On the morning of 9 March 1943, the crews of four axis ships in Marmogos, Portuguese Treaty Harbour on the west coast of India, fled ashore and their craft began burning. The ships, three German and one Italian, put into the neutral refuge, south of Bombay, at the outbreak of the war and had remained there since, unable to discharge their cargoes of automobiles, machinery, radio set cameras and medical supplies. The crew were promptly interned when they reached shore; and as for cargoes with an estimated value of ?,500,000, it was lost. The crews were reported to have disagreed about making a dash for Singapore. Reports that the captain and three members of the crew of the Ehrenfels had been killed by mutinying members of the crew were current but no official announcement was made. Photo shows: The four Axis ships burning in the harbour of Marmogos.