A COMMANDEERED VESSEL

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 200, 23 August 1919, Page 7

A COMMANDEERED VESSEL

THE NEW WAIRUNA. WOLF VICTIMS R'KTUKX. The arrival of the steamer Wuiruna at Auckland yesterday i> of particular ill-

terest in that the vessel is replacing the old I'nioii Company cargo vessel of that name, which fell a victim to the Hun pirate, the Wolf, and also because the captain, chief engineer, and twelve member* of the crew of the ill-fated steamer returned after two years' absence. The Waiiunn ran foul of the Wolf in June, I*'lT. and the crew reached Kiel in the following February after nine months on the mid-er. when the number of prifouer* iiad swelled to .-.Of). They were imprisoned for ton months further, and endured the privations of condiiement at Car/csruhc. The new Wairuna is a typical instance of the vugarii* oi fate. Known as the Schreefek .-lie was one of the Hansen unit-, in the German trade with India. While comparatively new her career became suddenly cheeked -at (Jibriihnr on her second voyage to Bombay by the outbreak of war. She was reeliristencd ■the tJihruuar, sind participated in the Dardanelles oumpiiign. Subsequently she was one of the vessels ordered out of the Mediterranean by Lord Kitehonei in 1915. Arriving at England s'lie in North Atlaiui.-KiigliindFraiH'c war

operutions under the appellation of I'olest;ir. Yet another incident was io be added in her eerie* of war e-iapades. for] early in 1818 -lie was torpedoed, and a huge h.vle oj>ened up. It wns found pon-' sibl« In lii-a.-h her near Portland, and 1 she subsequently came to London lor permanent repairs, and was eventually b.niithi by flu- Union Company. Tiie Wairuna came out from London! via Baltimore, South American ports, and) 'Frisco, where she loaded a large cargo of i-ase oil for Now Zealand and Australia-! Tiie new chip ir- a decided acquisition toi the i-i~.iirpany's cargo fleet, and with one. or two exceptions will rank as the hestj of the fleet. She has a proi-a tonnage oil ■~>,H:i-2 tons, and a deadweight capacity .of y.UOu tons.