IN NEW ZEALAND. THE PURSUIT OF THE EMDEN.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 9020, 16 December 1914, Page 6

IN NEW ZEALAND. THE PURSUIT OF THE EMDEN.

THE SIGNALS FROM COCOS ISLAND. HOW THE ARAWA RECEIVED THEM. (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, December 10. A highly interesting document relating to the fight between the Sydney and the Emden has been sent by an officer of Trapsport No. 10 to a friend in Wellington. It is a report of the wireless messages received by the vessels during and after the fight. The first message was received at 6.31 a:m. on November 9, and was' picked up by Private W. P. Falconer, 6th Wellington Infantry Regiment, on wireless duty on H.M.N.Z. Transport Arawa. The messages, " 5.0.5." and "Strange warship at entrance," came repeatedly from Cocos Island. He woke the wireless operator, Raw. In a few minutes the Emden tried to block .the message by continuous interruption. The operator turned his receiver differently, and managed to keep reading the Cocos Island messages through-the Emden's "block?' and immediately reported to the naval transport officer and tried to get the cruise)- Melbourne and the transport flagship Maungamii, but the other stations operating blocked the message. At 6.45 .a.m. the Waimana reported " Signals quite good." but the operator could not get the Maunganui. Five .minutes later a signal .was successfully sent to the Maunganui by ,; semaphore. At 7.4 p.m. the Maunganui got a message through to the Melbourne, and at 7.10 the Sydney left for Cocos Island. At 9.32 a.m. the Sydney was'sending code messages, which the Emden tried to block by sending at the same time.

At 9.4.7, m order to clear the way. •everybody wns ordered to stop signalling. At 11.7- a.m. the .Melbourne 'received from the Sydney: " Enemy benched to save herself from sinking," and 20 minutes afterwards the further message; "Pursuing merchant collier." Then 11.M.5! Minotaur sent, lier first rnp.ssage asking for the movements of the enemy.

At 11.41 the Sydney wirelessed to all Ffai.t.ioTis: ".Emden beached aid done, for." At noon she added : ■'"' British •^snaltiefi. two killed and .13 wounded." There were no further messages that day. but next morning at 6.] 5 the Melbourne reported to the Tbnki: " No further apprehension re Emden : .-> shore on North Cocos, foremast and Ihree funnels down; she has surrenrlerod. while Sydney.is intact and proceeding to Direction Island. Do not

know when she will rejoin convoy. She is remaining to take off. all guns, and will probably land wounded prisoners on Direction Island. She is also to report on condition of cable." The report has a note that the Arawa was the only ship out of 38 transports and four warships to pick up the message (presumably the calls from the Cocos Islands).