THE SEE ADLER'S RAIDS.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 25 October 1917, Page 1

THE SEE ADLER'S RAIDS.

Cruises in the Pacific. WRECKED RAIDERS ABROAD IN LAUNCHES. ("Christchurch Press.' 7 ) SYDNEY, October 11. Information which reached Sydney direct from American Samoa tliis week has enabled the newspapers here to put together a very interesting story of the wanderings of the German raider See Adler, and particularly the account of her depredations in tho Pacific, where she was ultimately wrecked. A story of modern piracy unrivalled in the realms of fiction is that of the German raider See Adler, says the '' Daily Telegraph.''

From the time she became an outlaw of the sea at the end of last year until she was wrecked a few months ago her adventures were surely the most remarkable that have been chronicled of any vessel, even in these times of stirring maritime experiences.

Seventeen vessels fell victims to the raider before she was lost. Her commander. a German count, and his lieuterant have since been captured; but the rest of her crew have taken possession of a French ship, and have resumed the See Adler's work.

The See Adler was originally a fourmasted marque, trading between Nova Scotia and Boston. After the war broke out she was transferred to American registry, and was nest bought, ostensibly by Norwegians, and sailed for Norway. Instead, she went to a German port, where she was fitted with Diesel engines and placed under the command of a German, Count Aknor. He and the whole of his crew, numbering 64, spoke Norwegian to perfection. Every precaution was also to ensure that tho vessel itself would pass as Norweg'.an-owncl. Her papers and books were Norwegian, she was loaded with Norwegian lumber, and licr manifest declared that she was proceeding to Australia. Even the furniture, the pictures, and the cushions were of Norwegian manufacture.

It was in December of last year that the See Adler left Germany on her cruise of piracy. She was then a three-masted s'liij, fora-iigged. _ She was well armed, carrying two six-inch guns, as well as rapid-firing and ma-chine-gun;: Her supplies of food and oil were on the basis of a two-years' IN THE PACIFIC. And away she sailed —down the Atlantic. There she sank 13 sailing vessels and two steamers. She did considerable damage. In fact, her captainCount boasted to some of his prisoners that the sinkings represented a loss of 24,000,000 dollars. Her guns were well concealed under her deck cargo of lumber. After leaving the Atlantic she made for the coast of South America. Hereabouts she captured a French sailer and, after cutting down her masts so that she could only sail slowly, placed on board of her the 200 prisoners that had been taken off the sunken vessels. They eventually reached Rio Janeiro. Then the raider proceeded into the Pacific and sank a couple of American lumber boats.

On Saturday, October 6th, a battered ship's boat reached Pago Pago with four men aboard. They had sailed over a thousand miles in the little cockleshell in ten days, from a scarcelyknown island in the Society Group. They were the commander of the R. C. Slade, the second mate from the same vessel, and a seaman from the A. B. Johnstone, and another from the Manila. Their ships, all American schooners ,had been captured by the See Adler, and they had been taken aboard the raider. 'Their story brings the history of the raider up to date.

THIRTEEN CAPTURED. Operating in the Doldrums, the See Adlcr had remarkable success. She had captured at least 17 vessels, when the commander decidcd to put in at a small island in the Society Group for a spell. The ship had then been cruising for something like six months. Weed and barnacles had accumulated on the bottom, impeding her speed. Her crcw were fretting for a spell on shore, and tho water supply was low. The Count chose as his resting place a small island named Mopeha, surrounded —ps arc most others in the group—with a reef and a shallow lagoon. The ship was run into the , lagoon and anchored, and then, as the tide served, careened over, and all j hand 3 were set to work to scrape tho bottom. SEE ADLER WRECKED. One day, before the cleaning was completed, a gale swung the ship on to the reef. There the heavy sea caught her. Several big rollers lifted her and dashed her down on to tho sharp coral reef, and her back was broken. The completion of the destruction of the vessel was the next move. All of the ship that, was above water was burned. Provisions sufficient for a short stay were landed, and the rest destroyed. The ship's boats, after being used to carry provisions from the ship, were smashed and sunk. In her raiding work the See Adlcr had made good use of a motor-launch, armed with several machine-guns. This was carefully removed from the wreck, and in it, shortly afterwards, the Count,, his first officer, and two other Germans -:et out to capture another vessel. Their intention was, apparently, to take the first vessel they came acros —her crew permitting—man her with the old See Adlcr's crcw, anr recommcnce the raiding. GERMAN COUNT CAPTURED. In the hope of meeting with a suitable victim, the launch hung about the vicinity of the Fiji Group. It was apparently she that caused so much suspicion by her sudden call at certain islands. The "Dnily Telegraph" reported yesterday that the launch had been captured. That is confirmed by the more recent news. The story of the men who arrived at Pago Pago now shews that the Australian authorities have captured the redoubtable Count himself, as well as his lieutenant and two of his crcw. Meantime the men on the island had been running short of food. They comprised 5S Germans and the crews of some of the vessels that had been captured. There were also a number of natives on the island, who had hitherto found considerable difficulty in sussisting on the diet of cocoanuts and fish which was almost all the place had to offer. In fact, the owner of the island had already decided to remove them. It was that decision which led, indirectly, to the Germans getting on the high sor.s once again. Anxiety was beginning to be felt on

the island concerning the launch, when one morning a French auxiliary schooner, a regular trader, called to ?j|ick up the natives. In a few minutes ■she was German property, and the 5S Germans manned her, and, leaving her crew with the others on the island, once more rode the waves in search of prey. There was little food left for the unwonted!/ big population of the island, so four men decided to make an effort to reach more frequented shores and send help. One of the old ship's boats from the See Adler was found to be less damaged than the ethers, and after considerable patching was made seaworthy. Captain Smith, the master of the R. C. Slade, with the second mate of the vessel and two men, from the A. B. Johnstone and the Manila respectively, then set out on their long voyage. They at first tried to make Tahiti, 250 miles away, but tho trade winds did not serve, so they decided on the 1200-mile run to Pago Pago. They reached Pago Pago looking unkempt and tired. Their provisions were running very low.

They at oncc reported the condition, of the men on the island and relief was despatched. Captain Smith said that the Germans had treated their captives well. He told a thrilling story of the capturc cf the E. C. Slade. UNDISGUISED PIRACY. The methods adopted by the Count in the capture of the schooner R. C. Slade were those of undisguised piracy. The second mate was on the bridge of the schooner when he sighted the stranger. He reported at once to the skipper. An investigation of the guide on board showed that no vessel answering the description of the approaching craft was known to be in these waters. Suspicions turned to certainty as a six-inch shells were fired across the schooner's bows. Another couple of shots followed. The -'ails were taken olf the schooner f<; < vdih >■ her speed, but when two moi-D shots pa-sed within 40ft of the vessel the capt un decided to stop. The raider came closer. "What ship is that?" hailed the raider's commander. "The R. C. Slade, American schooner.'' "This is the German raider See Allor. Pack your goods; we are going to destroy your ship." The R. C. Slade's crew had no alternative. They were given plenty of time to l:ave the vessel, and when they were all aboard the raider, the schooner was sunk, after she had been rifled of all goods of vrlue. No sinkings have been reported since the Germans set out in the captured French schooner, but a number of vessels are overdue, and anxiety is felt for their safety.