A massive multi-nation air and sea hunt continued today over huge section of the Mediterranean sea for the Israeli submarine, Dakar, missing and unheard from since last Thursday on a voyage from Britain to its base in Haifa.
The 1,280-ton submarine, one of four in Israel’s navy, has a crew of 69 officers and men. An Israeli official said the last signal from the Dakar — Hebrew for “shark” – was received at noon Thursday from a position southeast of Cyprus. The submersible was scheduled to report again at 8 p.m. Thursday but failed to do so. When nothing further was heard during the night, Israel launched a huge sea and air search. All of the four Israeli submarines are British-made. The Dakar had been sailing for home after extensive refitting in Portsmouth, England.
After a day of futile searching, Israel asked for international aid. United States, British and Greek naval units joined with Israeli forces to comb an area extending 250 miles from Haifa. Heavy rain and 45-mile an hour winds hampered the search. The British destroyer Diana sailed from Malta with decompression equipment and two British Argosy transport planes with parachute rescue teams joined the search. An American destroyer from the Sixth Fleet joined the search, as did a Greek D-C plane. The submarine Leviathan, the Dakar’s sister submarine, moved into the area with the Israeli destroyer Jaffa, which had been on maneuver in the eastern Mediterranean, and two other Israeli vessels took part in the search. The search operation was coordinated by the British Air Forces on Cyprus.
SUBMARINE HAD BEEN DUE AT HAIFA TODAY AFTER VOYAGE FROM BRITAIN
The Dakar was to have docked in Haifa tomorrow after a maiden voyage following recommissioning last November at the Portsmouth naval base. Purchased from Britain in 1964, the Dakar was almost completely rebuilt in Portsmouth and did not arrive in Israel until a few weeks ago.
Rear Admiral Shlomo Erell, commander-in-chief of Israel’s Navy, briefed the Cabinet today on the search for the submarine. A Government spokesman said Admiral Erell outlined the possible causes of the Dakar’s disappearance and the chances of the submarine being found but the spokesman declined to give any details.
The total disappearance sparked rumors that the submarine might have come into violent contact with Soviet naval units patrolling in the area but Israeli spokesmen said there was no evidence to indicate that the submersible was either sunk or sabotaged. Officials said that the missing submarine was equipped with the modern emergency devices and could remain underwater for a considerable period pending rescue.
News of the search came on Saturday morning. Early risers who are habitual radio listeners spread it among synagogue-goers. There were virtual work stoppages throughout Israel today, every hour when Israelis tuned in their radios for news bulletins. Every detail of the far-ranging search was closely followed. If the loss is confirmed, it will be the worst naval disaster in Israel’s brief history. Israelis still recalled the destruction of the destroyer, Elath, last October, by missiles from a Soviet-made Egyptian missile boat, off Port Said, with the loss of 47 lives. Relatives of the Dakar crew members came somberly to Israeli Navy offices in Haifa and other cities, asking for news but were told only that, while the Dakar was missing, there were still some hopes for its recovery.
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