WARTIME ESCAPE RECALLED

Hokitika Guardian, 24 December 1929, Page 2

WARTIME ESCAPE RECALLED

VON LUCKNER AND THE MO A

VESSEL FOR HOKITIKA TRADE

The fact that the scow Moa is soon to be i>laeed in the Wellington-Hoki-tilca trade recalls to mind that it was this vessel that Count Von Luekner and his ten companions captured after they had escaped from the prison camp on Motuihi, on the evening of December 13, 1917. The escape created quite a stir at tne time, and it was not until December 21 that Von Luekner ana h's companions were recaptured at Kermadec Islands, some 600 milfes away.

Count Von Luekner, who had commanded the German raider See Adler, and his comrades, had been preparing for an escape for a considerable time, if their commissariat was anything to go by, for when they left Motuihi they carried with them in the way of provisions, 40 fowls and two turkeys, which had been prepared in concentrated form. They had also the yolks of 400 eggs, which they had prepared by breaking the yolks into spirit which they had distilled, ano this mixture was then sealed up n. tins.

Particulars of the escape showed that the canip commandant, Colonel Harcourt Turner, had that day visited .Auckland on the launch Pearl, on which was a crew of two Germans, one of whom .attended to the engines. Usually a guard or two’ accompanied the launch, but on i;hia occasion there was only ope guard, On returning to the island the commandant and the guard went ashore, leaving the two Germans to take the launch to her moorings, about a stone’s throw from the jetty. This was the last they saw of the Pearl, for Von Luekner and his compatriots quickly grasped the opportunity, and the eleven men, with their provisions, quickly stowed themselves on board and made a direct run down the Motuihi Channel, and round Cape Colville to Mercury Islands, which they reached at 7.3 i) a.m. the next day. Von Luekner posted a lookout on the high headland of Red Mercury Island, the easternmost island of the group, and this man discovered the approach of the scows Moa and ltangi. THE MOA CAPTURED. Von Luekner "decided to seize the Moa, allowing the Rangi to pass. When launch ran alongside the Moa, von Luekner and his men threatened the crew of five men and a. boy with what appeared to be bombs, . and as the crew were unarmed and wholly unprepared, they surrendered at once. Their vessel was boarded, and the crew informed that they were civilian prisoners of the Kaiser. The Moa carried no nautical instruments except a compass, but the Germans had their possession some home-made instruments and a rough chart. With what food the escapees had and what was on the scow they had sufficient to last two or three weeks, and a course was set for the Kermadecs, which are about 6(X) miles~from Auckland, and rather more than half-way to Tonga, but 100 miles eastward of the direct steam route to the island. They are seldom visited by ships, though food is stored on them.

The launch Pearl was taken in tow, but in the heavy weather experienced on the night following the capture of the Moa it broke adrift, capsized and was abandoned. On the voyage to the Kermadecs land was sighted on the morning of December 21. Five of the Germans went ahsore in a dinghy and returned with a. load of provisions .i'om the depot, The dinghy was sent ashore for a second load, when a steamer was sighted well down on the horizon. The men ashore were signalled to return to the scow ana on their arrival the Moa was put under way, with all sails, set in an easterly direction. On December 21 the steamer sent to search for the Germans, whom it was hoped to intercept at the Kermadecs, was steaming towards Curtis Island and was fifteen miles north of it when the Moa was sighted near Macdonald Cove. The signal “Heave to, or I’ll fire” was hoisted on the steamer, which mounted two sixpounder guns, but the Moa’s course was not altered. A shot from one of the guns was then fired across her bow and immediately following this the Moa was brought up with her head to the wind. The chase occupied an hour and a half, and when the steamer ran alongside the scow it was seen that the latter vessel was flying the German naval ensign. In response to a command from the captain of the steamer Von Luckner went on board and remarked to his captain: “You left the door open and jou cannot blame mo for walking out.” The steamer took the Moa in tow and made her way back to Auckland where Captain Bourke, of the Moa, stated that the Germans had treated the crew of the Moa well and that the Count was a good sport. The Moa is 97 feet in length, with a gross tonnage of 127, and was the biggest and probably tbe fastest scow trading regularly to Auckland with timber from Tauranga district, and when commandered had a full cargo on board, some of which was thrown overboard by the Germans in their bold bid for freedom. She is at present owned hv Winston© Ltd., of Auckland. The vessel, which has never visited Wellington, is due here shortly.