THE RAIDER WOLF.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 152, 16 March 1918, Page 7

THE RAIDER WOLF.

A LAIR IN DUTCH NEW GUINEA ACCOUNT OF THE MATUNGA'S CAPTURE, ; (Reo March 16, 1.30 a.m.) London, March 14. The Australian Press Association interviewed Mr. Straiigmah Flood, who said: "Captain Donaldson, the 31atunga's master, first thought tho Wolf to be a Japanese tramp. When sighted the Wolf was running on the same course as ourselves, a mile and a half to starboard. The Wolf suddenly turned eastward across the Matunga's bowß tmtil half a mile away, when she dropped a portion of her 'bulwarks, exposing the gun muzzles. • Cantain Donaldson realised that the Wolf was a raider, and threw overboard the code book, the manifests and official papers. A prize crew boarded the Matunga five minutes after the Wolf had fired the warning shot, getting out the steam launch with remarkable dispatch. "Wo had a compass, and therefore by means of rouo;h charts wo were able to follow our subsequent We steamed north for two days up the east coast of New Ireland (an island in tho Bismarck ArchWlago), until we reached the ea.uator, then westward for four days until we reached a beautiful, perfectly landlocked harbour in Dutch New Guinea. The selection of tho harbour must have been planned in advance. There was a narrow entrance a quarter of a mile wido and good anchorage, the hills entirely screening the'view. Commander of the Wolf, placed launches at the harbour entrance, and erected a wireless plant and signalling station on the.seaward side of the hill. A seaplane scoured the whole neighbourhood" of sea and land for a distance of a hundred miles

"We remained in the harbour twelve days while tho Wolf took in foodstuffs and coal from the Ms.tunga. Tho Wolf's crew meantime scraped the vessel's bottom, repaired the engines, and repainted the vessel in preparation for the continuation of the voyage. When they had completed the arrangemonts for sinking the Matuuga they placed bombs so that she sank stem first.

The Wolf followed a zigzag course, to the east of Singapore, where she lowered, her remaining mines. An officer bragged that the seaplane flew over Sydney- Harbour early one morning and knew the disposition of the shipping there. He also stated that earlier mines were dropped at Capo Town, Bombay, and Colombo. We passed several steamers, without arousing suspicions. We kept close to the coast and proceeded east, then south past Balli, going through Lombok Straits and entering the Indian Ocean. Thou we steered westerly, and subsequently to the north, until we were able to pick up wireless messages from Berlin and Constantinople.

"We spent a fortnight in the Indian Ocean, tho seaplane constantly scouting. The day before the Hitachi Maru was seized the- Wolf's officers were bragging they were about to secure a big prize, and showed Mr. Strongman Flood a wireless message, stating that the Hitachi Maru would arrive at Colombo on the mjrrow. The seaplane went out, confirmed the wireless message, and reported that a' sixthousand ton vessel was near by. The Wolf altered her course, and soon sighted the Hitachi Maru. She fired twice across the Litter's bows, while the seaplane was hovering, overhead with bombs. Tho Hitachi Maru, it was subsequently declared, had photographs proving that tho Japanese guncrews - were making ready when tho 'Germans 'fired at tho wireless room."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.