented, attempts to take stronger measures. Accordingly, the boarding party withdrew and the Rhein was sunk by gunfire. .