STORIES OF THE WOLF

Manawatu Herald, Volume LI, Issue 4445, 29 April 1930, Page 4

STORIES OF THE WOLF

GERMAN RAIDER'S CRUISE. A NEW ZEALAND HERO. CAPTAIN .MEADOWS’ WARNING. The fact that Captain Meadows, Ihe hero of the German war raider Wolf, is a New Zealander, is recalled by Mr. N. A. Pyno, collector of ensLoms at ITaapai, Tonga, in a letter to the Herald. In November last Mr. Pyno described in detail how Captain Meadows, then ft prisoner of war on the raider, succeeded at the risk of his life in dropping overboard a number of hollies containing messages to the British authorities, and thus conveyed information which warned the New Zealand Government of tho minefield laid by the Wolf in Cook Strait and off the Three Kings. Several anecdotes concerning Captain Meadows are contained in the book written by ICaptain Von Xrrger, commander of the Wolf, published in Germany after the return of the vessel to Kiel. Some hundreds of thousands of copies of the book were sold in Germany during the war. Von Norger has several complimentary things to say about Captain Meadows but, as Mr. Pyno comments, “had he known of the bottle message sent by Meadows to the British authorities he would not have written of him as he did.” Von Nergor in his book writes: —

“Captain Meadows, of the Turritella, was a New Zealander —a big, hefty fellow, full of a rough good humour, whose main argument was that the war would last for another ton years. As a matter of fact, he once bet Lieutenant Von Oswald, the prison officer (nicknamed by the prisoners ‘Little Willie’), £SOO that the war would not be over until 1927. lie had the distinction of being the only shipmaster to put in a full year on hoard the Wolf, although Captain ,S. Wickham, of the captured Jumna, ran him close, being just one day short of the year when we landed at Kiel. STORIES OP CAPTAIN MEADOWS.

“Along with his officers, nine in number. Captain .Meadows soon made himself at home, and having a decidedly humorous vein, was able to keep up the spirits of tho other prisoners. One of his jokes is worth relating. Me had just completed one year aboard the Wolf, and early in llm morning he accosted the Hying master, or pilot, with a very earnest mien, and the followingconversation resulted:

‘Good morning, flying master.’

“ ‘Good morning, Captain.’ “ ‘Do you know I am just one year aboard 10-day, a whole year a l sea, a prisoner on hoard a Gorman mau-o-war"?’

“ T am pleased to hear it,’ said the Hying master; ‘yon shall have something special to celebrate the occasion with.’

•‘ ‘Well, flying muster,’ said Meadows, ‘will you do me n favourV’ “ ‘Yes,’ agreed the officer, ‘if it is possible.' “ ‘Well,’ said the captain, ‘will you ask Captain Nergor if he will present me «with the Iron Cross of the first class, if possible, or, if not, thou of the second class?’

"It was a long time before the living- master could lie induced to see the joke. “One day, at which time the Wolf was approaching Germany (about to lake the great risk of running the blockade) lie was discovered holding a portion of I lie trousers legtied til: both ends. (~>ue.s tinned, he said it contained all his belongings gathered over the past 30 years, and he was ready, should they have to swim for their lives, so that he would not land as a vagrant.” SACRIFICE OF TWO OFFICERS.

Air. I’yne recalls another incidrill in llie earner of the Wolf, when hvo of Daplain Meadows’ oflieers gallantly gave their lives iu a desperate attempt lo escape during the time tlie Wolf was anchored off Sunday Island, in the Kemiudees. She anchored there for six weeks in •June and July, 1917, being laden with mines, which she eventually laid in New Zealand and Australian waters and at Singapore. Sharkfishing was a, very popular pastime with the Germans, huge sharks be-

ing very plentiful there. Undeterred by this fact, Chief Officer Clelliiiul and Second Engineer Steers planned to swim ashore at night, hide on the island until the raider had sailed away and then signal a passing ship and so let the authorities know that a heavily-armed German raider and minelayer was at large. The two officers managed one duy to conceal themselves on deck before all prisoners were ordered below decks for the night. They then let themselves down a stout shark line, which had been left hanging over the stern of the vessel, and were successful iu swimming away from the Wolf unobserved by any of the numerous sentries.

[DELUDING THE GERMANS. Their fellow-prisoners knew of the escape of the two officers and it became their main concern to keep the Germans innocent for as long as possible. It was realised that if the Germans became aware of the escape while the raider was anywhere in the vicinity of the Korumdees a desperate endeavour would be made to recapture the missing- men. This would prevent any information about the Wolf and low doings from reaching the British Naval authorities . There was a crew of 350 German sailors, so numerous search parties would have been available for the purpose of thoroughly combing Sunday Island. However, by answering for the escaped men when their names

were called at roll-call each day, the prisoners managed to keep the Germans unaware <>C ihe escape until three weeks later, by which time the Wolf was too far from the Kcrrnadoes to return and search for the men. DEATH IN SHARK:-INFESTED WATERS. Unfortunately, the two officers were never heard of again. There was a strong current running, they had over a mile to swim, a nasty surf was breaking on the shore, and, as previously mentioned, sharks were very numerous. When the Germans eventually discovered that two prisoners were missing they were furious and tried to find out. who had been answering their names ak roll call. As they failed, all prisoners were punished by being confined to holds for 2L days. During litis time the prisoners stifle red'greatly, as the ship was then well into the tropics, and, owing to lack of veitlilafion, Ihe heat in Ihe steel ’tween decks was almost unbearable. The German ni'lieer in charge of Ihe prisoners was sentenced lo seven days in cotifinemcnl for neglect of duly in not discovering I he escape before he did. “Perhaps,” writes Air. Dyne, “a fnhlel will he placed on .Sunday Island some day lo record the gallon! attempt and Ihe sacrifice made I)v these two gentlemen.”

The Wolf is now Ihe peaceful French trader Anlonions and she revisils (he Pacific every six mouths, running from Franco to Tahiti, Fiji and New Caledonia.