PREY OF THE WOLF

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 153, 18 March 1918, Page 6

PREY OF THE WOLF

HORRIBLE SIGHT ON THE HITACHI

MARU

SURRENDER OF THE IGOTZ '

MENDI

■ London, March IS. Mr. Strangman Flood, who was interviewed by a representative of tbo 'Australian Press. Association, in his account of the capture of the Hitachi Maru by the raider Wolf, said: "The Germans fired at the wireless room, but the operator was uninjured, and continued"to signal. Thirty passengers and a hundred of tho crew of the Hitachi Maru cot into the boats. One boat capsized while being lowered, and ; a-number of the crew and passengers jumped into the sea, but only one was drowned. A prize crew boarded the Hitachi Maru, and she was headed for the Maldive Islands, arriving there aix-, teen hours later. Meantime the Hitachi Maru's decks were cleaned up, and fifteen dead were dumped overboard. Despite the cleanone, rthe Hitachi Maru presented a horrible sight, and when we were transferred the decks everywhere were bloodstained and the poop and funnels riddled. Judging by appearances, probably more than fifteen were killed. / "The Wolf took in two hundred tons cf ,'coal from the Hitachi -Maru.' The Wolf stayed at the Maldive Islands for a few'days. The Wolf left first, the Hitachi Maru following. Two days later, in response to an urgent message from ,the seaplane, the Hitachi Maru steamed south and met the Wolf as the reef' off the Chagos Group, and discharged more of her cargo of coal into the Wolf. We remained at Chagos six weeks, the Wolf leaving : on several cruises. Finally we retransferred to the Wolf, and the Germans prepared to sink the Hitachi .Maru, which went down bow first. I

"The Igbtz' Mendi, five days latet, with 7000 t6ris-.,0f coal,-.surrendered. The Igotz Mendi'proceeded north-east until she reachea the (latitude of Spain, where she again picked up the Wolf for a time. Tremendous gales lasted until the Igotz ■ Mendi arrived three hundred miles southward of Iceland, where the Wolf reappeared on February 6."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.