Evening star., 1940-12-02
Raiders Strike
British Convoy;
10 Ships Hit
Submarines, Planes
And Perhaps a Cruiser
In Ziezog Chase
BY the Associated Press.

NEW YORK, Dec. 2.--Undersea
and aircraft raiders loosed wide
spread attack on a convoy of British
vessels about 400 miles west OF
Ireland last night and early today.
Apparently 10 vessels were at
tackled.
Repeated distress signals picked
up here by Mackay Radio indicated
the raiders were running down their
prey in an eastward Zig-zag chase
which lasted for more than five
tense hours.
Full details we're lacking, but
radio listeners heard distress calls
from at least tive vessels early today
in addition to five others previously
reported, all from the same general
vicinity.
The chase was indicated as COW
ering a course of about $50 miles,
which led to the belief in marine
circles that the attacking vessels
included the auxiliary cruiser which
Berlin announced yesterday had al
ready sunk 10000 tons of British
shipping.
Raiders Number Not Stated.
Several of the stricken vessels re-
ported submarine attacks and others
said they were being bombed by
aircraft. There was no indication
of the number of raiders.
Marine circles said submarines
cannot cover $50 miles in five hours
the indicated length of the at
tack-and concluded the raiders
were numerous.
The calls for help did not tell
whether the convoy was bound for
England or away from the be-
leaguered island. There were some
indications. from the positions mes
saged by the ships, that they had
put about in an attempt to reach
the Irish coast after the raiders
appeared.
The positions given by the vessels
covered a rough rectangle running
eastward from the position of the
first attack, a rectangle about 240
nautical miles long and perhaps 100
miles wide
First Call at 3:15 AM.
The first news of the attack was
picked up from the S. S. Lady
Glanely, 5,497-ton British steamer,
about 3:15 am. eastern standard
time). She was among at least
three British vessels which first re-
ported trouble
One Yugoslav ship, the 1,973-ton
Cetvrti, reported she was attacked
by aircraft.
The 12,247-ton Victor Ross, owned
by the British-Mexican Petroleum
Co., radioed that a submarine had
torpedoed her about 400 miles west
of Dublin. The 4,958-ton British
steamer Loeb RAMA reported she
was torpedoed and was sinking
about 400 miles west of Northern
Ireland. She reported she had the
shipwrecked crew of another vessel
aboard.
The 276-ton British trawler Kill
gerran Castle radioeo she was be-
ing bombed by aircraft 25 miles
southwest of Kinsalehead, Ireland.
An unidentified vessel, possibly one
which previously reported herself
in distress, signaled she was in trou-
BILE about $50 miles west of the North
Irish Coast.
Other Calls Come In.
Mackay Radio also reported other
calls as follows:
At ll:53 pm. the Valencia radio
station said a British ship giving
the call letters G-K-I-F was being
attacked at 55:03 north and 18:40
west. This ship could not be identi-
fled otherwise.
At 12:45 am. today the 5,448-ton
British freighter Goodleigh radioed
she had been torpedoed at 55:02
north and 18:45 west.
The air lanes were quiet until
2:55 am, when Mackay intercepted
another call from a vessel apparent
ly giving her name as S. S. Victoria
and reporting she had been tor
pedoed at 56:04 north, 1880 west
Lloyd's Register lists eight Vic
torias.
At 3:20 am. there came another
call from an unknown ship which
reported she had been torpedoed at
54:36 north and 1925 west, and
requires immediate assistance"