Evening star., 1939-09-19
Missing
In Sinking
OF 0fCourageous
Two TruwIers Sent
Down; Three Vessels
EIude Submarines
By the Associated Press.

LONDON, Sept. 19.-The grim
duel between British shipping and
naval power and German subma-
rines continued today with official
announcement that two British
trawlers, the Lord Mimic and Arlita,
had been sunk, but that three other
merchant vessels had eluded sub
marines.
Britain's losses since the begin
ming of the war were set at ap-
proximately 80 vessels.
The admiralty's announcement
that 681 survivors of the sinking
of the aircraft carrier Courageous
had been accounted for left 579
missing, but naval authorities in
sisted there still was some hope that
the actual number aboard might
have been considerably below 1850.
Submarine Believed Destroyed.
The Lord Mimic and the ,Arlita,
both traWlers, were sunk, the ad-
miralty announced, but gave no de-
tails beyond saying that the crews
were rescued by third trawler.
The 3,395-ton Baron Lovat was
one of the three vessels the ad-
miralty announced had eluded sub
marines.
The crew came safely ashore at
Greenock, Scotland, with stories Of
how they lodged gunfire of sub
marine off the Irish coast and later
heard an explosion which they be-
lieved destroyed the attacking sub
marine.
The admiralty's account of the
escape continued:
They (the crew said the sub
marine, apparently short of tor
pedoes, shelled the Baron Lovat for
so minutes without registering hit,
while the ship plowed ahead at full
steam.
Then she submerged suddenly -
a deck-hand said, and there was a
violent explosion. Water shot high
in the air. The Baron Lovat shud-
dered from stem to stern and we
thought torpedo had hit us. But
we were safe and the submarine
itself must have been the victim"
The Baron Lovat had a cargo Of
sugar.
Courageous Attack Described.
About 400 of the survivors of the
Courageous were landed in England
by q rescuing destroyer last night
They brought to shore vivid stories
of the episode-the first sinking OF
British warship in the present
war. Some of the rescue boats
were delayed in landing until after
noon.
One of the rescued men said that
within five minutes after the ship
was attacked he saw pieces of the
submarine blown sky high by the
destroyers."
The first torpedo penetrated the
Courageous on the port side through
the stokers deck and exploded vio-
lently," he declared. "a second tor
pedo passed beneath us. The Cour-
ageous sank in 35 minutes. Most OF
us either jumped into the sea from
the decks or slipped down the side OF
the heavily listing ship into the
water.
Some who were strong swimmers
kept afloat without aid, while others
chung to RATS, or pieces of wood
1t was not very rough and we were
able to get some boats away.
The destroyers raced around
throwing lifeboats overheard. I was
in the water over 2 hours
Others said most of the fatalities
must have been trapped between
decks.
Few Minor Explosions.
There were two distinct bangs at
intervals of about a second" one OF
the survivors related.
After that there were few minor
explosions and most of the crew
jumped into the water. The order
to abandon ship came within five
minutes and the Courageous foun-
dered 80 minutes after the first ex-
plosion.
THE ship heeled so badly some
lifeboats could not be used"
Seamen who had to leap into the
water sang, joked and cheered as
they swan about waiting to be
picked up by destroyers, the sur
vivors said. Others supported them
selves in the water with pieces OF
wood and some with RATS.
Besides those landed by the de-
stroyer, other members of the
Courageous crew were reported
(See LONDON, Page A-4)