IN TASMAN.
ENEMY RAIDER.
TURAKINA GUNNED.
NAVAL FORCES AND R.N.Z.A.F. ANSWER S.O.S.
WELLINGTON, this day.
Answering an S.O.S. from the New Zealand Shipping Company vessel Turakina that she was being attacked and gunned by a raider in the Tasman Sea, New Zealand naval forces and the Royal New Zealand Air Force joined in efforts to locate and deal with the raider.
The search is still continuing, but no further information is available.
These brief particulars, contained in an announcement made last night by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, confirm rumours that have been strongly current throughout the Dominion for the past two days. The Prime Minister stated that at 6.28 p.m. on Tuesday last the New Zealand naval authorities received a message by wireless from the s.s. Turakina in the Tasman Sea to the effect that she was being attacked and gunned by a raider. The message gave her latitude and longitude.
"All possible steps to locate and deal with the raider were immediately taken by New Zealand naval forces, and the search is continuing," said Mr. Fraser. "No further information is at present available."
The Prime Minister explained that it had not been possible to make an earlier announcement on this matter owing to the necessity for preserving secrecy in order not to prejudice the effectiveness of the steps that are being taken.
The Turakina is a vessel of 8706 tons and was built for the New Zealand Shipping Company, Limited, at Glasgow in 1923. She is powered by steam turbines and has a length of 460 feet. Her master is Captain J. Laird. -Auckland Star, 23/8/1940.
TURAKINA SUNK BY "NAZI SEA FORCES."
GERMAN CLAIM.
Steamer Overdue At N.Z. Port Since Last Wednesday.
United Press Association. —
Copyright. (Reed, noon.) LONDON, Aug. 25.
The German High Command states: "Our sea forces sank the Turakina in Australian waters." A Press Association message from Wellington states: "Five days have now elapsed since the wireless message was received from the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Turakina revealing that she was being attacked by a raider in the Tasman. Nothing more has been heard of her.
"The Turakina has been overdue at a New Zealand port since last Wednesday morning. Captain J. Laird, who is in command of the Turakina, has with him four deck officers, and about 50 other members of the crew. She left an Australian port to load in New Zealand." -Auckland Star, 26/8/1940.
Stories from the survivors state that they were well treated by the Germans while prisoners though ugly threats were apparently made to some of them about what would happen if they were again captured aboard an armed vessel during the war. There must be stories of danger, discomfort and courage in adversity not yet told, but the action of the master of the Turakina, Captain J. B. Laird, in fighting the raider to the end with one solitary gun cannot but appeal to everyone who admires bravery displayed in the face of great odds, even though in a lost cause. Captain Laird, it is said, kept his vow to fight to the end. With her one gun the Turakina engaged the raider for two and a half hours; then, with colours flying, she went down and her gallant captain and some of the crew with her. The Turakina will long be remembered. Meanwhile the peril of war in Australian and New Zealand waters remains and everyone will hope for positive results from the efforts of the Navy to remove it. -Nelson Evening Mail, 3/1/1941.
RAIDER VICTIMS
ONE GUN AGAINST MANY
MEN DIE AT POSTS
OTHER SHIP SURVIVORS
LANDING IN AUSTRALIA
CANBERRA, Jan. 2
An announcement that the 496 men, women and children from ships sunk by German raiders had been landed at an Australian port was made by the Minister for the Navy, Mr. W. M. Hughes. They were rescued by an Australian ship after the raiders had placed them on the island of Emirau, in the Bismark Group, north-west of the Solomon Islands.
Mr. Hughes said they had brought back with them an epic story of how the British steamer Turakina fought the raider for nearly three hours with her one stern gun, and lost nearly twothirds of her crew of 58 before the battle ended. None of the Turakina's survivors are among those rescued.
Stories of Heroism "Many stories of individual heroism and endurance will emerge from the tale of the British merchant service in conflict with the enemy at sea," said Mr. Hughes. "At present only the most meagre facts are available. None of the survivors landed has seen any of the Turakina men to hear their stories direct, but 23 Turakina survivors are known still to be prisoners in one of the raiders, and it is through the German guard that the rescued people have learned of the fight.
"The Turakina was attacked in the evening twilight of August 20. She had only one gun. whereas the attacker was heavily armed and had a trained fighting crew. She had greater speed, and could outfight the Turakina on every point, yet the Turakina fought her for over 2 1/2 hours. It is believed that 35 of the Turakina's crew were killed.
200 Still Captive Mr. Hughes said those rescued from the island were the passengers and crews of seven of the 10 ships sunk in the Pacific in recent months. The ships sunk by the raiders were the Rangitane, Komata, Holmwood, Turakina, Triaster, Triadic, Triona, Ringwood, Notou and Vinni.
It is stated that the largest of the raiders is a ship of about 8000 tons and that she still has 200 British captives on board. -NZ Herald, 3/1/1941.
GALLANT FIGHT OF TURAKINA
HARBOUR BOARD RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION
A resolution expressing the board’s appreciation of the recent gallant fight of the Turakina against an enemy raider was passed by the Oamaru Harbour Board yesterday. The chairman (Mr R. K. Ireland) said that Captain Laird was well known in Oamaru, and the board was proud of the captain, his officers, and crew for ‘the fight they had put up. The loss of British shipping was bound to affect the trade of the port, but the board would be the last to complain against the sending of boats back to the main ports to allow produce to reach the United Kingdom as soon as possible. -Press, 22/1/1941.
The Turakina was armed with a single 4.7inch gun. Her attacker, the KMS Orion, had six 5.9inch guns, one 3 inch, six light anti-aircraft guns and six torpedo tubes. In the unequal fight the Turakina scored one hit on the Orion, while being destroyed by shells and torpedoes. Twenty one of the crew were rescued by the Orion.
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