Evening star., 1939-09-08
State Department
Reports Say Athena
Was Torpedoed
U. S. OfficioIs Unable
To Confirm She|Iine
After Investigation

Official reports to the State De-
partment today stated that it was
established by evidence OF the sur
vivors of the Athena disaster that
the British liner was sunk by tor
pedo from a submarine.
The reports gave conflicting evil
dence as to whether the Athena was
shelled after it was torpedoed. One
quoted the captain OF the Athenla
as saying he thought the submarine
| might have fired shell in an at
tempt to destroy the sinking ships
radio, but that he had no direct
/ evidence to this effect.
Two separate reports. one oy
Comdr. Norman r. Hitchcock. as
sistant naval attache at London,
which was agreed to by Capt. Allan
G. Kirk. the naval attache, and an
other filed by John Cudahy. United
States Minister to Ireland, were re-
leased by the State Department
after President Roosevelt had said
they would speak for themselves,
with no need for further comment.
Based on Probes.
Both reports were based on IN
vestigations by American officials at
Galway. Ireland. where many OF the
Athena survivors were landed.
Comdr. Hitchcock reported that
evidence of the commander of the
Athena and several of his officers
and crew members established that
at twilight on September 3 "a tor
pedo struck the port side OF the
Athena, slightly abaft mldshlp IN
the wav of the bulkhead between
the fire room and the engine room. y
A uuartermaster not on watch said
a submarine coming tower broke
surface about 80 yards on the port
quarter of the Athena and that
"a gun or explosive signal was fired
from the coming tower platform, "
Comdr. Hitchcock reported,
Neither of the reports mentioned
whether identity of the submarine
was established.
In regard 10 reports that the
Athena had been shelled after it
was torpedoed, Comdr. Hitchcock
said no witness had heard shell in
the air or striking the ship and that
only one discharge was seen.
However, Mr.. Cudahy reported
testimony from officers and a num-
Der of American survivors that
shortly after the Athena was tor
pedoed, it was struck again. wreck
ing engine room by projectile pro-
jected through air.
Trapped in Dining Room.
Both reports said that many were
killed when they were trapped in
the dining room, Comdr. Hitchcock
reporting that TT was impossible
for the passengers trapped in the
dining room to escape and they
were drowned below decks"
There has been no statement as
yet as to whether this Government
would protest the torpedoing the
Athena which carried more than
300 American passengers, en- route
home from the European war zone
C0mdr. Hitchcock's Report.
Following is the text of the report
from Comdr. Hitchcock:
We proceeded Immediately te
Galway, Ireland, where we landed in
an improvised field and proceeded
to dock where the tender was dis
embarking the refugees from the
Athena.
The officers and crew of the
Athena talked freely to Capt. Kirk
and myself. They were courteous
and under close questioning no con-
flict in their stories could be dis
cerned.
1t was established by the evidence
of the commander of the Athena
the officers of the watch, the as
sistant officer of the watch, the
quartermaster of the watch, the
quartermaster off duty but on the
bridge, the chief engineer and as
sistant engineer officer and several
other crew members that at evening
twilight, 3 September, a torpedo
struck the port side of the Athena
slightly abaft midship in the way
| (See ATHENA, Page A-40