On reflection, I think the last one 34d is an example of a letter short (E) which gives 13 of each type.

Still struggling to remember exactly how I got OLE for 16 across, although at the time I think I satisfied my self that OLE was right.

I would be a grateful for a full explanation from anyone who has one.

Is OLE a common Scandinavian Christian Name? (I can’t find it in Chambers, but I have vague memories of knowing some Oles in the past)

There were three different treatments of clues and/or answers, equal numbers of each.

There were 33 clues, so there were 11 occurrences of each type of clue/answer

a) wordplay with one extra letter
b) wordplay with one letter missing (these are the most difficult to explain)
c) single letter misprint in definition

I am doing this a bit by memory, so I may not get all the clue treatments right. One or two double definitions could be either a) or b)

Five unclued entries were associated with the theme as follwos:

11 across - WHITE STAR
15 across - TITANIC
38 across - CARPATHIA
1 down - NEW YORK
24 down - BRITAIN (I think SOUTHAMPTON might have been better, but presumably Kruger couldn't fit it in)

Finally there were 7 adjacent letters to be highlighted as the cause of disaster. Starting in square at the beginning of 26 down, 3 cells up, one cell diagonally up then diagonally down to 3 more vertical cells running down the word ICEBERG was spelt out.

Clues were solved as follows:

Across

1 Misprint A heeds/heads : NOBS - NS (partners) around OB (objection) = NOBS (heads)
5 Wordplay short of P : KEPT - KET (matted wool) = KEPT (took care of)
12 Misprint R wiles/wires : WIRER - W (wife) and R (right) containing IRE (resentment) = WIRER (he uses wires)
13 Wordplay short of an I : HOLI - HOL (a means of escape [holiday]) = HOLI (Hindu festival)
14 Misprint L bout/lout : YOBBO - OB (by the way + BOY young man) all reversed (rejected) = YOBBO (lout)
16 Extra letter F in word play : OLE - hidden in …..schoOL FEstival……. (can’t quite remember the Scandivanian bit, Olaf?)
18 Misprint O farm/form : ELSEWISE - anagram (hurt) of EWE LIES and S (special) = ELSEWISE (in another form)
20 Extra letter U in wordplay : RECURES - anagram (hurt) of RUSE without the U contain E (English) + CUR (dog) = RECURES (gets back)
22 Wordplay short of R : RICK - PICK (play guitar, without P [practice]) = RICK (strain)
25 Extra letter T in wordplay : SING - STING (pain) = SING (confess)
27 Wordplay short of an E : SOLDIER - SIR (teacher) contains OLD (familiar) = SOLDIER (worker)
28 Wordplay short of an E : CINERAMA - Anagram (developed) of AMRICAN (AMERICAN without E (Head of Engineering) = CINERAMA (3D images)
31 Extra letter N in wordplay : SRI - R (Reaumur temperature unit) contained within (living in) SIN without the N = SRI (Monsieur in India)
32 Extra letter T in wordplay : ADVANCE - TAD (a little, without the T) + VAN (carriage) + CE (church) = ADVANCE -= (move forward)
35 Misprint H ward/hard : SWEAT - anagram of WAS THE leaving out H (Hospital) = SWEAT (hard work)
36 Misprint N stoke/stone : SEED - SEE (spend time with) + D (penny) = SEED (stone)
37 Wordplay short of an I : PITTA - anagram of POTATO (without two Os [start of order]) = PITTA (bread)
39 Misprint N west/nest : DREY - RE about to contained (to invade) DY (Dahomey, old name for Benin) = DREY (squirrel’s nest)
40 Extra letter E in wordplay : CONN - anagram (at seas) of ONCE + N (north) = CONN (steer)

Down

2 Extra letter T in wordplay : ORIOLES - OLES (East Europeans, POLES without P) containing (to eat) TRIo (three without T) = ORIOLES (birds)
3 Wordplay short of an E : BARBE - BARB (horse) = BARBE (Waldensian teacher)
4 Wordplay short of an E : THROE - THRO (clear) = THROE (Shakesperian word for pain)
5 Extra letter N in wordplay : KITTLES - KNITTLES (small lines of twisted yarn) = KITTLES (creates)
6 Extra letter H in wordplay : ETUIS - Anagram (mistakenly) of SHE without the H, conatining (keeps) TUI (honey guide) =ETUIS (small boxes)
7 Misprint U feel/fuel : PEAT - P(power) +EAT (destroy) = PEAT (fuel)
8 Wordplay short of an N : ATONIC - Anagram (wild) of COATI = ATONIC (relaxed)
9 Misprint D lana/land : MALI - ISLAM (religion without S [sabbath]) reversed (rejected) = MALI (African country)
10 Wordplay short of an R : PRICE - SPICE (for example, mace) without S (shilling) = PRICE (cost of)
17 Wordplay short of an E : RUNE - RUN (diffuse) = RUNE (spell)
19 Wordplay short of aa D : WIDE - WISE (Scottish word for guide without S (succeeded)) = WIDE (wily)
21 Extra letter A in wordplay : SOMEWHY - Anagram (haphazardly) of HE MAY SOW = SOMEWHY (for one reason or another)
23 Misprint N wail/nail : KIN (catty) containing (about) TARE (weight) reversed = KERATIN (substance in tusks and nails)
26 Extra letter D in wordplay : INVERT - anagram (out) of T (tenor) and DRIVEN = INVERT (homosexual)
28 Misprint T boar/boat : CASCO - CA (Central America) + S (Southern) + CO (Columbia) = CASCO (boat/barge)
29 Extra letter W in wordplay : ACUTE - WATER (rain without R [right]) containing (drenched by) CU (copper)= ACUTE (keen)
30 Misprint E jolly/jelly : ASPIC - A (second letter of sailor) +SPIC (a member of a Mediterranean race) = ASPIC (jelly)
31 Extra letter L in wordplay : SETTO - LETT (Latvian) contained in (engaged in) SO (such an) = SET TO (argument)
33 Misprint V liking/living : DEAD - HEAD (place of honour with D [diamonds] for H [hearts]) = DEAD (not living)
34 Extra letter E in wordplay : NEAR - RAN (slipped) reversed (back) = NEAR (almost)

If that is an even number of each clue/answer treatment then I will be amazed, but you get the idea I’m sure.

There’s probably the odd typo in here as well - sorry!

I have a copy and can knock off a blog in the next hour

Duncan