CRUISE OF THE WOLF.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1829, 21 May 1918, Page 1

CRUISE OF THE WOLF.

CAREER IN PACIFIC OCEAN. CAPTURE OF THE WAIRUNA. MINES LAID OFF NEW ZEALAND. London, March 19. Most of the following narrative of the capture of the Wairuna by the raider Wolf was given by Mr X- E. Rees, the second officer, who has just returned to London by way of Norway; by Mr R. Donovan, the cook, who formerly rode for Sir William Russell’s stable; and by Mrs Agnes Mackenzie, of Wellington, the stewardess of the Matunga.

The Wairima left Auckland for San Francisco at 11 p.m. on May 31st, and shaped the usual course across the Pacific. About 3.20 on, the afternoon of Saturday, June 2nd, as she was closing with Sunday Island, the largest and most northerly of , the Kermadees, a steamer was sighted, evidently at anchor off the northern side of the island, where Mr 801 l has his 'homestead. She was about four miles distant. The Wairuna kept on her course, and about 20 minutes later those on board saw, to their astonishment, a seaplane rise from the water and soar towards them. The plane had no .marks at all, and flying low over the Wairuna, it dropped a message on her dock warning Dip captain that if he tried to use bis wireless he would be bombed. The steamer meanwhile bad hoisted the Gorman colours, and begun to move, and, the Wairuna having boon stopped in obedience to orders, a boarding party came across and took possession.

“I know at once they wore.Gormans when I saw the seaplane,” said Mr Rees, whose experience dates back at. least as far as Dio Dardanelles. Having that inkling of trouble, he set to work to pick up as many as possible of the Now Zealand newspapers on board, and to destroy them so as to prevent the Germans getting more information than could be helped. Unfortunately there were still half-a-dozen or so left, and they were greedily seized by the Germans, who bad been out of touch with civilisation for half a year, and digested for the benefit)

of the intelligence branch

The Wairuna was taken in close to the island, and ordered to anchor near the raider. That night the, officers and Die wireless operator were taken off . The Germans were delighted to get such a well-founded and well-provided ship. Not only was there ample coal qnd provisions for Die Trans-Pacific voyage, but the cargo coinjirised a good many things they were in need of after their long tramp at sea: and they looked with greedy eyes at the 42 live sheep on the deck. In their long cruise, it seemed, t hey had been on the New Zealand coast before, and they had also been as far south as the Antipodes.

CARGO WORKING INTERRUPTED.

On the following morning, Sunday, June 3rd, the sea was too rough to do much, in the way of working cargo, and both ships moved round to the lee-side of the island. There they wore lashed together, and commenced straightway transferring coal, fresh water, and stores, and 14 hags of mails —more grist for Die Intelligence Department. On the 4th the captain was taken on board the \Volf and ho and the other officers transferred most of their lugage to the raider. On the sth and 6th all hands were working day and night, ami Die ships bumped logo!lied very violently in (lie heavy swell. If was on the latter day that the. sheep were transferred; and eight of them were so badly injured in Die operation Dial they bad to be killed forthwith. On the Tib the sea was so rough Dial Die vessels moved round again to Die other side of the island, ami for two days no work could he done. On the Dili they made a complete circuit of the island, looking for calm water, but without success, and on the 10th again it was too rough lo do anything. “None of the prisoners,” Mr Rees said, “would volunteer to help in transferring cargo, though it was put to them. There were two Irishmen in Dm crew, and (he Germans tried hard to pursnade them, telling them that Germany was the friend of Ireland, and that the fate of Casement was an example of what, the English did to Irishmen. ‘The English did not do half enough'to Casement,’ was the reply. ‘lf we

had had hold of him we would have done much more than England did.’ With this satisfaction, the Germans, left the subject alone.” On the 11th it was rough again, and on Die 12th

t Avas so bad that both vessels had o put to sea. They came back at

, 9 p.m. on the 1-ltli, a.nd, anchoring /very close together; resumed work

on the following morning. On the 16th all hands were taken off the Wairuna, and she was got ready for sinking.

BOMBARDING THE WAIRUNA

The whole security of the raider being dependent on covering np her traces, great care was taken to prevent the wreckage floating away. The cabin doors were carefully nailed up, and their hatches battened down, and the tanks and lifeboats destroyed.

As the vessel was being taken out to sea a little American schooner was sighted; and the work bad to be stopped to chase her with the seaplane.' She was duly captured, and a prize crew put on board, and she remained at sea for the night. On the morning of Sunday, June 17th, the Wairuna was finally taken out to her doom, an event which all the prisoners were allowed on deck to witness.

’At 8.30 a.m., when the "Wolf was about 1,000 yards off one of the bombs was seen to explode. The only visible result was that the Wairmia sank about a foot, deeper in the water, at which level she remained for fully an hour. Then at about 400 yards the Wolf commenced bombarding the vessel amidships. The first; few shells bad very little effect. They struck about the waterline, evidently just clearing the engine tops. The Germans were poor gnnmo's, for some of (be shells even

at that distance fell short, and others went (dean over Die mark.

The Wairuna took a slight list, and there was a pause in the firing, but her position did not seem to change. The Wolf steamed right round her, but got no satisfaction. She was apparently very little damaged. More shots were lived at her amidships, and one brought' a groat mass of llamo, shooting up from Die engine-room, but it died down, and still apparently Die Wairuna was seaworthy. Then by aiming at the bulkhead, between No, 1 and No. 2 bolds, Die gunners set the cargo on fire. She gradually listed over to port, burning heavily, and eventually turning over on her side, she sanlc at 2.45 p.m. As she went down quite a lot of wreckage broke away from the batches, and one of Die derricks also floated'off. Having spent a good six hours ami 16 heavy shells disposing of the Wairima, the raider turned her attention to the schooner, which had now returned. She was the Winslow, with a 'quantity of coal and fire bricks. ATTEMPT AT ESCAPE. The Winslow’s cargo kept the Wolf occupied until June 22nd. “She was the first wooden victim the Wolf had caught,” said Mr Rees, “and they had a great job to sink her. They could only blow her to ’ bits. They pul four big bombs cm board and set her on five. They had to lire 3!) shells at her before they could polish her off.” Mr Rees tells of what looks like a tragedy that occurred while 1 lie Wolf was working cargo at Die Kermadees. Two of the crew of .the Turritella, a victim of the earlier stages of the Wolfe’s cruise, where a New Zealander named, I think, Steers, of Port Chalmers, who was second engineer, and the chief officer, Cleland. They had determined to make an attempt to escape, and Mr Rees and other prisoners assisted them. Steers and Cleland were both strong swimmers, and loft confident of gaining the shore, which was two miles off. But as they were kept securely below at night it was essential they should get out of the ship in daylight. Under pretext of fishing for sharks, a party of the prisoners got: a strong rope-line over Die counter, ami down this both men made their escape while, the sentries were not looking. They had matches securely sealed in bottles, ami felt pretty certain they would find all the food they required on the island. But

(Concluded on Page 4.)