Evening star., 1942-12-15
Italians on 1orpedoed
Ship Rushed Rats,
Survivor Declares
1900 Die in Sinking Of
British Croft; so Women
And Children Aboard
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
AN EAST COAST PORT, Dec.
15.--A Royal Air Force officer who
survived the torpedoing of a big
British ship carrying more than $500
persons said on his arrival here that
"swarzns" of Italian prisoners tried
to rush the life boats.
The RAF officer estimated that
1900 persons, including / 300 Italians
and 500 British, lost their lives in
the sinking of the ship which oc-
CURED in mid-September off the
West Coast of Africa.
The vessel was en- route to England
from Suez, where 1900 Italian
prisoners of war had been taken
aboard. The ship carried a crew of
more than 300 and 688 passengers
The passenger list was composed of
British Army, Navy and RAF per-
sonnel and so women and children.
Italians Climb Dnto Boats.
The Raj officer told newsmen
here that before the women and
children could be placed in lifeboats,
"swarms of Italians tried to rush the
boats and others squeezed through
portfolios and climbed into the boats
as they were lowered"
After being afloat In IA boats and
several RATS for five days, the 1,040
known survivors were rescued by
French cruiser. The cruiser landed
them at .Casablanca, where they
were interned for eight weeks before
they were liberated by arrival of
American forces in North Africa on
November 8.
Survivors brought to this port
from Casablanca in an American
transport included 10 officers and 81
men of the RAF. The officer said
l08 of the Raj personnel aboard the
British transport perished in the
sinking.
The officer said that after the
transport was torpedoed twice in
the evening he helped in throwing
RATS overheard and in getting
women and children into lifeboats. |
II slid down rope into the last boat
to leave the ship five minutes before
she went down." he said. There
were 120 persons in his boat, which,
he said, had a rated capacity for 68.
10 Women and Children Drown.
Most of the women and children
families of British service personnel
were saved. he said, but he saw
10 women and children drown when |
their lifeboat capsized while being
launched
He told of seeing an officer of the
Royal Navy tuck a year-old baby
girl into his uniform jacket, slide
down rope and try to swim to the
nearest hfeboat. The Navy officer
and the baby drowned, however,
when he was crushed between the
ships side and a raft.
The master of the vessel, a Liver
pool man, went down with his ship,
the RAF officer said. He said he
saw another man who went down
blown back TO the surface by the
explosion of the boilers. The man
was sucked under again but once
more was blown back to the surface :
by second explosion and was
hauled safely aboard a raft.
Shark and Barracuda stalked the
lifeboats, the~RAF officer related,
and the barracuda "bit big chunks"
from the legs of men clinging to
the sides of the boats.
Treated Well by French.
Survivors we're treated remark !
ably we'll aboard the French cruiser
that rescued them, the officer said. |
The cruiser put In briefly at Dakar
for water, food and Oil and then
proceeded to Casablanca.
I'VE were placed in an internment
camp about II miles from town."
he related. 1--WE were treated quite
well there, considering the shortage
of clothing and food, They gave us
soups, eggs, dried vegetables and
dark bread. The women and chill
dren were placed in separate
camp. We did not see them after
we left the cruiser"
Another RAF officer told reporters
that toward the end Of their intern
ment about 40 of us escaped from
railroad station while being trans
ferred to another camp farther in
land Five of us walked 80 miles
through ploughed fields and went
into cafe 10 miles from Fedhala.
We were wondering how We would
get through the French lines, when
an American jeep came along and
carried us to Fedhala, where we
We're treated rnua llv hv the Anneri