SEA RAIDER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 6

SEA RAIDER

THE SECOND MOEWE. New stories of the German sea raider ' tlae second Moewe— and of the Liverpoo vessels she has sunk are recounted m a message from Copenhagen, appearLiverpool paper. pj ' c \ evr T °* Norwegian steamerPallbjoerb, which was stopped on her voyage from America to France by tho new sunk, were taken first on t? 1 ?- ? e^ an P rlvatecr . then the caotured British (Glasgow) steamer Yarrowdale. • J-hey state that the raider is a steamer..' She came towards them suddenly and when a few yards away let down her bulwarks, disposing four largo cannon. Thirty naval officers and sailors then boarded the Pallbjoerb and ordered tho crew to transfer to their vessel. The Germans seized 500 boxes of food, and then sank tho ship by firing 11 shots into her. Xhe captain protested, saying that his ship did not carry contraband, but the German officers declared that they disregarded tho contraband regulations. On board the Moewe was the crew of 83 from tho British steamer Yoltaire. On December 6 a Newfoundland trawler stopped and' sunk while on a' journey to Gibraltar with fish, six men being taken on board tho Moewe. The same evening the C.P.R. liner Mount Temple, with a cargo of 750 horses and 5000 tons of merchandise, was stopped by seven shots. The steward and one sailor were killed, and another sailor had both his legs smashed. The crew, numbering 107, were -taken on board. The nest day a wounded British stoker died and was buried at sea, his body being wrapped in a German flag. The Mount Temple was finally sunk by bombs, the horses howling and struggling for life in tho icy water. On December 8 the London steamer King George, with a cargo of merchandise, was sunk. On December 9 the steamer Cambrian Range, of Liverpool, was stopped and shared the same fate, 38 men being saved. In the evening of December 10, the large White Star liner Georgic, having on board 1200 horses, was brought to a halt by shots. Great ' panic prevailed on board, and 50 of the men jumped into the water without their clothes on, but only one of them 'was drowned. The vessel was then blown up by bombs. Hundreds of horses, swimming towards tho Moewe, made desperate efforts to clambcr on board, bnt tho German sailors shot them as they reached tho ship. Most of the British sailors were without clothes, and suffered dreadfttlly from tho cold. Before the Georgio was blown up, the four bells of tho ship wero tollod like the church bells at a funeraL On December 11 tho British steamer Yarrowdale was encountered. As" thero wero already 500_ men on board the Moewe, the captain decided that this latest capture must. go to Germany with his prisoners.. . In tho meantime, a violent stoim sprang up, and it became impossible to 'board the Yarrowdale, which was ordered to follow the Moewe. The next day the London, steamer St. Theodore was stopped, and on December 13 it became possible to transfer tho prize crew and 500 prisoners to the Yarrowdalo. Tho work of transport lasted from 9 in the morning till 5 in tho evening. Tho weather was fine, but there was a violent sea, with the result that several sailors fell into tho water. All were saved, how crver. Tho St. Theodore was ordered to follow rho Moewe westwards, whilo the Yarrowdale was commanded to procoed southwards. The following day the Germans on board lowered a wire rope apparatus over tho ship's sido. It was a submarine wireless transmitter, _ and the whole day thet Yarrowville was in communication with tha Moewe. The Yarrowdale at last got tho order to go northward, after which the wireless instruments were again taken on board. Tho ship then made for the south coast of Iceland, Norway, the Kattegat, ctc. Captain Anderson, of the Pallbjoerb, ia told that tho British sailors wlio are now in German prison camps are in good spirits. From morning to night they sing 'It's a Long, Long Way to Tipperary" and other songs. In an interview, Captain Anderson, of tho Pallbjoerb, said thai when the Yarrowdale was approaching the Norwegian coast near Trondhjem, the captain asked that the men should be allowed to loavo the ship, as they could reach the Norwegian coast m three hours' time . The repuest was refused. Having passed slowly through, tho Skagerrack and the Kattegat, the Yarrowdale was compelled by the storm to anchor near Ilvsen Island, where a. German patrol ship appeared. As previously reported, it was at this spot that two British sailors attemted to escape, but they were discovered by the Germans. 'They offered violent sosistance, and bit and scratched tho enemy.' The next day the Yarrowadle anchood in Swedish waters, in the Southern Sound. A few minutes later a Swedish destroyer appeared, and the SCO men wero commanded to go below in tho cabins and hold. The Swedish officer demanded thai the ship should leave Swedish waters, but the Ger- ' mans, who had dressed in civilian clothes, said that the steamer was merely a coalcng? vessel. 1 The Swedish officer came on board, but failed to find anything suspicions. He walked up and down the dock for some minutes with the German captain, who was . calmly smoking his pips, and a few moments later ho disappeared. Whrlc tho officer was on board the Germans etood with their revolvers levelled against tho prisoners in. the hold. Somo hours kber tho Yarrowdalo continued her voyage. She passed two German: cruisers in the Sound, and on January 1 arrived at Swincmuendo. The prisoners wero nob allowed to leave tho vessel, however, before January 3. On January 5 the 503 prisoners were taken southwards. For food they wero given only soup, which was bad and uneatable, .a few slices of potato bread, and no water. At 9.30 p.m. they arrived at Neustrelitz, and wero accompanied by a battalion of German soldiers to a prison camp, which was surrounded zy barbed wire. They were quartered in tho big barra<Jks. It was bitterly cold, and the mattresses served out to them were so wot and dirty that they preferred to sleep on the cold floor. The next morning they were benumbed with cold and famished with hunger. As for Uie meals hero, Captain Anderson merely says they were what one would expect in a Germa.n prison ramp. After great efforts Captain Anderson succeeded in obtaining an interview ' German chief. On January 27 the neutral sailors, left- the camp, and before leaving tho captain wrote tho nddres*os of the "British sailors and captain.-? : n hi" diary, in order that ho might be able to inform' their families of their fate. These addresses .were, however, confiscated at itw fermKoi.