GERMAN RAIDER'S END.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1919, Page 7

GERMAN RAIDER'S END.

MO HOW 400 HUNS WENT DOWF. During the war it was not possible to publish the story of how a small armed boarding steamer, with the help of H.M.E. Achillea, 'tackled and sank ft German raider three times her size,-with 400 men on board. ..- 011 March Hi, 1917, the Achilles and the Dundee were cruising between Iceland and Norway, when they sighted tho smoke 0", a steamer, and Captain F Jl. Leake, 0:' the Achilles, directed the Dimdee to examine the vessel, which was flying tho iNcrwcjrian flag, beside 'one painted oa eituc-r quarcei. Having his suspicion aroused, Commander S, H. Day, of the Dundee, loaded hia guns, which consisted of two 4in. tird two 3-poundere, and on approaching the stranger hi gent a boat with an officer and live men 10 examine her. When the boat gos alongside, the port side of the vessel was suddenly dropped, exposing lour or five 5.0 guns, each firing 1001b. shot. Commander Day at once opened fire, which was' returned by the raider, so that he had to manoeuvre his vessel out of range till the Achillea could come to

Mb help. All tlit time the Dundee was 'able -;o gee shot after -shot into the strange; - , which tried to bring her torpedo tubes to bear, bill the Dundee managed to hang on to her stern. Several shols from the Dundee took effect, and fire and smoke were 'coming from the raider in increasing quantities, 'flic Dundee went full speed down the lane of smoke, into , which tho raider fired torpedoes and sa-voes of shot, but they all missed, only fragments of shells coming, on board the, Dundee. By this time the Achilles had come within range, avid poured shot after shot into the raider, which soon became a blazing tarnac*, but to tile very end 011 a 01 her guna >l tne stern continued to fire. It was not until 50 minutes after the firß'i shot was fired that the vessel went down, taking with her everyone 011 'board. The men in the boarding boat, it is thought, were token en.boanl the raider, and went down with her. The crew of the Dundee were practically all R.I-i.li. men, including many Shetland Hahermeu. 1