THREE LOST CRUISERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15768, 17 November 1914, Page 9

THREE LOST CRUISERS

OF THE ATTACK.

A GERMAN VERSION.

It in stated that Lieutenant-Commander Otto Weddingen, commander of the German submarine 19 which operated ncain.M, tic thteo Mulish cruisers in the Korth Sea. was married immediately bef r ,i *le .-ili..mi inc sided. His wedding as a hasty affair, and he departed at once for his vessel. The Nov York yy, rM I'i.Mitdies the officer's narrative, in *|~,-ii I' *.iy» .-- ••It v,v ten minutes after six in t.be rrn'tnim: "Inn 1 ('Might sight- of one of ,],,. i'!,' . hi-.is of the enemy. I was .i in , ,;; ! i:e, n w.i miles north-westerly off ,|,,, H ..,|< ~f Holland. 1 had travelled -~,,. ; ,l.':.ii' '■■.- more than 200 miles fiom ~.. ;,, . My ho.it was one of the old ~,.,.. I, ,: „he behaved beautifully. ■ \V ■.•'! 1 fii-i sighted them they were ,-,.,,: , : .Ji :• -,- I'oln work, but I „ :l ,|,| 1,, auk my ami sure «-> 1 went rl ■.<« ■~.-a::i I got another flash through ~,. ... ~.]■,• heft.jo 1 began n. lion. I ....a i ,i I,- 1 what 1 regarded as a good ,1,. 11' . [■ in! the offivr was 111 i p.l----,:1'..; l-i .;,\r tins dl stance, but it was i.-.1. jji. ...I t-. mi been considerably less (|.:,r. . m.'.\ although German torpedoes |..ii,. in .lb-, tne v.mge 'if four miles. ■' II .ii 1 hosed one if my torpedoes (~, ii.. mi Idle t-h.p I was about twelve f,..( under water and get the sin t off Hi k . -i '■ .;..•. my lien liiiniiline the boat as ~ ~. !;., ! heen i skiff. I climbed to the f ;: (... 1., net a -uht through my tube ~• 1..e eh. ■ . and discovered lb-it the shot 1 . ~-.,: -Irai.d't and true. There was ft; ■ -vi...' ■! ua'.er, a hurst of smoke, a <'... ,;' live, od part of the cruiser rose j: the air. 'I hen 1 heard a roar and felt I ~ ',-..'i!.<Tiit:..n< ?eiit through the water b, u;e e\|i|<.-;..i1. She had been broken ,-,!■, i," •Hi.l -,'O'k in a lew minutes. Her ecu « re b:a\e in.l even with death Hi!,",- I hem in the face they k- [>t to their p >t< re.nU to handle their useless ;-o.s. for I nil -red at once. Hut 1 ► tared oil the top I ii.; enough to s.v the (.|.>r eriisers, the t'ressy and the Hoglie, urn ai d sham at full speed to their dying - st. r. .\f •■■ on as I reached mv torpedo depth 1 ■•■l.', a second charge at the neater of the ,it:, online .".--els. tho Hogue. the Ki'er.sh were playing my game, for I had scir. • Iv t" move out of my position, which was a _:r---.it ..'.I Mie.e it "helped to keep in. fiom deie.-tion. The attack en the Hogue w-nt true, but this time the torpeilo did r."t strike under the magazine, no Ii; 20 minutes the Iloguo lay wounded and helpless en the surface, before she l.eiv.-d. hah' tuiu.'d over, and then sank.

" liv iV.s ' mi • the thud cruiser knew, <-[ coun-e, ti;i! the enemy was upon her aid sh* *..ii„ht a.; best she could to do"f.i.d he-self. She I- ...*,.,! her torpedo defen.-" hat tern 5, both starboard and port, and stood her ground as if more anxious t" help the many i.ulors who were in the v it it than to save herself- To defend h' rstlf ,i;.iiust submarine attack she f.eamed a •/.:■.■/:ag course and this made it ): '. rsiarv for me to get nearer to the I 're-v. " I had to como to the surface for a, vi, .• ,i.-.| 1 <■~«■ how wildly the ship's Com v. ii he In/ hied. Snail wonder, for t : .'\ did ii ••'. know where t.> shoot, though one fii.it ' attic unpleasantly hear to us. When [ got ui.l.in suitable range I sent nw.iv m\ thi:d attack. This time I sent fi *■•I.ml l-upcdo sifter the first to make (i ml deiil ly iert,i:n. My lm 1; was with rue -..fain, for the enemy was made useless and at nil-" began sinking by the head. Then she careened far over, but all the vatic her men stayed at their guns looking for their invisible foe. They were hi i.e. trti.i to their country's sea traditions, flee of her boilers exploded and the turned turtle."