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REPULSE HIT ON
BOTH SIDES
Four Torpedoings
SYDNEY, Wednesday. — Four naval
ratings— T. R. Andrews, of Belfast;
Edward Matthews,, of Wales; John H.
Cooper, of Liverpool, and John Mac
beth, of Motherwell, . near Glasgow,
have . reached ' Sydney.. They are
survivors of H.M.S. Repulse,' and they
'had a 'grlm story ' to relate . of ; the
British battle cruiser's fight with 100
Japanese planes off the Malayan
coast.
. Matthews spoke , of a 16-year-old
boy from Liverpool, who sacrificed his
life in gallantly handing his lifebelt
to an older man. . After .the alarm
sounded, Matthews said he was In an
anti-aircraft director. An ' enemy
aircraft had been, sighted, astern; and
when the Prince ,of Wales opened
fire a formation of . eight Japanese
bombers was seen coming over, at
12,000 feet. Soon after the bombs
began to fall, one hit Repulse amid
ships on- the catapult and the others
straddled the ship. Torpedo bombers
flying low, some almost' down to
water level, then ' let go their tor
pedoes. He estimated that they
dodged 19 of them. The battle
cruiser was hit three 'times on the
.port side and once on the starboard
side. ''
After leaving the stricken ship,
Matthews said he swam round for 10
minutes, and then .sighted . a . small
barrel, .which kept him: afloat until
he'was able to climb on to a Carley
float, on- which a number of. men were
being supported. Then they worked
their way to one of the rescuing
destroyers.
Matthews declared . that at the
close of . the torpedo bombers' assault
:the Japanese planes continued their
run,, machine-gunning the decks and.
spraying the -sailors with bullets from
as close , as .50 to 200 yards. Even
planes on fire continuedl to use their
machine guns.
Andrews said , the first bomb to
strike Repulse pierced three mess
decks without causing any casualties.
One bomb- fell three feet from -the
A. A. gun on which he was engaged,
drenching the gun's crew with spray.
The gun continued to fire until the
water was lopping just below' them,
and the order to abandon ship was
given. After dropping- into the water
he. found that oil was pouring from
the ship's side, and he could feel
warm patches as he swam through
it. - In company with the.- bosun, ne
clung to a plank until he reached a
Carley raft, from which a reseuing
destroyer picked him up..
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