PREYING IN PACIFLO WATERS

Evening Star, Issue 16987, 8 March 1919, Page 9

PREYING IN PACIFLO WATERS

THE CRUISE OF THE WOLF,

AS TOLD BY RAIDER'S COMMANBEB,

[By T. J. Renhy, in the 'Sydney Morning Herald.']

During the "last gre&t forward movement of our troops a member of the 15th Australian Field Ambulance found two books in German in a hastily-evacuated German dugout. These were ' The Cruise of the Wolf' and ' Von Spea's Last Voyage. While both are of interest, the former is deserving of special notice, as the notorious j raider visited Pacini: waters. The author j la Captain Nerger, the commander of the pirate. The narrative is written in an easy, lucid style, and gives an interesting account of the whole remarkable trip. The Wolf sailed from her home port on a I'ri- j day. She had proceeded but a little distance when a tire was discovered in the coal bunkers, and she was compelled to return lor the lire to be extinguished. The sailors attributed the bad start to the defiance of all maritime superstitions in leaving out on an unlucky day. The Wolf made a fresh start on November 30, 1916. j For some days she had to battle through j fierce storms, while the cold was so intense that her decks and equipment wore covered with ice. The book is eopiotisly illustrated with photographs taken on the voyage, and that which represents the vessel at this period might- well_ adorn itnarrative of Polar exploration. The Wolf. thanks largely to the, bad weather _and the' short, gloomy days, contrived to elude the vigilance of * Britain's sentinel .ships, and after Christmas and "crossing the line had been duly celebrated she reached South African waters on Jaiwary 16, 191/. The cruiser appeared a harmless "' tramp,' but virtually she was a formiilnble warship, being armed with seven 15-cciitmielre puns and four torpedo tubes. She was about 450 ft bv 58ft, hut her speed was little more than 10 knots. Her crew numbered 050. A special item w;is a heavy cargo of mines, or "hell machines as the captain grimly terms them. She also carried a powerful seaplane. MINE SOWERS VT WORK For some time H <bjt-t i tl r nurse u, , n ret n d t e to nt nalh be ctmeniriots Ru rapt m *<b< t • d them and the> enticed much c t m* in Mien 1( explained th t tlu\ 1 da p u il inn «ion not to <pm n it - tc t VI but to \ maa ne th Paei i iu d enern t adin b %e««*l (Iff tin t rpe the cijtntn --aw se\eiil Xnst'dnn tran«potls, but hi« udoi wa qu iched v hm he "cog msed a poweiful nmed cruiser m the The Wolt quj(V'\ \ ut 1 rd % ithr it bet g detected i nen Cij mn Nei-,ei be in to *tiev his mu in the path of nangat uu Avoiding to his uount wrtttei fo Gei" man lonsumptnn le \a* sue <esiful m hi nefinous des yn<- luct he tucked up i ir-d s ne *a„<s nrni L-oo Town % huh \ iimd shippn«r tint Gamn t bnts ae oper„it ig i hi gre tlv mm ed him Tin n imis a pkndid piece oi lei *ome b'ufl lb cap in has the effronten to cl m tmt In hj mm°s he sank the \auitania the se o id la gest I ng Ish mpinnti'p b it th 10 OJQ Vushali n fa oops on bond Hi 0 it migmm \\m k35 icpottr nf i pn oi tiV to +1 i effect One < i i- is." p il ' ->\ l i f ble hiought tl th hi -i d 1 te t) readus ii Gc n n < - n " ' l '" si r nt l be l i th ' an\ lam which leoreson 1 n s Ii n 4 d<.stro>ed m hi ge i m 1 <* %m hIo hi sw i' low el i uli t H t\ i I) ' J loundic am m ie= hj ) pin t dl\ n )> ' maae in L i iln li i " f tint w ic n i ii - ff 1 i i c i th hi H it 1 c to f nehlcht pektd -mt he s , id d " n hj i\ i mil m nute '> l> ho } i i t cc hi-, opera l ns i i tint hj it"' we e u |e > d 1 t= Is 1 t th hj hid rum o su l<« i 11 mi hj s j ci n ie off Lorn*"' s tl * 1 i > 1 cfh l 'h In <*d t > iiui r Ik i i n i ' d-,\ T T n iit> \( (Is \ 1 1 ' i to n 1 h<" Mongol t h in nVI it t" s t mi It lmlHth liimn It she iei\°"l at ti m «t( i He th i p pind t) n i < hj 1 i Ih si l ~ e meti'iK mil 1 J k)l' i? ' i o his crew 1 n i, i +i 1" i i'" * *he Tumi i did ot e 117 c *-n ta 1 rn nei cre\ and \v 1 _ 1 t 11 ned Kc , , ud <. il j hi ml th 1' (1 thin sin P)i ,topr nh 1 1 51 e tin lumiii 111 hj 1 1 c f it n 1 i -2 in m the id oi " nl 11 n 11 ] tl w 1 0 n u. id i mr t ( r In b t Hi V if si ik in her in moi ill \ c ' ' t c I'el tl Tnutdli r n»\t capttntil HaMii/ been C Jl) f 1 n «1 ei hj 1 an fit hj T|o ki ifd her,t'o I 1 / nd n ltin_, 1 jj / i r\ on 1 1 1 1 hi ! I it < ti la 1 11 < 10 id 1 Put tilt bill hj ipt 11 d !i 1 t\ Ab'slß Ul'\ W TI V" I he W oi the 1 \ th Ist njo\mr it thin usml pekid i] wnk 1 mrau 1 ( 1* i 11 huh 'i If 1 til senile 1 ind tne B ti hj 'll )j«tu 1 ftimtu of lurpi t <al <U\ ie llie 1 icrtticn tic u-d to Vustrahin el nd t 1 c c< 1 1 in rder (\utt in -*li dannge It di 1 He hi it 1 at he lad 1 nnt« < Gabo ,uid fuciy d ti bated hem 111 the slipping t uks r i U e 11=1:111 "- 1 lb d g thai r> ni re gned in ci and that tl ( 1 itho 1' es buspeeted 1 nnde<w neuti d np= ) dr u i litth tut t 11 nc la\ 11 j H njr aueei fiom a putt ot the tlliittdt it » J nd aid hu hi at ihe puHK 111 «,m i\ tint vessel ti In ob fii sunk 1\ ai ink 1 ml bomb Papt tin s». crcr mile a t< it j u\ lie it iimd i Inland Hi tli < nj nrcd hj j own is wc 1 a ' (d tlf V I runt wh hj he n d t«' 1 1 1 1 (o id thither \t the end of Id 1 17 hi j oft Tone* =:( its t, hen li ] 'el ij wne'e-s n es'wiges trim ' v -\ 1 \ of th* Malttnga \s tier n t It names of c ptai 1 And f,ci 1 1 11 t f tl e ie sol I nj it i J ft kno* h+T i ne But he v. nti 1 ] n d vheie shr nm *" pi s in 1 hi 1 hj 1 •fell like a limb 11 t 1 * n \ ' Ik Wolf \«; he had 1 Iqi n ;i t d and hn- supph wat ttn s ' l 1 his 1 godscnu 1 > him Hi t ' < 8)0 ti 1 To pi-17 n 1 tihi tn i ' I % Ouiina He pi ice Inl n d ,_ ml b'tui t 113n 1 * *h <i ii 1 t » <1 a lr k hirtei trade R 1 I - * t f 1 tro vd ot ju&oner'j wete on 1 id Th ie wete 22 different r ce r lep 1 tr ! \ wa3 sitsr*'ted that a*t-i 111 e=r u 111 gl 1 1 1 i ' (\{ i n 1 1 i 111 it 1 *u e jtj s j 1 1 j 1 md 1 it, e hi ti* 1 e'd in 1 "> dire O t II t 1 t a hj 1 d c r\ ir =i> ll « •>= 1 ] *' 1 f.Picial j r luners ha 1 jiunr I or > I'd and imh s\ lrinnne vhnr J tf H nc 1 !! ht l - nl imn iff 1 th fc i ed t 1 e est 11 res siuniri _ ashi r i 11 th ' wiia incel on th nui 111 r re hci*- uid nfles Pui all 111 \iin tl c% g t uj t i e nl ir \ t t t n 1 1 < il' if t r 1 s e * ibl «b"d the <oiHic ji tl t j, 1 \ [ had m igmcd ne hi 1 d mu < b n I till the «upj <-e 1 fu it \ re levlh ci. jioii'e o 01 ho ' pM '" i« bodies bullets rainc-d in vain. Among the spoi's- c ( 'lie Al-1-1 in K v •> c th e hoi 0- \* f t"=l pir\i ins 1 tie I 0' mg ''he e i ci IcilW tocl jut ar many disliked the proposed luzury, the cook and the captain conspired, and the equine diet was surreptitiously served up as jugged hare, and much relished—until the captain revealed the joke. Tha Matunga, having followed the other victims of the Wolf's voracity to the lxittom, a Spanish boat called t.he Igctz Mendi was sighted. As a neutral the captain -.vouid, he asserts, have treated her with, a courteous exemption, contrastirijr to what he terms the wicked methods of perfidious Britain ; but as she had a cargo of 7,000 tons of coal from Delagoa Bay to India slie wag an enemy ship, and lienee fair prey. And whnt a prize! He determined tliat she would serve as a tender, and be brought in triumph to Germany. He relieved tie pressure on his own space by sen&rig many of his prisoners, zs well as » p«ke crew', on board. He coaled from bar, as, indeed, he haid previously done frcm other shipa in the open ocean, ib» fooats being lashed side to aide. Bit In jpite of elaborate fan<le» the Jyctz ide.ndi bumped the ¥v<s£ oadly, *dA taadu holes which. aitsrsreidjß ore maak wmhh, 1

TRAGEDY Off THB HITACHI MABIV Boon came a tragk happenipg. TJj* •moke of ii »teamor was eigntea. "The Wolfing," as the seapflaae was matted, ww sent aloft to reconnoitre aa canal. She reported ike Hitachi Mara. Being ordered to stop, the vessel professed to bo about to do ts&, bat ruddenly changed her course. As the 'Wolf within seeing distance she saw a gun being prepared for defence. Boats also were being iowered, thus indicating that the vessel would be sunk rather than olio wed to fall into the clutches of the Hun. The Wolf at once fired several sheik. One of these landed full on the deck amidships. Twenty of the crew were killed cutnmtt. many wounded, while others were drowned in the confusion attendant on lowering the boats and taking c.ff the passengers. The Hitachi at unco surrendered, and Captain Xerger sent a prize crew- on hoard. The loot -was extremely ample. The captain had to be dragged away by force. Taken on the raider he refused to speak, and remained day after Jay gloomily'gazing out to sea-. Finally he disappeared, and a letter was found xrbitfu. proved his suicide. In speaking of thesad end of the Japanese commander, the author disrdays that clumsy casuistry typical of the' German mentality. He attributes the victim's conduct to the torture of a guilty conscience. The raider, after her reroaricaWe and daring voyage of 15 months, arrived home with a tally of 64,000 miles to her credit. The relatives of her crew were already mourning her as loet. So the received a tremendous reception. Pictures are given showing both the arrival in Kiel and the wonderful enthusiasm with. which the captain and crew were applauded in Berlin. Captain Nerjgr, a really handsome and commanding Hjjare, heads the procession, while royalty beams its smiling welcome, and the great space in TJnter den Linden is crowded with thousands waving banners, throwing mp hats, and cheering. What a difference now!