The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-01-15

Of her crew of 40, her master and eight others were taken to New Bed ford, Mass, in the fishing boat Nal vina and then to the paval base here by naval automobiles. Thirty others including six officers, were picked up from their lifeboats by naval ves- sels and brought here. No Ameri- can was in the crew which was Scandinavian, chiefly Norwegian Nothing was known of the missing man.
 The Malvina was inbound to New Bedford from the fishing grounds off the entrance to Long Island Sound, when she sighted 8 single lifeboat. She had known nothing of the tor pedoing. Before she could start look ing for other lifeboats, naval craft arrived on the scene and she pro- ceeded on her way.
 One of the rescued men had been seriously injured. Others were suf fering from shock and exposure. All l were put in the naval hospital here The navy did not release their names or any detail of their eXpe- rience.
 Hours in Lifeboats
 But from what was already known it was apparent that they had spent from six to 12 hours in lifeboats Patrol planes sighted their ship, its deck awash, yesterday morning, life boats loaded with men lowering around. Naval vessels were rushed to the rescue.
 There was no secret of the fact that the navy had anticipated enemy submarine action along the eastern coast, particularly in these winter months when heavy weather reduces submarine activity in the north Alt lantic A week after Germany anC Italy declared war on the United States on December 10, there were reports that enemy submarines hac been sighted off this coast, but the navy refused to comment. Tester day, when the torpedoing of the Norness became known, the navy ir Washington warned that the sub. marine menace had increased anc ordered merchant ships to take suit. able precautions.
 It was the second attack within z few days off tbe coast of the Nortf American continent. A 10,000tor merchant ship was torpedoed previ ously 160 miles off Nova Scotia witt a loss of 91 lives.
 Recalls Odd War
 The loss of the Norness recalled German submarine activity off thu coast from May to September 1T 1918, the last year of the World War. One came to the surface of Rhode Island and lobbed fev shells into a town. Others at. tackled ships and schooners II coastWise trade. On June 2, 1918 one submarine sank six ships off tn, New Jersey coast.
 Japanese submarines menaced th' Pacific coast during the first tWt weeks of the war. An army bombe blasted one to bits and there hay, been no reports of submarines beint active there since
 The NOrness was almost nev ship, having been completed in 193 in Hamburg, Germany. Erling D Naess, president of the Tanker Cor poration, her owners, said In Nev York that her master was Captain Harald Hansen, a Norwegian. H was not at liberty to disclose he port of destination or from whenc she had sailed. The company 1 owned by American, British am Norwegian interests.
 Last November the tanker ral aground on the mud flats in uppe New York bay while loaded with al oil cargo from Curacao, Dutch Yves Indies. and 1t took a fleet of tug to refloat her.
 The tanker's crew were segregate, at the naval station here and Ad miral Kalbfus refused to permit tn press to interview the seamen. Captain Tells Story
 Of the 40 men aboard the Pan amanian tanker Norness when sh was torpedoed off New York City the master and eight creW-member were rescued by the fishing trawle Malvina D. and landed at New Bed ford, Mass. Skippering the Malvin D. on his maiden voyage as cap tain was 32-year-old Magnus Isak sen of 1949 East 37tr St.) Brooklyn N. Y, a hard-bitten, Scandinavia seadog. Here is Isaksen's own stor of the first torpedoing off the east ern seaboard in World War II. , BY CAPT. MAGNUS ISAKSEN