BEHIND THE SCENES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15820, 18 January 1915, Page 6

BEHIND THE SCENES.

EMDEN'S ADVENTURES.

EXTRAORDINARY CAREER,

DIARY OF EVENTS

IN AUSTRALIAN WATERS.

ELUDING HER PURSUERS.

The Australian press representative with the Australian Imperial Force, Mr- C. E. W. Bean, has forwarded a very interesting refcord of the eventful career of the German raiding cruiser, the Emdcn. The correspondent says :—

One of the prisoners from the Emden was found to have a diary. The diary has now been translated. Its author, a petty officer, put in it only the bare facts, but the translator supplemented these with many details obtained from the prisoners. As the diary is written in a German shorthand, it is impossible for me to distinguish the original diary from the subsequent additions. What is printed below is a condensed form of the translation. •

It shows that the F.mden was at one part of her extraordinary career only a, few hundred miles from the north coast of Australia, and that exactly three weeks from the outbreak of war she was in seas in which she might any day have met an Australian cruiser. August 24 was actually tho day on which she was closest. For nearly a fortnight she had been dodging slowly down through the islands which were being scoured by our fleet. Never since she sailed from Tsing-tau at the beginning of the was* did she exhibit a single light, except very rarely "to signil to her collier by Morse code. Her captain never used his wireless except on the rarest occasions when he had to- take the risk, and the mystery of his avoiding the tremendous activity of the cruisers which at the later stages were pursuing him is now made clear for the first tiro® by the fact that he spent from September 29 to October 14 out in the middle of the Indian Ocean- There he found that the inhabitants of tho tiny British colony of Diego Garcia did not know about the warThey supplied him with presents of fish and fruit. Possibly the versatility of the Emden's captain may be attributed to the fact that while his father was a German his mother was a French emigre. Commencement of Operations. The diary commences by mentioning the departure of the Emden from Tsingtau on news being received of the crisis in Europe. Tho substance of the remainder of the diary is as follows: — August 4.—Sailed through Straits of Corea into Sea of Japan. Passing Nagasaki and the islands of Tsushima, several steamers were seen, but the Emden kept out of sight, as her captain wanted to capture the Russian cruiser Askold, which he knew to be lying in Shanghai before the war, and would now probably be making for Vladivostok. After waiting somo hours and seeing nothing resembling a warship, the Emden sailed south between Japan and Tsushima. Here smoke was seen evidently making for Yladivostock. Emden gave chase, and the stranger made straight for the land. The Emden gradually overtook her, and when within 3J, miles fired a blank shot. The stranger would not stop, so the -Emden fired shots across his bows, when he immediately stopped. An armed party was sent on board, and found her to be the Russian auxiliary cruiser Hjasan. Her guns and ammunition had not yet been shipped, but she carried mails for Vladivostock. The prize crew remained on board, and both were headed for Tsing-tau, all lights out.

August s.—Wireless received that England had declared war on Germany. Emden signalled to Tsing-tau forts that she and another ship would arrive fit four next morning, and that the forts were to let them pass in. A Well-equipped Collier.

August 6, 4 a.m. Arrived Tsing-tau. En id eh alongside pier filling up w.ith coal and stores all day. At 7 p.m. sailed again, with all lights out, accompanied by German collier Mar com ami The Mareomannia carries 6000 tons of coal and 1000 tons of provisions. She has a crew of 48, and her speed is 10 knots. August 7, 2.l2.Cruising in China and Japanese seas. Turned southwards from Indian Ocean, called at Marianne or Ladrone Islands. Here Emden coaled from her own collier.

August —Arrived this morning at the Island of Angsur, in the Pelew Islands; coaled and sailed for Timor.

August 24.Arrived this day at Timor. Coaled from the collier Marcomannia, at Timor. Sailed again at evening westward through Flores Sea. August 31. —Held up the Dutch steamer Tromp,' and let her go. Sailed through Zarbok Straits, Java, to avoid all shipping.

Work .on Trade Route.

September 4.Sailed off Bay of Bengal to start operations from trade route between Colombo and Calcutta, at a point 250 miles south-east of Madras.

September 10.—Stopped Greek steamer PontOperos. Six men boarded her, and found she was carrying; coal to Calcutta for British firms. She 'as ordered to follow the Emden about. The British steamer Indus was captured, and was found to be fitted up as transport for Indian troops. The crew was allowed to gather all its "belongings, and was then transferred to the collier. Five shots were fired at the Indus, making a largo hole in the steamer. She tilted over and sank quickly. September ' 11.—Steamed northwards along trade route. British steamer Levant hove in sight. Found her also fitted as transport for troops and horses. Transferred crew to collier and sank her. September 12.Captured . British steamer Kabinga, bound from Calcutta to New York with cargo of general merchandise. The cargo was for American firms, and therefore the Kabinga was ordered to follow together with the Marcomannia and Pontopero. Later we captured the British steamer Killin, bound for Calcutta with a full cargo of iron. Sank her and transferred the crew to collier.

September 13.—Sailed a little further north in company with the three steamers, each manned by a German crew. The prize crews always consisted of an officer and ten men, including engineers. The British steamer Diplomat, from Calcutta to England, with a cargo of tea. was captured and sunk. Her crew and the captured crews hitherto kept on the Marcomannia. were now transferred to the Kabinga. Whilst, this was actually being done the Italian steamer Loredano was sighted. Err.den at once went out to her. brought her up on the scene, and asked the captain to take all the crews who had been gathered in the Kabinga. The Italian captain refused and bis ship was therefore released

This night, when 300 miles south of Calcutta, we sank the Diplomat. Later we saw a light on the horizon, and found by Morse signals that it was the Italian steamer Neandolo. Bade her good night. The Clan Mathieson. September 14.—Sailed with the three steamers still further northwards towards Calcutta. When 150 miles from Calcutta wo sank the small British cargo steamer Trabboch. She had no cargo. At this point we detached the Kabinga to Calcutta. Three cheers were given as she left. As she was sailing away the valuable British steamer Clan Mathieson appeared with a rich cargo of machinery, motor-cars, and a

fine racehorse front England... The horse was shot, the crew was transferred to the collier, and tie steamer was sunk. September 18.—We held up Norwegian steamer Dove, and offered captain 100 dollars to take the Clan Mathieson's crew to Rangoon. He accepted. Mention is next made of the bombardment of Madras, and the destruction of the oil tanks situated at the entrance to the harbour, on the night of September 22. The next morning, it continues, the glare of the nr.; at Madras could still be seen on the horizon, though about 100 miles away. On that--day, September 25, the Emden sailed north-east to give -he j impression that she was going towards Calcutta, but she afterwards turned southwards round the east coast of Ceylon. Somewhere about this point the Greek steamer Pontop )roa was lost, it being believed that sho was caught by a British cruiser. Reference is then made to the sinking of the British steamer Kinglcd, 130 miles south of Colombo, on September 25, and the capture of the British steamers Tymerik and Gryfevale, near Colombo on the following day. The diary proceeds : — September 27.—Three hundred miles east of Colombo we captured the British collier Buresk with 600 tons of Cardiff coal for Singapore. We left on board the captain 6 steward, two engineers, and some Chinese ! stokers, who Were paid by the Emden at their usual ratee. The Buresk, with a prize crew, was ordered to follow. Emden j turned westward again and captured | British steamers Ribera and Fovle. Both were sunk. The Dutch steamer Djoeja was stopped and released. September 28.—The Gryfevaie, being now crowded with crews, was cent back to Colombo. When the chase was at its hottest the Emden was concealed out in the Indian Ocean, away from the track of shipping. Visit to Island of Diego Garcia. October 10.—Visited Island of Diego Garcia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, about half-way between Africa and Sumatra. The few European families here had not yet heard of the war, as they get a steamer only once in three months. Emden coaling all day from the Buresk. Some of the engineers repaired the local motor-boat, and were given baskets ol cocoanuts and fish, greatly appreciated on the Emden. Sailed at night northwards. Oct-obcr 15.—Five hundred miles west of Colombo, at 12.50 a.m., captured British cargo steamer Clan Grant, for Colombo with general merchandise. Began transferring crew to Buresk at daybreak, when smoke was seen on the horizon. The stranger at first looked like a. warship, but on approaching proved to be the dredge Pourabbel, which had been built to the order of the Tasmanian Government. Both ships were sunk. October British steamer Henmehr was sunk. Penang Threatened.

j October 20 to 27. —Emden now freed of ' all captives except collier Buresk. Captain having read in recent newspapers of British and Japanese cruisers capturing German merchant ships near Penanf;, he decided to raid Penang. As the Bureak could only manage 10 knots, she wa« left to wait at a rendezvous in the Indian Ocean, half-way between the Malay Straits and Ceylon. Emden made a semi-circle to southward to reach Penang in order to avoid British cruisers believed to bo guarding entrance to • Bay of _ Bengal. Smoke was often seen on toe horizon, but was always avoided as on previous occasions. October 28.T0-day, Sunday, the British Blue Funnel liner Triolus, on her maiden trip from Hongkong to England, was captured. She had about three dozen passengers, including women, and with her crew had on board about 200 persons. Therefore, althouzli she was estimated to be worth £1,000,000, she could not be at the moment- sunk. However, a .few hours later the British cargo steamer St. Egbert, from America, was sighted, and all the people from the Triolus were transferred to her. The diary her© gives an account of the sinking of "the Russian cruiser Jemtcbung and the French destroyer Mousqnet at Penang on October 28, the details being similar to those already made known. October 29.-—Steamed a little south and captured the British collier Exford. from England to Singapore with coal. Sighted the British cargo steamer Chilkans, which is fitted with wireless. Ordered her not to use her wireless. The captured crews were all placed in St. Egbert and sent to Quikon, a 6mail town on the south-west coast of India.

October 30.The collier Exford allowed to go on to Singapore. The reason for this is unknown, but it was surmised that her coal was for German agents.

At Cocos Islands.

October 30.Captured British cargo steamer .Newburn, with general merchandise, for Singapore. All the French prisoners were put on board. The captain was ordered to sail direct to Sabang, in Sumatra

November 8. —Arrived Cocos in even-, inn; sailed round islands to see if everything was clear. November 9.—5.30, sailed up to Direction Island, a dummy funnel being put up for third time. Landed a party of about 50 to destroy wireless and cut cables.