AN ADVENTURE WITH THE KARLSRUHE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2373, 1 February 1915, Page 6

AN ADVENTURE WITH THE KARLSRUHE

BRITISH SEA CAPTAIN'S EXPERIENCE "About the latest known adventure of the German cruiser Jiarlsruhe there is a saucy flavour of the old buccaneering days of long ago, when good ships sailed the Southern Seas at tho mercy of the black flag with the skull and cross-bones (writes Air. William Duckworth for the "Daily News"). The British captain of whom I write has proved himself a match in. daring and strategy for Lieutenant Count von Issen, who according to the captain's own story (which has reached Copenhagen via -the Canary Islands and Bergen), is harrying British merchant ships with an escorting squadron.of six coal and other supply vessels. ■•"The British captain made a heroic attempt to escape this imposing fleet of marauders. He and his crew showed tho old spirit of the sea when, after fruitless parleying with von Issen, they openly defied him and made a dash for liberty under the very nozzles of the Karlsruhe's guns. Unfortunately something went wrong in the engine-room, and the British captain's attempt to run the gauntlet of the whole German squadron did not succeed. He had bad luck.

At 2 a.m. one clear Pacific morning the British ship M discovered she was being overhauled slowly by another ship with all lights out. She followed close in the wake of the M til] daybreak. It was the Krefeld, one of the escorting squadron. Then a long dark streak of floating gossamer came up with the sun. and out of the cloud bank steamed the dreaded Karlsruhe. Playing for Time. The British captain stopped his engines under the impression it was a friendly visitor, but when the German flag was run up he realised in a flash chat rapidity of thought and action was his only salvation, if he were to keep the old flag flying. He tried first of all the S.O.S. signal, but von Issen by some ingenuity or chance picked up the message and sent a very angry message to the'M that if he persisted in tricks of that sort he would be sunk immediately.

The British captain purposely delayed deciphering the signals from the Karlsruhe. He asked for them to he re peated without giving any sign that hs was meanwhile preparing to make a dash for it, and while he and von Issen were arguing the matter half the crew of the M had stripped in the stokehold and were shovelling in tho coal. It was not long before the steam pressure was pretty nearly doubled.

Tlie British, captain during the conversation manoeuvred his boat in such a way that von Issen suddenly found himself unable to see tbo M • through masses of coal smoke that enveloped tho Karlsruhe. Now was tho British captain's opportunity. He rang down tho order "Full speed ahead." and. the M was leaping through tho waves like a mad thing. More Shots in the Locker. Von Issen gave chase. He fired a shot at the British ship—and missed. He fired a second, which chipped a bit off the captain's bridge. Then muttered curses rose from tho engine-room. Something snapped, and the M was helpless. A German officer with armed guard soon came aboard, and after falsely accusing tho British captain of carryiug meat for our troops and searching the ship he had a further interview with tho skipper in his room. Lying on the captain's table was an English newspaper containing a' caricature of tho Kaiser. He frowned indignantly. "You have shocking newspapers in your cabin, sir," he said. The captain replied that he had worse ones in his locker if Von Essen would like to inspect them. The captain and crew of the M found themselves prisoners on the Krefeld in twenty minutes, and thero they remained for seven weks, eating and sleeping well, and taking a keen interest in the Karlsruhe and Tier marauding squadron.

The captain of the Krefeld could not comprehend the British crew's breezy indifference to misfortune. They had lost their ship, but none of the spirit of adventure, and they used to.wake up at night and start spinning the armed guard all sorts of yarns. One day a rumour spread through the ship that a British warship was coming to the rescue. The rumour reached the ears of Von Issen, and a wireless order camo from the Karlsruhe .that if, any more rumours' of that sort were circulated the base inventor would instantly be shot. A Ring Round the Karlsruhe. Animosities began to disappear as the weeks passed. Von Issen continued to dodge the British cruisers, . and ,his harshness towards his prisoners Telaxed. It was the custom of the Krefeld to steam alongside the Karlsruhe every morning, and the British sailors were orflered on deck to listen to a musical performance given for their benefit by the ship's band—a compliment which the British sailors enjoyed. Von Issen, like Von Muller, conducted his harrying expedition with considerable resource and ingenuity. His escorting squadron consisted of the Rio Negro, Patagonia, Ascunzia, Lidrani, Farm, and the iKrcfeld, with 7000 tons of seized coal distributed among them. For the greater part of tho seven weeks they were invisible. They formed a vast ring round the Karlsruhe, steaming at a distance of 25 miles. Each vessel was fitted with wireless, and tho approach of any hostile ship was immediately reported to tho flagship, and tho movements of the whole fleet wcro altered accordingly.