Evening star., 1941-06-17
Chief Officer Praised
For Rescue Of s
From Robin Moor
Steered Boot l3 Days
From Sketehy Map
After Torpedoine
ny the Associated Press.


CAPETOWN, Union Of South
Africa, June 1.-THE Robin Moor 8
5 chief officer was praised today by
the last saved passengers of the
torpedoed American freighter as the
man who brought them to rescue
after 13 days in a wave-tossed life
boat.
He is Melvin Mundy OF Bethlehem,
Pa, who steered lifeboat load of
rpassengers-three of them women
and one a 2-year-old boy-by a
sketchy chart he copied from his
captains map, and was at the rudder
when British rescue ship was
sighted.
That ship picked up two other
boa tloads and landed here last night
= with all of the missing from the
Robin Moor-35 passengers and
crew members feared lost after the
Brazilian ship Ozorio picked up the
fourth boatload of II survivors
June g.
The survivors said that luck OF
the sea-not any wireless notlflca-
ton of their plight by the sub
marine-saved them. The officers
and crew members who boarded the
submarine declared positively 1t was
German.
Spoke with German Accent.
All agreed that the submarines
officers and sailors who spoke USED
good English, but with a German
accent.
There was disagreement, however,
as to identifying marks on the
submarine. Mr.. Mundy said a red
-hulrs head was painted on the con-
ming tower. Second Mate ROBERT
Taylor said he saw under the bulls
head the word "taureau"-French
for bull Another crew member said
the word painted there was Ia
touche."
(On the other hand, II surviv-
ors of the Robin Moor who were
landed at Recife, Brazil, last
Wednesday night said the sub
marine had a laughing COW
painted on her coming tower.
along with the name Lorrlcke or
Lorickke)
Crew and passengers were gwen
20 extended grudgingly to
80 minutes-to get into lifeboats, II
was said. A torpedo was fired into
the Robin Moor and she sank 10
minutes later under shell fire from
the submarines deck gun.
In the 13 days that followed, until
June 8, little Robin Mccullough,
son of Mr.. and Mrs. Robert w. Nc
Cullough, was the only one who en-
loved himself. He seemed to like
the long boat ride" and cooed con-
tentedly at the pretty fishes
sharks which followed the boat
passengers said.
Made Copy of Chart.
He alone could stomach the hard
tack, part of the meager ratlons
aboard the lifeboat. Here in a
hotel room last night the 2-year-old
still clutched a dried biscuit and
said repeatedly, Robin want tack"
Ben M. Cohn of New Haven,
Conn, en- route to Africa to man.
age an American owned theater,
said that Mr.. Mundy, despite a
broken ankle suffered while going
to the submarine, took complete
charge of the passengers when he
returned from his futile effort to
dissuade the submarine commander
from sinking the Robin Moor.
I'VE had no sea chart in our
boat" Mr.. Cohn related, but Mundy
made a rough copy of chart the
captain carried in another lifeboat
while the two craft bobbed up and
down beside each other in the rough
sea.
"On this crude map he carefully
plotted our course. When we were
finally rescued the captain of the
ship which took us aboard exam
tned Mundy's chart and found he
was less than 10 miles off in his
final position"
Mr.. Mundy said he saw the sub
marines blinker light shortly after
tifying his ship as American steam
er, Robin Moor"
The submarine ordered a boat
sent. Mr.. Mundy injured his ankle
dropping into the boat which took
him to the submarine. He said
bandages he was given aboard the
submarine bore German trademarks.
1T was obvious to all of us
that the submarine was German"
he said. "All the men-even those
who spoke distinct English-did so
with decided German accent. . ="
Mr.. Mundy said he was asked in
detail about heavy machinery" and
motors" in the Robin Moor's cargo
and that he replied the freighter
carried only such cargo as automo-
bile parts and pleasure car engines.
He declared he urged repeatedly
that the Robin Moor be spared, that
she be taken to a neutral port, or
at least that more time be allowed
the passengers to get overheard
safely.
He absolutely refused" Mr.. Num-
day declared. He kept repeating:
You carry supplies for my country's
enemy
"As we pushed of toward our ship
called back: You will be sorry If
you carry out your threat to sink
our Ship"
The tropical countries Of the