GALLANT EFFORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 January 1941, Page 5

GALLANT EFFORT

BRITISH MERCHANT SHIP FIGHTS IFBOAT BATTLE AT HEAVY ODDS. NINETEEN MEMBERS OF CREW KILLED. i (Dy Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) CAPE VERDE ISLAND. January 13. How the British merchant ship Shakespear (5029 tons) engaged a submarine for three hours and broke oil the fight only after the ship's guns were put out action is related by the master, Captain Bailey. “Immediately the submarine fired I ordered the gun crew to reply." he said. "The men behaved with magnificent courage, despite repeated hits. Imediately one gunner was killed or wounded another without a word of command leapt forward to take his place.

"Nineteen members of the crew were killed. We certainly killed two members of the submarine crew and wounded others. Some of my men lost a hand and others had fingers blown off. Fifteen left hospital today and seven seriously wounded are still in hospital.

"The submarine took our lifeboat in tow. One of my men. an elderly seaman. shouted. ‘I don’t want to be saved by Italians.’ He scrambled to the bow and began hacking the tow rope. His shipmates pulled him back, but he broke away and jumped in the sea. We tried vainly to get him back, but he swam away from the boat and disappeared.” Captain Bailey refused to go on the submarine to have his wounds dressed. He was severely blistered as the result of the sun and salt water and remains in hospital.