OTAKI'S GALLANT FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 May 1917, Page 2

OTAKI'S GALLANT FIGHT.

SOUTH ATLANTIC DUEL. NORWEGIANS ACCOUNT. London, April 10. With the return of the German auxiliary cruiser Moewe, to Kiel,.and the release of neutral seamen from the sunken vessels, a few, particulars concerning tl-.e latest Atlantic road come to light. It was announced in Berlin on March 22, that the Moewe had returned to a florman p.ort, and two days later the British Admiralty .published the names of ten British vessels which had been sunk or captured by the raider in addition to those whose loss was reported in January. Among the new victims was the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Otaki, The captain of £he Norwegian barque, Staut, supplied a fairly concise narrative. The :Staut was on a voyage from South Georgia to Queenstown, .when one day in February he sighted the British steamer St. Theodore, of Liverpool. Soon afterwards the vessel signalled, "Launch Your Boats," and at the same time the St. Theodore hoisted the German naval flag. It then appeared that the vessel had Iwn captured by the Germans, and was manned by German sailors. The Slant's crew were taken on board the St. Theodore, which steamed away, and off Rio de Janeiro met the Moewe, to which the prisoners were transferred. In addition to stores taken from the St. Tiicodorc and other captured slumps, the Moewe had provisions for four months. The St. Theodore was stripped of all metal articles and then sunk. A VIOLENT RESISTANCE. A few days later the Moewo met the Otaki. There ensued a determined fight, the Otaki resisting pluckily against great odds to the end. The neutral sailors, who were gathered together in a small saloon amidships, awaited the result of the fight amid the greatest excitement. The Moewe was hit by seven shells, one of'which struck her 2ft under the saloon, where the neutral prisoners were congregated, and killed two German sailors. The Moewo was set on fire, end the outbreak was not suppressed until three days later. During the engagement the British prisoners were placed in a room below the German guns. They suddenly, however, managed to force the iron door; but German soldiers stood with bombs in their hands to prevent them escaping to the deck. In the end, the Otaki surrendered, and her crew were taken on board the Moewe. Her captain, first officer, chief engineer, and two of her crew had been killed, while the raider had six men of her crew killed. Two Hindoo prisoners on board the Moewe were also killed. The Otaki was then sunk. 'RAIDER ARRIVES HOME. The Moewe was at one time cruising outside Capetown, and at another outside Rio. When her coal supply began to run low she turned homewards, via Newfoundland, and the North Atlantic. Her holds were filled with from 500 to 600 prisoners. The many British prisoners were kept apart from, the others, as a strict watch could not be maintained on all of them. The Moewe carried five guns and four torpedo tubes. She was fitted with high removable niastn, and with dummy funnels, which could he unshipped. She was repeatedly repainted in different colors. There was also a sham steering wheel aft. At night the masts were set up, and she proceeded at lull speed; during the day she steamed slowly. At 11 aim. on March -11, she passed Elsinore, and entered the Sound. On her arrival at Kiel the British Officer prisoners were sent to Karlsruhe, and the inen to Westphalia. A number of guns removed from, the British vessels Bunk were sent to various prison camps.