SMALL ALLIED SHIP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 February 1943, Page 3

SMALL ALLIED SHIP

TORPEDOED OFF COAST OF AUSTRALIA NUMBER OF LIVES LOST. FOURTEEN SURVIVORS LANDED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, February 9. ' Another small Allied ship has been torpedoed and sunk by an enemy submarine off the east coast of Australia. Fourteen survivors who have been landed at an Australian port said that some men who lost their lives were trapped in their quarters and had no chance to escape. Others dived overboard, but were dragged to their death as the ship foundered. No one saw, the submarine which made the attack. With the exception of the men on watch, most of the crew were asleep when the torpedo struck. “When I heard the explosion I knew what had happened,” said one of the rescued men. “The ship trembled and the lights started to jump. When I got on deck I found that the ship, which was on fire just forward of the bridge, was going down by the nose. She listed quickly and began to sink bow first, at an angle of about 45 degrees. There was nothing else for it. I jumped overboard. I could feel her sucking me down, but I was well clear of her.” ( All fourteen survivors finally clambered on to a raft after some of them had been clinging to wreckage in the water for as long as three hours. About 10 hours later they were rescued. All the men had to be given clothing when they came ashore. For some of the crew it was their second torpedoing.