PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH INTERNED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 257, 9 April 1915, Page 5

PRINZ EITEL FRIEDRICH INTERNED.

CAPTAIN'S INEFFECTIVE BLUFF.

SCARED OF BRITISH CRUISERS.

Received April 8, 11.2 C p.m. New York, April S. After several weeks of repairing, coating and repainting, while the captain and crew were entertained and feted, the Eitel Friedrich lias now decided to intern. Until the last moment the captain maintained that he intended to face the British cruisers outside, claiming that German cruisers were crossing the Atlantic to drive off the enemv.

WARSHIPS WAITING FOR EITEL

BOTTLED UP AT NEWPORT. San Francisco, March 10. The closing chapter of the career of the German warship Geier at Honolulu appears to have had an exact counterpart in the ease, of the German commerce destroyer, Prinz Eitel Friedrich. While America rejoiced at the welcome news of the surrender and sinking of the German cruiser Dresden off Juan Fernandez Island, the Eitel was virtually

'"' bottled up" in the Virginian port of Newport News, for outside the American refuge of the Eitel, French as well as British warships were cruising near the Virginia Capes, waiting to pounce upon the Kaiser's raider should she attempt to make for the high seas again. Two British and two French men-o'-war were patrolling the waters to make matters interesting for the enemy. How the Eitel, rolling among great seas, listened with its wireless to every move in battle off the Chilean coast on November 1, which took RearAdmiral Sir Christopher Cradock and his three cruisers to the bottom, was told quietly at Newport News by Commander Thierichens of the Eitel. " I did not see that battle, but I heard it, - ' the commander said. " I was with our operator, and I heard the Schamhorst giving orders when the British fleet was sighted. I heard the flagship call, 'Clear for action!' Then I listened to every command until the battle was ended and I knew that the Monmouth was sinking. That was the nearest we came to real action." The Eitel, he said, was not within wireless range on December 8 when Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Sturdce destroyed five German cruisers off the South Atlantic coast, and Thicrichen did not know about it until long afterwards. Of the fighting in the Dardanelles be knew nothing until his arrival at Newport. Hindcnburg's campaign around the Mazurian Lakes in East Prussia and other contemporaneous events also were news to him. Someone showed"him a facsimile of the iron rings German women wear to show that their gold has been given to the Fatherland. "Ah," he said, "that makes one proud." The commander up to March 15 had not notified port authorities, although he had been asked twice, how long he wanted for repairs to his cruiser. Apparently he was awaiting orders from Berlin to intern. In the meantime, the Naval Board of Survey was preparing to commence its investigation to determine how much time could be allowed for repairs.

TORPEDO-PROOF BATTLESHIP. U.S. PLAN.

Plans are being prepared by the American Naval Department, in the light of the European war, for the two great Dreadnoughts recently authorised by Congress, whereby provision has been made for the construction within' the hull of a second tier of compartments, next to the skin of the ship and on the sides, to keep out torpedoes. It is expected that a torpedo discharged from a submarine, even if it penetrated the ship's side, would explode harmlessly in tiie outer compartment, and that the damage would be so localised that the ship would not be sunk bv reason of the double protcefing wall o'f steel. Some sacrifice of the'double bottoms of the ships would be involved to secure the extra protection on the sides, but it bestimated Hint the damage from tor-pi-does direct I'd against the sides probably will bo much greater than that likely to arise from mines exploded under the bottom of the ship.