1939-09-19 — Page 25

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Tuesday,

HONGKONG TELEGRAPH

September 19, 1939.

Dramatic Eye-Witness Story of Warship's Death Throes 500 OF CREW OF H.M.S. COURAGEOUS FEARED LOST: SURVIVORS LANDED

•

Special To The "Telegraph"

LONDON, Sept. 18. (UP).-It is now indicated · that there might be a number of the complement of H.M.S.*Courageous missing.

Britain's £4,100,000 warship, built during the Great War as a cruiser for operation in the Baltic and subsequently converted into a 22,000-ton aircraft carrier, was torpedoed yesterday by a German U-Boat.

Destroyers are believed to have blown up the submarine with depth Courageous was designed as a cral er. Her conversion into an aircraft

charges. SEARCH FOr survivors.

Fears that the loss of the warship is accompanied by casualties is provided in an official announcement by the Ministry of Information, which states that "the next-of-kin will be informed as soon as information can be obtained as to the names of the survivors". CARRIED FULL COMPLEMENT

The Ministry's announcement adds that the Courageous was operating for the protection of merchant ships against U-Boats.

It is officially announced that she carried her full complement

[of about 1,200 men,

SIRENS SHRIEK | 400 SURVIVORS LandED

IN CALCUTTA LONDON, Sept. 18 (Reuter).--An epic story of the gallantry of the men of H.M.S. Courageous, But Imperial Airways the British aircraft-carrier which was sunk by

Was The "Raider"

a submarine, was disclosed to-night when nearly CALCUTTA, Sept. 18 (Reu-400 survivors were landed by destroyers. ter).The reported approach

It is not known how many more men were merchantmen.

of an unidentified aeroplano from the Bay of Bengal caused ||by the air raid alarm to be sounded

in Calcutta at 2.30 p.m. to-day.

оп

R.A.F. planes which went up

a survey flight returned without finding anything.

It is stated that the alarm was caused by the failure to identify an Imperial Airway plane which landed shortly afterwards.

A second alarm was given at 3.38 p.m. owing the approach of an R.A.F. plane flying too high to be identified.

The all-clear sounded at 4.22.

U.S. DROPS

PARTIES

Leaders Confer On Neutrality Law

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH"

WASHINGTON,

Sept. 18

rescued

Nothing is known yet of the fate of the commander of the Courageous, Captain W. T. Makeig-Jones.

One officer said he last saw the captain standing on the bridge issuing an order to abandon the ship. SANK IN 30 MINUTES

A survivor said that the order to abandon the ship was given within five minutes. She foundered within minutes.

30

THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER COURAGEOUS carrier was completed in March, 1928. Her overall length was 786 feet and her displacement 22.500 tons. Her normal complement was 700, but It is announced that 1.200 were aboard when he was torpedoed.

Eye-Witness Tells Of U-Boat Attack

By PHILIP FAIR

"United Press" Staff Correspondent Aboard The U.S. Rescue Steamer Collingsworth

IT IS estimated that 500 members of the crew of the British aircraft carrier Courageous have lost their lives. |

The U-Boat which sank the 22,000-ton warship fired its torpedoes into the port side of the Courageous on Sunday night. The Courageous was then at sea, off the south-west coast of Ireland,

Five hundred and fifty members of the crew have been rescued by other warships and steamers. SANK Stern FIRST

The Courageous sank stern.first within twenty minutes of being torpedoed.

scene.

The American steamer Collingsworth, aboard which I am a passenger, a Dutch liner and a British freighter raced to the

• We dropped lifeboats and picked up large numbers of men, who were swimming around or clinging to the debris.

Buckled Flight Deck

There were two explosions. Sterling Flops

The titanic nature of the ex- plosions completely buckled the ilight deck of the Courageous,

which was able to launch only two lifeboats on the port side. One lifeboat was completely crushed when the stricken ship

suddenly listed. The

Some of the boats could not be used owing to the vessel heeling so quickly.

There were two distinct bangs at an interval of perhaps one second, and there were a few minor explosions.

Part of the crew were below- Idecks when the ship foundered.) but most of the crew jumped into water, those who could not swim supporting themselves on odd pieces of wood and rafts.

were

Destroyers picked up survivors, British merchantmen, which quickly on the scene, are believed to have rescued. a large number.

Sang At Thoy Swam

Assistance

Was

also given by a

the maximum being 20 feet. Courageous was converted Into an aircraft carrier in 1928, the conver- further £2,025,800. plan costing a Thus, the total cost of the ship was

£4,144,800.

Blockade Of Junk Fleet

British Warship Rescues Crew

Many of its crew were trapped below decks and in the mess rooms.

Destroyers which were accom-

destroyed the submarine.

U.S. NOT TO RISK A DOLLAR

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPN"

18,

WASHINGTON, Sept. panying the Courageous dropped! depth charges, which, it is believed, (UP), The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Henry Morgen- Hunting U-Boats thau, said that owing to the Officers whom we rescued said that, variation between the New York -the -CouragSOUS had been hunting and the official - British rate.on submarines and had met with some the pound sterling, the Treasury

success when she herself was attack-

ed.

Department was "not risking Twenty-two planes were aboard the one dollar" from the stabilization Courageous when she sank. The last fund in the foreign exchange machine had just returned from market. submarine-hunting flight when the Tabip was torpedoed.

a

53 Rescued SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH" WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UP).- (UP), It has been announced

Further reports of Japanese The Maritime Commission has from the White House that both | Dutch liner and American naval activities against junks|ceived message from the Uš. Republican leaders, Mr. Alfred freighter.

Another survivor, who was in the were mude to the Police yester-steamer Collingsworth, reporting that they rescued 53 survivors of the Landon and Colonel Knox, ac-

Courageous. water 15 minutes, declared that the day. cepted President Roosevelt's mon behaved cheerfully and actually

Lam Yuk, sleerman of junk No. whilst personally telephoned invitation sany swimming.

In his 5231Y, reported that while off Sun swimming attend a conference

Most of those on

Mut four Japanese from an armed neutrality problems before the particular area were picked up.

Another survivor said the lights trawler boarded his boat and after their cargo, Special Session of Congress went out when the Courageous was throwing overboard convenes on September 21. struck. Crockery tell about as the valued at $100, allowed them

The conference, which will be held ship listed, but everybody was quite depart. on Wednesday, is in line with the orderly, and some of the sailors crack- President's declaration that he willed jokes as they swam about walling seck the adjournment of partisan to be picked up. consideration in matters concerning the United States' neutrality.

} 438 Survivors SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH" LONDON, Sept. 19 (UP)—The Ad- miralty has issued the first list of

the to survivors of

Courageous. The list contains 438 names.

Cheng Kam, master of junk T3512, reported more serious consequences. Ten miles East of San Mui, ten from a Japanese in a motor boat destroyer boarded his junk, forced the crew into a small sampon and

Taken From Reservo CAPTAIN W T, Makeig-Jones, It was also announced that the who was pointed to command Secretary of State, Mr. Cordell Hull, H.M.S. Courageous when she was and the Republican Representative, taken from Reserve shortly before Mr. Curl Mapes, will also participate the outbreak of war, was formerly in the conference, together with other Flag Captain in H.M.S. Nelson, to Shaukiwon. Congressional leaders.

D

which he had been appointed on December

14, 1937. :

The White House Secretary, Mr. Stephen Early, states that the Prest- The Courageous was completed to dent feels that the present is not the full complement in June, 1938, but time to apply a Party label to any was again placed on Reserve after paricipants in the conference. the September crisis.

Colony's Part Applauded

“British Wireless" And Hongkong

The Officers

Officers aboard in July this year, when the last Navy List was issued, included Cmdr. S: E. Norfolk, Lt.. Cdra. E. L. D. Bartley and C. H. ENIT. Thomas, Lt. P. H. Cardew,

Cmdr. Evelea, Lt Cdr. (E) F.

+

However, he said Treasury officials

are studying the situation with a view to combating the heavy selling of the pound sterling in the New York market at rates below the off- clal quotation.

Sterling Erratic

NEW YORK, Sept. 18 (Reuter). Free sterling continued to fluctuate However, after erratically to-day. an early slump, it stendled somewhat owing to a persistent but not parti- cularly aggressive demand,

Operators explained that New York had now become an area for The complement of the Courageous substantial support for sterling as a was 1,200.

Soviet Wanted

then set fire to the junk. U.S. Warships

The crew were rescued by H.M.S. Bideford, and .were brought to

They Shall Have Music

Concerts, Soccer For The Troops

Attempt To Place Big Contract Revealed

18

direct outgrowth of straight com- while irade mercial transactions, Interests, who had been consistently on the buying side for the better part of last week, were coming into the market for deferred needs, namo- ly the crossing out of technically created short positions on favourable opportunities.

It Is contended that such buying served as a real bulwark for sterling,

while it is pointed out that the offer- ings contracted were acutely due to on abrupt slackening of exports, in- volving sterling,

BOYCOTT OF GERMAN FIRMS

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPH" WASHINGTON; Sept.

Some said that current commercial (UP) Mr. Sam Carp, a New purchases of sterling were being York importer who claims that made against Imports on which pro- he is a brother-in-law of B, vision had been deferred until now. currencies were Scandinavian Molotoff, the Soviet Foreign Minister, to-day told the Dies again steady. Committee · that the Soviet H. Lee, Lt. E. J. Murray, Paym. PARIS, Sept. 18, (Reuter).All Government had commissioned him Cmdr. M. Lawrey, Cd. Gunnera A. the evening papers reported that verbally in 1936 to buy U.S. $100,000,- Hocken and H. Swales, M.B.E., concerts are now being organised all 000 worth of battleships and other D.S.M., Senior Master L. J Daw, Wt. along the routes through which the equipment in the United States.

Ife said the money was to be used Shipwright W, M. F.. A. Eddy and allied forces pass.

SPECIAL TO THE "TELEGRAPHI WL Engrs. C. Franklin and J. J. Cafes are being turned into concert to buy two 30,000-ton battleships, in LONDON, Sopt. 18 (British Spilman.

LONDON, Sept. 18 (Reuter)-The halls and French and British soldiers addition to airplanes and marine

engines,

The American firm Wireless).-Interest in the fact

naval official list issued by the Board of H.MS. Courageous was normally join in singing choruses.

Football matches are being played architects, Messrs Gibb and Cox, Trade of 278 persons and firms, that a thriving branch of the a unit of the Home Flest. Although British Red Cross unit has been the Royal Navy, she was originally

one of the best aircraft carriers of daily.

drew up the plans for the battleships deemed to be enemies under the have. restaurants The French

Trading with the Enemy Act, with established as one of Hongkong's completed as a heavy cruiser in 1917. adapted their menus and when Bri- with the full permission of the Navy which it is now unlawful to transact business, includes the names of over first efforts in the support of As such, she did a considerable Ush Tommies arrive bacon and #58,

108 concerns in South America, and n number in other neutral countries. Great Britain at war, is supple amount of high speed steaming in the roast beef, and fish and chips saro mented by the fact that it is re-

Krupps, Slemens, : A.E.G., Orram, Considerable amuza

and Agfa are among the names men- ceiving widespread and generous She was laid down at the Arm-aroused by notices

tioned. help from Chinese in Hongkong, and strong Yards in May 1915, launched army lorries reminding drivers to from China herself,-~*

in February, 1916 and commissioned "keep right."lärarmat On this island, Britain's only crown in January, 1917, at an original cost

· A prospecting party of these te colony in the China Seas, there are of £2,119,000. She was designed don Army is now in France to see 45 Chinese to every European re- for work in the Baltic and therefore how the needs of the expeditionary mident

had a comparatively shallow draught, forces can best be served.

Great War.

Built in 1915

served

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