NAVY IN EAST AFRICA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 263, 25 July 1918, Page 10

NAVY IN EAST AFRICA

A MOVING STORY TREACHEROUS GERMAN ATTACK A moving story cnii now he told I'rnm Admiralty sources of a gallant struggle by liritish nuval men against a Irene)!! , ! , - oiis f.icniuin attack during the operations in JJast Alirica. h\\ order to prevent (ho German mei , - olinnh ships lying in the harbonir of l)nr-e.s-.Sjiliifiin from coining out mid actihi; us lenders to the raider two of H.M. ships wore dispatched to that harbour. The Gannnn Governor had. in August, 1911, agreed that the (.Sermon merchant ships must bo regarded a* British prizes, ami he was now informed that (heir engines must be disabled. An hour later tin; Germans hoisted a couple of while flags on tho flagstaff at the harbour entrance, whereupon working parties in boats were sent from the warshins to inspect, and, if necessary, dismantlu Hie engines. So sign was made fiom tliu shoro ii.nli 1 the boats were well within range, when a treacherous lire was opened upon them, the German white flag still flying. Thfi senior naval officer, who was in one of the Ixiats, has reported his experiences as" follow:— I had just given ordors to go .ahead ivlien we were suddenly assniled by rifle fire from bolli bunks, a considerable volume coming from the close vicinity of the fkgstail', whence stil! Hew throe white Hags. "Lie down, everyone!" "Hard apart!" But steering was difficult, (•peed slackened, a-nd it was found that the stoki'ir forward was lying in tho forepeak dangerously wounded. Bullets were raining over aVd into the boat, and through and against the thin iron plates rigged on either side the boiler, and round the coxswain in the storn sheets, but Lioiiitenant Corson, with great pluck, ran forward and kept the Sre.s going. Very soon after .-v seaman was hit in the head and collapsed, and then the coxswain, with blood running from his mouth was shot in the leg. His conduct was splendid. He never flinched, but stuck to his post, snyiw?: "That's noIbinp. sir; I'm all right. We shall soon be on I. of the channel." H was very lnrgelv due to the coolness and pluck ot this leading seaman that, the boat safely emerged from the danger zone.

At the Wheel with Seven Wounds. Commander Henry 1 , . Kikhie, iu another steam pinnace, was ougaged in the tame operations lvheu tire was opened upon his craft and other boal6 from both s'des. Commander Ritchie ' canned on, with the object of drawing ..11 the fire on his steam pinnace and thus saving the other boats. On rounding a bend. into, the harbour the steam pinnace found herself under fire from every side. The coxswain and another man weie wounded, the coxswain being relieved by an A B who was also very soon hit. The coxswain's wound liaviug been dressed he returned to his post, but just afterwards collapsed backwards. Commander Bitchio then took the wheel, although the coxswain refused lo give in, and between them they did the steering. Iheir condition was desperate, for a heavy lire was still directed against them irom all Tho commander was hit seven times in succession by different bullets, but still stuck to the wheel; the coxswain never left his superior officer's side, and continued to help him all the time, although he collapsed several times during that terrible passage. For twenty minutes they thus Tan tho gauntlet of. death; then ns they reached the month of the harbour Commander Ritchie wns shot in the leg, and at last had to leave the ™ In his official report of the proceedings Commander Ritchie writes:— "I would respectfully bring to your notice the "ftll.ant conduct of Petty Officer Clarke, who manfully returned to the, wheel after being wounded, and stuck to it until tho boat was iu snfety; and also of Able Seaman Upton, who by jninping lo the wheel when Clarke was first wounded undoubtedly B.ivrd the boat." Trt the Senior Naval Officer's report occur Ihe following words in connection with the conduct of Commander Ritchie: "lie is commended for his coolness and "nllantrv at the critical moment, wnen be stuck to bis post alongside the coxswain until' Ills eighth wound rendered him physically incapable of doing so." The Lindi Landing Surprise.

A. good instance of a successful surprise landing, well planned and brilliantly carried out, wns provided !).v the Xrvy in conned ion with the clearing of tho Lindi Kiver district. The officer commanding the Lindi column paid a handsome tribute to the Navy in his report of Ihe operations. He wrote:— "It vns only the ivhole-henrted support of the naval officers and men which made the landing possible. Tli9 success of the whole operations depended upon this landing of n.bout 30(10 men and porters, with ratings, bnggage, ami ammunition, at a spot which had nevor actually been visited. The lide ebbed extremely quickly, ami many bouts and tugs went aground. In spite of it all, the landing appeared to be a complete surprise, and was practiciillv unopposed, unci was completed by 10.3!) a.m. next day." The result of the operations was lo clear the country for 12 miles ro'niid Tiindi and to capture live Halters (one a new steol one) and some chows. So ended a highly successful enterprise in which the Navy and Army co-operated ill a spirit of characteristic good-fellow-j ship and keenness.