THE EMDEN’S RATD

Southland Times, Issue 17797, 2 November 1914, Page 2

THE EMDEN’S RATD

PULL DETAIL* 1 lO\V THE STEAMERS WERE SUNK. EXPERIENCES OF -MEN ON BOARD, Calcutta papers just lo band give some interesting details of the raid in the Indian Ocean by the German cruiser Emden. When the British steamer Diplomat was captured the weather was clear. Al first the Emden was taken for a British cruiser, The Emden steamed s’ov.Ty towards the Diplomat, and simullaneons'y hoisted her ensign and fired a shot to stop the British vessel. It was then realised that she was a German cruiser and that there was no alternative hut for the Diplomat to comply, A boat manned by armed seamen in command of a hoarding officer who had been in the 1 lambnrg-Ainorika lane came alongside. Tlie officer examined the ship's papers and promptly decided that slui was to lie sunk. Tlie captain of Hie Diplomat was ordered to lower her boats and lake off the crew and a passenger with personal effects to (lie Kahinga, which had already boon captured by the Emden. THE EM DEN'S CONVOYS. In obedience in this order tlie ship's complement was transferred to the vessel named, which, with tlie Markamannia, a German collier running some ten knots, and the Pontoporus. a Greek collier, were in tlie vicinity of the German cruiser. The Emden had no flag hoisted. She was in a very dirty condition, and witli some cause, as she was stated to have been several weeks at sea without touching port. The Markamannia is being kept in attendance on the Emden. It is gathered (reports tlie Calcutta Statesman) that the Emden lias been out on duty as a commerce destroyer. Tlie fact that the Markomannia is a'ways with Hie Emden and that the Emden is dependent on her for her coal halves the pace with which the German cruiser can travel while she is with her. There is. however, no reason to suppose that tii o Emden would not promptly abandon tlie Markomannia were she lo suppose herself in danger. The Romopoms, though a neutral vessel, has been detained by the Emden with the idea of making iter serve the same purpose as tlie Markomannia. although thus far the Emilen lias nut made use of her coat. The vessels in question, when sighted by the Diplomat, lay about at odd angles witli th“ Emden, and heightened the curious impression caused by tile whole a flair. Although one ship's boat was nearly swamped, tlie transfer to tlie Kahinga was accomplished without easualth'S. As lias been stated, the passenger and tlie crew were allowed lo take witli them al! their personal baggage, but the solitary passenger lost all his heavy baggage which was in Hie hold, Tlie Germans, lo toil the truth, showed every reasonable consideration and courtesy under tlie circumstances. SINKING THE OTHER STEAMERS. ’[Tie worst experience was to eome. Tlie crew was obliged to watch from tlie deck of the Kahinga tlie destruction of their own vessel, in which they had fully expected to reach their Britisti port, Two hours after Urn transfer the gunners of tlie Emden commenced to do over again wind they had a’rcady accomplished in tlie case of tlie Indus, Lovat. and Killtn. Their markmansliip appeared to lie indifferent. Hi the ease of (lie Kiibn nine rounds wore spent in sinking her. Tlie Diplomat demanded five. The first was fired end on and struck her forward close to tlie waterline. The other four were fired broadside on. Stic struggled gamely, settling down bow foremost till she was almost in a vertical position. Then' was no "ex’piosion”—merely some escape of steam. The sight of this lino and comparatively new cargo steamer with all tile valuable contents of her holds going to the bottom created a feeling of indignation at the wanton wastei'n!ness of tip' whole proceeding. That is the worst grudge foil against the officer:; nf the Eimlen, who after all were uii’v carrying out orders. Tlie sinking -o' the five vessels has been a sordid business t i i roughou t, utterly withnul effect on Hie issue of Hie war. . More than that it has boon the act of a naval power unable for want of ports to capture and intern vessels according to the eislrns of civilised naval warfare, Calcutta must fee! it, and fee! it severely, hut all the wili'e remembering that, seen in its true perspective, the affair is tup. an ineid"iii regarded from tlie point of view of till' whole war. The inevitable day of reckoning must come, and the Diplomat, the Killin. tlie Indus, Hie Lovat, and the Trabbucb will all lie put. in the hill. Before the Enuleii's guns sunk I be Diplomat the German flag was removed. As the sinking vessel disappeared, she Italian vesel Borcdnnn, which was standing- by after undergoing search by the Emilen. dipped her Hag as a last loken id' respeel. MAKING. Kf)|; HER PREY. After llit* Diplomat had gone down her crew settled ituvn as besl they Could in Hie Kahinga. I Miring tbal night the Emden and her convoys had their lights nut. It was shortly after darl: on Monday evening Hint they came up with tin* Trabboeb. The vision of the Emden as she sighted ip'r was another of the unforgettable tilings. At (he time tlie Emden was collecting her convoys together for the transfer of the crews of the other sunken vessels from the Markomannia to tlie Kahinga. suddenly sighting the Trahhoeh. she veered round rapidly and made for her prey in a manner suggestive of n huge reptile. it' Was then dark, and all tlie proceedings in regard to the Trahhoeh had not been noted in detail. ft suffices that siie shared the Diplomat's fate, and when tier crew had been taken into Hie Kahinga she too was sent to the bottom. It was at S p.in. on that day (.Monday) that the Emden told tfie Kahinga. now crowded by about four hundred men of crews of the five sunken vessels . 1)01’ proper complement was seventyfive hands —that she might make the Hoogly Estuary. Tlie Kahinga was informed by the Emden that Hie lightships were not showing tiieir lights, and that the Pilot Lady Eraser had gone lo Saugor. The Emden seemed well posted in the movements of shipping and shipping’ arrangements in these waters. She professed to have derived her information from wireless messages (tipped by her operator. The Kahinga took the pilot on hoard on Tuesday evening after the Lady Eraser had convinced herself that she was a British vessel. The Diplomat was captured on the 13th. The Emden people left the Diplomat with a mine in her and blew up the forward part. It took puitc a number of shots to sink her, and she went down how first. Ten shots were fired at the Indus, which took half an hour to sink. REMARKABLE STORIES I!V WIRELESS OPERATORS. Several stories were told to a Statesman representative by the wireless operators of the live ships sonic by tlie Germans. The smashing of the wireless of the Kahinga was. as in tlie case of the other vessels, the first action of the, Germans. It was very thoroughly done,

although the destroyers laughed over their task, and any idea of receiving news, except what the Emden herself caught and chose, to give away, was at once given up. Wireless operators, even at a distance, however, are wily follows, and from all the Statesman representative could find out from the operators wiio were among those saved from Hie doomed ships the Germans arc Just about as clover in the use of "wireless” as anyone could very well be. The Emden all through her daring exploit and the adventures which marked it made no use of her "wireless” for transmission purposes, hut was busy all the while receiving and intercepting messages. According to two wireless operators interviewed by the Statesman, last night messages were steadily intercepted. botli from the Chinese coast siations and from Fort William. H may. indeed, be taken as certain that ••wireless” played u considerable part in ensuring Ihc success of the Emden operations. Among messages intercepted wore several giving Hie clearance of vessels from the docks, and the officers of the Emden. according to all one could Jcarn, knew not oiii.v tin 1 name lint the exact position of each ship she sank .some time before she rounded (hem up. One wireless operator informed the Statesman representatives, indeed, that the names and positions of throe other ■ships which left the port of Calcutta while the Emden was busy were made known to the Gorman ship by wireless, hut dial they were allowed to pass within sight as a piece of “bluff.” Those throe ships Hie interviewer was led to understand were a passenger ship from Hangon to Madras, the Nanarie. a boat belonging to Messrs Andrew Weir and Co., and a Clan line boat. Another wireless story, and probably the most remarkable of all. was that of the attempts of tile Kahinga to .secure a pilot for Hie river. The Kabinga’s apparatus was smashed to atoms before she was allowed to return to Calcutta with the rescued crews of the other ships, hut the moment the Emden steamed away out of sight to the south ■’wireless” men on board got busy with the reconstruction of the p’ant. The first news of the sinking of the live ships was conveyed lo the pilot brig by the City of Rangoon, after she was turned hack by Hie Italian ship, and by the time the Kahinga wirelessed for a pilot, the authorities al! imi and down the river were in an uncertain position. At all events the Statesman representative was informed lasi night on excellent authority that when the Kahinga wirelessed for a pilot she was put through an interrogation which made it clear that she was suspected of being tin' German cruiser Emden herself. Communication was out off, after a long series of questions and answers, for several hours, and it was only after giving every detail of her outward passage and the name of the pilot who took tier down river that the Kahinga was promised a pilot and- arrangements were made for Iter conduct up tlie Hooghly.