THE EMDEN FIGHT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16240, 25 November 1914, Page 7

THE EMDEN FIGHT.

DETAILS BY EYE-WITNESSES. POOR SHOOTING BY THE EMDEN. TRAJECTORY OF SHELLS TOO GREAT. TRIBUTE TO AUSTRALIAN PLUCK. COLOMBO, November 23 (Received Nov. 24, at 7.35 p.m.) The wounded men from the Sydney and the Emden's survivors have been landed here and taken to the hospitals. They tell a story of a gallant tight. The Times of Ceylon publishes the following account, supplied by eye-witnesses:— At 7 on the morning of November 9 the Sydney got a wireless message saying that a German cruiser was off Cocos Island. She went off so fast that we could not see her for the furrow cut in the water. At 9.40 a.m. she sighted the Emden, which opened fire at 10,000 yards, carrying away the Sydney's foremast and the range-finder. The Sydney replied most effectively, and it did one's heart good to bear the yells of joy of our chaps as the shots went home. Most of our lads were quite young, but were not the least afraid; they gloried in it. The first salvo damaged the Emden, and we soon shot away successively her foremost funnel, foremast, and second funnel. At each success our lads shouted, " Hurrah 1 there's another; she's a goner."

The Emden, badly damaged, and afire aft, went ashore at 4.20 p.m. ',' The Sydney chased and captured tbe collier Buresk, but she sank, owing to the crew smashing the valves. We then returned to the Emden, sending boats to pick up the Germans in the water, but as the German flag was fly* ing and they refused to answer a demand for surrender, the Sydney was compelled to fire again. Five minntes later the German ensign was hauled down.

If it be true, as we have been told by many German prisoners, that they ■ fired no fewer than 1460 shots at us, -' then their shooting most have been very poor. Throughout the action it was very clear that our shooting was far superior to theirs. The trajectory of the Emden's guns was more pro* nounced than ours. She seemed te drop her shots on board us when she ■ was anywhere near us, while our shells went far straighter and appeared to do ■„ a good deal more damage when they : got home. The Emden's shells completely failed to penetrate our armour plate. One shell came very near te doing a lot of mischief. It struck the edge of the armour plate within a few inches of one ward room porthole. All the wounded were in the ward room with the surgeon and his staff.

According to German wounded the : Emden left Tsing-tao on July 31. Her engines had been working for three ;' months without a break. They deny that they flew the Japanese flag when ' they entered Penang. They were fly. ; ing the German flag. The only thing they did was to put on a dummy fourth funnel. • .

One man said, "So far as I saw, « everybody on the Sydney proved him. self a real little hero. They never;? stopped working, and the way they'll kept the guns served was a fine.;example of Australian pluck." >/,

GERMAN PRISONERS AT TOKTQ.

A FRIENDLY WELCOME.

(Times and Sydney Sun Services.)

TOKIO, November 23.

(Received Nov. 24, at 5.20 p.m.)

Three hnndred and fifty prisoners from Teing-tao have arrived. Japanese ladies presented each with a chrysanthemum, bearing greetings written in German. The prisoners were touched with the attention,' received. A big friendly crowd welcomed; them. ,-,

GERMAN FLEET IN AMERICAN WATERS.

REPORTED BASE ON CHILIAN"

COAST.

WASHINGTON, November 23. (Received Nov. 24, at 9.15 p.m.)

The State Department has been informed that the German fleet is in South. American waters, and is maintaining a secret naval base on the Chilian coast. Chile states that it will immediately investigate and suppress any breach of neutrality if it is proved. ,

ITALIAN DEFENCE.

AN EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME. ROME, November 24. (Received Nov. 24, at 10.20 p.m.) The Cabinet has decreed the expenditure of an additional £8,000,000 upon the navy, making a total of £40,000,000 for the army and navy since Signor Salandra's accession to the Presidency of the Council. The Cabinet has also voted £250,000 for a strategic railway on the Venetian frontier, and has authorised the formation of five new artillery regiments.

DEATH AT THE FRONT.

A NEW ZEALAND OFFICER. MENTIONED IN DESPATCHES. (Fkom Oob Special GoßßxepoimßHT.) OHiU'SaOHURCH, November 24. A private cable received in C&ristchurch to-day announced the death in action on tiia 18th wet. ot laoutenant J& W. (Jnapman, ot the 3rd Dragoon Guards. He .had been, mentioned m utspatches for conspicuous bravery. Lieutenant Chapman was a son of the late Mr iird. Gnapnran, of Springbank. Hβ was born in ltiitv, and educated at Christ's College. He held commissions as lieutenant in tne College Cadets, and later on in tne Christchuroh Mounted. Rifles. He Tfent Home in 1909 and waa- attached to the 3rd Dragoon Guards, receiving a lieutenant's commission in 1910. 'i'WO yeans later he married the daughter of Mr Hendersons of King's Langley, Hertfordshire, and not long after his marriage ho and his regiment wore ordered to Egypt. From there they were recalled on the 20th of last month, bo that Lieutenant Chapman can have been at thn front Ices than a month. Hβ was a. most popular young man, good-natured, cheeriul, aod most xealous in his work 48 a volunteer officer. His father (Mr Bdwafd Chapman) was the victim of a fatal shootina accident a number of years ago. Hβ $na a party of friends were shooting wild cattle in the rough, almost unknown, district that li«s at the bock of what is known as the; Virginia country, between North Canterbury and the West Coast. One of the party fired at a beaet, but the bullet ia believed to have glanced off the animal'* horns and wounded Mr Chapman in the thigh. . Ho was attended to by hie friends as well as they could, but it was some dayi before a doctor could reach his party, and by that time Mr Chapman had died. His body was oarried on the shoulders of his friends for many miloe through some of the roughest country in this island, until they were able to reach ihe West Coast road.

The Rev. Angus Mac Donald, of Waiapa (Auckland), has been appointed chaplain to the first reinforcements of the Expeditionary Force. This ie the fourth Presbyterian minister appointed to this poeitiod with the forces.

Before play commenced in tho AlbionCarfebrook A cricket match on the Nortftt' Ground on Saturday, W. Brinsley, of the former team, who has joined the Expeditionary Force, was preaentod with a get of; military hair brueltee. Mr J. J. Clark (president of the Otago Cricket Association), m making the presentation referred to the eervicce Mr Brineloy had rendered the Albion Club, and wished him, on behalf of tho members, God-meed and a safe return. Mr Brineloy suitably responded. At the Balclutha etock sale on Friday Mr Gilbert Stewart, of Warepa, presented a pig to the British-Belgian Relief Fund. The pig wae eold and re-eold three times at £1, and finally sold outright for 10e. Those who bought the pig and re-offered it were Mr Robert M'Kinnon, Mr Jamee Rodcam. and Mr Fred Plow.