THE RAIDER WOLF.

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 30, Issue 22, 19 March 1918, Page 5

THE RAIDER WOLF.

FURTHER PARTICULARS OF HER EXPLOITS. LONDON, March 17. •Continuing their narrative, Stagmon and Flood, of the Matunga, stated that there was a signalling station on the seaward side of the hill covering the harbour in which the Wolf anchored in Dutch New Guinea, and a seaplane scoured the whole neighbourhood over sea and land for a distance of 100 miles. They remained twelve days while the Wolf took in foodstuffs and coal from the Matunga. The Wolf's crew meantime scraped the bottom, repaired the engines, repainted the vessel and made preparation for continuance of the voyage. They also complotedjrrrangcmcnts for the sinking of the Matunga. They placed the bombs so that she sank stern first.

The Wolf followed a zig-zag course to the east of Signapore, where she lowered the remaining mines. An officer bragged that a seaplane flew over Sydney harbour in the early morning and knew the disposition of the shipping there. He also stated that earlier mines had been . dropped off Capetown, Bombay, and Colombo. They passed several steamers without arousing suspicion. They kept close to the coast, and proceeded east and then south, past Balli Lombok Straits and entered the Indian Ocean, then steaming west and subsequently north until the Wolf was able to pick up wireless from Berlin and then Constantinople. They spent a fortnight in the Indian Ocean, the seaplane constantly scouting.

The day before tho Hitachi Maru was seized tho Wolf’s officers were bragging that they would secure a big prize and showed a wireless message stating that tho Hitachi Maru would arrive at Colombo on tho following day. Tho seaplane went out and confirmed the wireless. It reported a 6000-tcn steamer nearby. The Wolf altered her course, and soon sighted the Hitachi. Maru. It was subsequently declared that the seaplane had photographs proving that tho Japanese gun crews were making fbady. The Gormans fired at the wireless room. Tho operator was not injured, and continued to signal. The Hitachi Maru had 30 passengers and a crew of 100. They got into the boats. One capsized while being lowered, and a number of the crow and passengers jumped into the sea, but only one was drowned. A prize crew boarded the Hitachi Maru and headed for tho Maidive Islands arriving sixteen hours later. Meantime tho Hitachi Maru’s decks were cleaned and fifteen dead dumped overboard. Despite the cleaning, the Hitachi Maru presented a horrible sight when they transferred. The decks everywhere were bloodstained and the poop and funnels riddled. Judging by appearances, it is probable that" more than fifteen were killed.