Evening star., 1942-06-06
Merchant Ship
Sinks Sub in
Gulf Attack
Three United Motions
Vessels Sent Down
In Caribbean Area
Earlier Story on Page A-20

Earlier Story on Page A-2)
By the Associated Press.
Sinking of an enemy Subma-
rine in the Gulf of Mexico by a
merchant ship was reported to-
day after the Navy had revealed
that three other United Nations
merchant vessels had been sunk
in the Caribbean area several
weeks ago, with survivors landed
at a Gulf Coast port.
At San Jose. Costa Rica. the news
paper La Tribuna said the United
Fruit ship Atenas sank the sub
marine and eluded another when
they attacked her in the Gulf while
she was en- route to Puerto Limon.
1t was not explained how the ship
defended herself. The newspaper
said the Atenas arrived at Puerto
Limon, somewhat damaged.
Ships Sent Down.
The ships sunk in the Caribbean
area were a medium sized United
States vessel, a small British ship
and small Norwegian one.
Naval authorities at the port city
where II survivors were landed listed
10 seamen lost in the three sinkings.
In the case of the British-reg-
istered ship the enemy submarine
used more than 200 blasts from a
pom pom type gun to send the ship
to the bottom May 81. All of her
crew of 19 escaped.
One torpedo fired without warning
sank the American vessel April 26
In two minutes. carrying 10 of the
crew of IS to death. The Is sur
vivors were washed overheard and
reached lifeboat. They we're
landed in the Dutch West Indies
and then brought to the United
States.
The survivors said the submarine
was of medium size. had no forward
gun and no Identification markings.
Cruised Among Victims.
The submarine cruised among the
struggling men and an officer speak
ing English with a German accent
asked the name of the ship, which
was given. The master. Ernest
Henke, was among the survivors.
Those missing and believed dead
were mo addresses given):
Walter Fisher. radio operator:
Erlck Carlson, second assistant en-
gineer; Warren Wilson. A. B.:
Michael Braemert, A. B.: Ernest
Haugen, chief cook; Michael Devito.
oiler; Phillip Calafato, wiper; James
Walser, deck engineer; Emilio Ar
cay, A. B.; and Sven Cederholm,
workaway.
The Norwegian vessel was struck
May 7 by two of three torpedoes
fired, and went down within 30
minutes. The crew of 81 was picked
up by a Dutch vessel, taken to
Trinidad, and returned to the
United States June l.
The victim of the cunning was a
small vessel which flew the Cana
dian flag although she was of Brit
ish registry. She was unarmed and
had no radio.
SiSntcu before ALlack.
The pom-pom gun was operated
from the coming tower, on which
there was mans face and the let
ters "Holzague" painted. The sub
marine was sighted a minute before
the attack started about half mile
off the ships portSide
Crew members said the sub scored
about 200 hits in five minutes and
the ship was abandoned The sub
marine closed in and fired an addi-
tional so rounds and the ship sank
in 20 minutes.
The submarine also carried a A.
inch gun forward
Survivors said the attacking craft
was not more than 400 tons, gray in
color and appeared to be of a coast
wise type.
The sunken vessels crew was
adrift about five hours before being
picked up by another vessel. The
captain was Roland Gignac Of
Montreal, Canada.