THE WAR CRUISES OF H. M. S. KARLSRUHE
EXTRACTS FROM MY WAR-DIARY
(Concluded)
By Lieutenant Aust
Free translation by Lieutenant J. H. Klein, Jr., U. S. Navy
Profitable Work
4 September.—The following night was very light and clear. For the first time since our separation on 6 August we heard from the Kronprinz Wilhelm. We heard her radio without, however, endeavoring to communicate with her, as we did not wish to give away our position. As we well knew, there were 11 English warships all around us, among them some of our old acquaintances of the West Indies. We therefore decided to be as still as a mouse, even though we preferred to have an hour of gossip with Lieutenant Thierfelder.
5 September.—On the night following we again heard much radio work. Among the many secret code messages between the English cruisers we heard the report that the steamer Kap Trafalgar had been transformed into an auxiliary cruiser for work on the South American coast, and that our gunboat Eber had entered Bahia under the commercial flag. Then the land station, Olinda, at Pernambuco, reported in Italian to an Italian passenger steamer these short but comprehensive sentences: "Germans before Paris; Russians in Lemberg; Turkey has declared war on the Allies."
The Germans before Paris! Then next morning at reveille there was a big hullaballoo in the ship. Soon we had forgotten all fears that had sprung up at the beginning of the war when the declarations of war followed like one blow after another. The small grains of truth contained in these few words dispelled all the lies which had reached us heretofore.
When we met the Asuncion that afternoon she told us that the Kronprins Wilhelm had spent the entire day of 3 September taking provisions from her. We must have passed each other at no great distance. Thierfelder had left a letter for the captain in which he reported his operations up to that time. Although we were very sorry not to have seen him, we were pleased to know that he was as well off as we were and that he lacked nothing.
6-8 September.—After the Asuncion had transferred the Strathroy's crew to the Krefeld, the Karlsruhe hurried to the calm place where the Strathroy waited for us with her cargo of coal. The coaling lasted until 8 September.
The glowing heat made the coaling a very hard task. The entire crew worked during daylight. During the night the crew was divided into two watches, which relieved each other every four hours.
These days were the most dangerous, perhaps the only dangerous, ones we had. In the open sea it was not so easy to surprise us. Steam was kept up to the highest pressure so that the engines were always ready for full power. Of course the guns and torpedo-tubes were always kept ready for action.
But all this changed as soon as we took the steamer alongside in order to get coal out of her. Readiness for action was seriously interfered with. Should an enemy appear the ships would first have to get clear of each other. Then we would have to get rid of the coal that was piled all over the deck and thus prevented the service at the guns. In any event much time would be lost before the ship could have been properly cleared for action.
This loss of time might be the deciding factor against us if an enemy ship should approach our coaling place by night or in inclement weather, such as we often suffered, especially in the early morning.
At night all unnecessary lights were doused. On the sea side the ships were entirely darkened. Low-powered lights burned only in the cargo holds of the steamer and at the most important places on the Karlsruhe. On such days the lookouts were doubled and only responsible men detailed for this duty.
9 September.—After filling up with coal we again set out to waylay ships. We took Krefeld and Rio Negro along; one formed our eastern scouting face, the other the western.
10-13 September.—In order to use as little coal as possible, that is, in order to reduce the dangerous coaling days to a minimum, the captain stopped the ship.
As long as no steamer appeared to give us work and diversion the time passed slowly and monotonously. Several hours were devoted daily to drills, usually "general quarters." In the leisure hours shark fishing was the best sport. The sharks on the high seas are smaller than the giant fishes that inhabit the waters along the Mexican gulf coast. They are hardly two meters long. It is surprising how quickly these beasts will appear if there is anything to be had. A short time after the ship stopped they swarmed around under our stern. As soon as they showed themselves the shark hooks were put over and some of them were soon caught.
The shark-shooters, however, had more success than the fishers. Several officers on the bridge or on the quarter deck shot the sharks whenever, in their eagerness, they showed their heads above water trying to grab the hunks of meat that were suspended close to the surface. Several of the robbers were sent back to the deep with battered heads or shattered spines.
Every time that the ship stopped for a time to transfer provisions, etc., from a captured steamer, a school of sharks soon gathered near our stern. Soon the rifles were busy cracking away at them.
14 September.—We were beginning to grow impatient because no smoke clouds came in sight. During the night of 14 September the engines suddenly went ahead from "Stop" to a high speed. We hurried to the bridge and saw the lights of a steamer ahead of us. The captain waited until the gray of morning and then set out for her. Her patriotic colors on her smoke-pipe were very pleasing to us: "Black, white, red"; much more pleasing than the English flag which she soon hoisted. As she paid no attention to our polite flag signal but kept going ahead undisturbed, we had to make our meaning plain by firing a blank shot. That worked at once.
The steamer was the Highland Hope of the Nelson Line. She was heading for Argentina to take a cargo of cold-storage meat to England. For this purpose she had been fitted out with a brand new cold-storage plant. In order not to delay her return to England she had been amply provisioned and coaled beforehand so that she would not have to stop to do this before starting back.
In addition to all these useful presents the Englishman brought us a complete file of English newspapers. These included even the illustrated papers. We saw, for the first time, pictures of the war. You can imagine how eagerly we all pounced on them as soon as the prize officer sent them aboard. In a very short time they disappeared in the mess rooms, officers' rooms and the men's quarters. As the newspapers contained some news items which would be of service in our operations (as, for instance, the steamer schedules, the arrival of strange warships in the various harbors, etc.), the captain ordered the prize officer to be sure that hereafter all the newspapers were sent to the bridge. It was very funny to see how one after another stole into the chart house to get a peep at the papers. The captain himself would get so interested in the news that it was hard to drag him away from them to dictate the answers that were to be signaled to the prize officer who sat over there impatiently swearing that he would not "find" any newspapers on the next steamer. But he did it just the same and the same proceeding would be repeated, everybody on the bridge quickly interesting himself in the newspapers.
The articles were neither easy nor good to read. Only after much labor could we wade through all the thick lies and finally reach a few words of truth and, in spite of all the twisted and hidden meanings, arrive at a picture of the approximate condition of affairs in Europe. We knew what value to place on the lies. After our experiences in San Juan and Wilemstad we did not expect much else. It was more difficult to understand the hate which was attached to everything German. Even the better papers, like the Illustrated London News, made no secret of this. None of us expected this attitude from a nation that prided itself throughout the world on its position and associations. In the middle of this slander were the Kaiser and the Crown Prince. Of the generals, General von Kluck seemed to have drawn most of the British hate. Hair-raising stories were told of him. From this we gathered that he had been the most successful general in the west, and, as we later discovered, we were correct. After Kluck came all the other generals, the other officers and then the entire army with their atrocities. And these papers were distributed throughout the world on thousands of steamers!
In our anger we cast the yellow sheets aside, only to get them back again shortly after, because they were the sources of our only reports.
The captain undertook to clip and paste the worst lies and slanders. In this way he gathered a thick folio. He called it "The Gathering of Lies."
Up to this time we had had the luck to meet nothing but English steamers, even though this main artery of commerce was used by many neutral steamers. While we were going through the regular work of transferring the crew to the Krefeld, taking over the radio apparatus, provisions, etc., a larger steamer was sighted which, from her radio conversation, we knew to be the Spanish steamer Reina Victoria Elena of the Compania Maritima of Barcelona. The reports from the radio rooms were substantiated by the outward appearance of the vessel and the Spanish mail flag which she flew, so that the captain decided not to search her. When she came in sight she asked, by radio, for our name and would not keep quiet. As her ceaseless questioning finally grew tiresome, the captain sent her the answer, "Convoying British ships." Even though we gave this answer as weakly as possible, an English ship, in our immediate neighborhood, could not help but pick it up. Of course, she immediately questioned the Spaniard concerning the remarkable "convoy" of which she knew nothing. But the Spaniard would not answer her. Instead the Spaniard asked her name, which she gave in such an indistinct manner that we could not make it out. The Spaniard then gave the Englishman her position.
This incident was rather unfortunate for us. Until that time we had been lucky enough to conceal the scene of our operations. And now, because of this accident, everything might be ruined.
The captain decided to leave the commercial route to Europe for a while and to go instead to the route to North America in order to try his luck. Highland Hope was blown up. Then the Karlsruhe with her two attendant steamers headed westward.
15 September.—We arrived in the track of the sailing ships. Since the beginning of the war we had not as yet run across a sailing vessel. On this day we met two. The first was a three-masted, full-rigged ship flying the Norwegian flag. A large sailing vessel under full sail is a beautiful sight, especially in the trade-wind region where the sun shines from a cloudless sky down on the azure blue ocean. The ship hove to at our order. She was the Sorfareren of Christiansand. She came from New Caledonia and was carrying a cargo of chromium for a Nurenberg firm to Gothenburg. Therefore the captain was treated very politely. We were so fortunately situated that we could present him with half of a freshly slaughtered sheep and some new potatoes, which caused the captain no end of wonderment. He received this most gratefully and acknowledged our flag signal, "Pleasant voyage," with the same wish.
The second sail hove in sight that after-noon. She was a three-masted bark, apparently also a Norwegian. The captain decided not to stop her.
During the last eight days we had captured only one steamer. We now had to plan on filling up our bunkers. The coal supply was never permitted to fall below a certain amount, because we had to be ready for almost anything, such as meeting enemy warships and being pursued for a long time.
17 September.—We were rather downcast over our bad luck in having to leave the main commercial lane when our lookout reported: "Smoke, four points on port bow," and the ship immediately livened up. Eight bells had just been struck. The steamer—it was a steamer—fell, so as to speak, in the middle of our soup at dinner.
Of course the mastheads appeared over the horizon first. Very quickly thereafter came the smoke-pipe. And then, for a longtime nothing more showed up, the smoke-pipe growing longer and longer. Mirages are rare in these waters. Therefore the steamer must have an especially long funnel. And this was the case as we soon discovered. Even when at a great distance away she hoisted the English flag.
Indrani was the name of our new acquaintance. Her home port was Liverpool. She seemed to be new and in excellent condition. The officers in their clean white tropical uniforms stood around on the bridge, where we also noted some especially fine and comfortable Madeira chairs. The Chinese crew were dressed in freshly washed, light-blue garments. We hoped that this ship would be laden with general merchandise. All eyes were glued on the signal flags of the prize-quartermaster. Then he signaled: "6700 tons Pocahontas coal from Norfolk to Rio de Janeiro." It seemed as if the English actually knew that we were on our way to replenish our coal supply! Our joy was all the greater because this was so unexpected.
The Indrani had all the conveniences of the Strathroy, and, in addition, was fitted with a radio. She would, therefore, make an excellent collier for us. It did not take long to make the change in her. Except one machinist who did not mind serving us, which service we gratefully accepted, the rest of the English wandered over to the Krefeld; the first officer of the Rio Negro, Jalaes, took command of the Indrani; Ensign of Reserves Hentschel, two petty officers and four seamen went aboard as the military crew, and the work was finished.
The English captain of the Indrani was favorably disposed. When the prize officer received orders from our captain to pass the word to our captured crews he always preferred to go to this captain. He seemed to take precedence over the other captains. Of course, the captured crews were not allowed to have any weapons. But the Indrani captain had a shotgun to which he was attached. He therefore requested permission to keep it. It was kept for him on the Karlsruhe and returned to him when he left. He was very thankful to our captain for this favor.
The Indrani had North American newspapers. They were better than the English, in that instead of the low-down hatred they catered to harmless sensationalism. Of course, they did not lie any less because of this. Much fun was caused by an article in which were described the extensive orders issued by the English Admiralty in regard to finishing the Karlsruhe. The ships sent out from England were not to return until our beautiful ship had been sunk. We were not a little pleased to note that we had become obnoxious to the British! In the beginning we often read in the newspapers about our wonderful adventures. In San Juan de Porto Rico we were described as "captured," later on (in any English newspaper) we were "sunk," then again we were only "disabled," and now we again seemed to be hale and hearty, so much so that all the ships that surrounded us—and we knew from their radio calls that there were not less than 22 !—were unable to "disable" us. For this purpose four more armored cruisers were sent out. How did we escape them!
The Indrani was left behind with the Rio Negro and the Krefeld. We set out with the Asuncion to coal, in much better humor than we were in during the forenoon.
18-19 September.—Protected by a heavy fog we began this coaling. It lasted one day and one night. The next day was a day of rest for the exhausted crew. Then we headed for our old place north of the Island Fernando Noronha and lay in wait.
20 September.—On the way there we paid a short visit to the Indrani and Krefeld in order to find out how our English wards were getting along. They had been behaving perfectly. We took the Krefeld and Rio Negro with us, leaving the Indrani behind.
21 September.—We did not have to wait long. On the first morning after our arrival the cheerful report of the lookout told of the approach of a steamer.
We hardly had to move out of our tracks. The steamer headed exactly for us. When she had arrived near enough so that we could make out her flag we suffered a slight disappointment; she flew the colors of Holland. She was the Maria, old and rather neglected looking, and was loaded down.
The signal from our prize officer changed our disappointment to joy. The Maria was under the charter of a London firm, carrying wheat from Portland (Oregon) to Belfast and Dublin. Ship and cargo were therefore confiscated and liable to destruction.
We figured out that this cargo was sufficient to provide bread for the entire population of London for 14 days, and so we thought: "Whoever digs a grave for somebody else is likely to fall in it himself!"
While the crew of the prize was being transferred and the explosives were being made ready, a second steamer on a southerly course hove in sight to the westward. The Krefeld remained with the Maria in order to pick up our men after the explosion and to wait for the steamer to sink. The soft-hearted English captains had begged our captain not to send them away again when a steamer was about to be sunk. They also wanted to see this scene! The captain granted their wish.
The Karlsruhe then hurried away to attend to the latest arrival. The pipes of the boatswain's mates on watch blew all over the ship: "The reserve prize crew be ready to leave the ship!" Good enough! We certainly had our hands full!
Even at a great distance we could, by means of the telescope, make out in the clear atmosphere the red English commercial flag.
The steamer was the Cornish City. Her home port was Bideford. She was bound to Rio de Janeiro with 6400 tons of Cardiff coal for the English Brazilian Coal Co. We were especially pleased with this, because several hours previously the captain of the Maria had told us that the English cruiser Glasgow, loaded down with coal, had left Rio de Janeiro in order to chase the Kronprins Wilhelm, and that the coal company was now short of coal. The coal we had captured was evidently consigned to the English company that had supplied their cruiser.
The Cornish City was an old steamer that had seen much service. We did not have the necessary men to convert her into another collier. As we were well supplied with coal for the present the captain decided to sink this prize.
About half the crew were English, the other half Chinese. They were transferred to the Rio Negro that had followed us.
Then the steamer was bombed. She filled rapidly and sank.
The Krefeld arrived just in time to witness the sinking.
A very successful day lay behind us. But before the Cornish City sank we heard strong radio messages being sent by the English steamer Amazon. This was a large passenger steamer of the English Royal Mail S. P. Co. If we captured her this would crown the day. The excitement was intense while the increased lookouts searched the horizon.
Meantime it grew dark. About 10.00 p. m. the lights of a steamer were seen to the eastward. Of course we all had hopes that this was the Amazon, and so we gayly pounced on her. As the captain expected to find many neutral passengers on her he decided not to hold her up until daylight.
The night was thick. Heavy rain and squalls passed over us all night. Several times we lost sight of the light.
22 September.—The breaking day brought us a sad disappointment. Ahead of us rolled a small ship heading north. On closer approach she, in order to increase our anger, hoisted the Italian flag.
The steamer was the Ascaro of Genoa. She was carrying corn from Rosario to St. Vincent (Cape Verde). Like most steamers of that nation she looked dirty and very neglected. When the prize officer returned from his work he seemed weak in the stomach from the terrible odors that pervaded the steamer.
Her papers were absolutely clear, so we had to respectfully permit her to continue on her way.
But we soon received our reward for the tomfoolery that the Italian had perpetrated on us. While the prize crew was going over to the Italian, a second steamer hove in sight to the north-westward. She hoisted her flag at once, which we immediately recognized as a beautiful, large and new Union Jack. The Britisher had mistaken us for a friendly cruiser and could not imagine why we were hurrying to meet her. She then hoisted an enormous flag at the masthead so that we could see her better. But soon she seemed to smell a mouse; the red cloth was quickly hauled down and was never sighted again.
The case of this steamer was similar to that of most of the others. They never suspected anything as we steamed toward them, always thinking we were a British cruiser. What else could they meet on the free ocean except warships of the sea-ruling Britannia? They never thought of meeting a German man-o'-war until they saw us hoist our war flag. Later on, however, when the press reports showed that many steamers were disappearing, the English captains seemed to get an inkling of the true state of affairs. After that we occasionally held up a steamer and found that the men had already packed up their clothes and had cleared away the boats ready for lowering.
About 6.40 a. m. we captured the steamer Rio Ignassa from London. She was carrying 4800 tons of coal from Newcastle to Rio de Janeiro. The crew consisted entirely of Englishmen.
She was sentenced to be sunk for the same reason that the Cornish City was sunk.
While we were doing this a steamer came in sight heading straight for the Karlsruhe. When ordered by flag signal she came close aboard and stopped. She carried the Swedish flag, was named Princess Ingeborg (Axel Johnson and Co., of Stockholm), was loaded with merchandise and passengers, among them several German ladies and children, and was heading for South America. Her papers were quickly examined and she was then released.
The captain first decided to fill up our bunkers before sinking the prize. But this was given up because of the heavy sea. The English captain assured us that he did not have very good coal and that we would surely soon meet other steamers that would bring us better fuel. This agreed with our own expectations.
The Rio Ignassa was bombed in two places, namely, in the shaft-alley and forward in the "collision room." She sank rapidly, heeling over at the finish. This was the first steamer we saw sink in the daytime. Shortly before she heeled over one of her flags broke out and it was the letter "Q" which means: "I wish to signal you." Of course nobody had remained on board. It was another trick of the bogey man.
This steamer also brought many newspapers. In one of the illustrated papers was a good picture of the sinking of the Mains. The ship, about half sunk, continued to fire her guns at her more powerful and more numerous foes. The picture was pasted up in the men's quarters and the necessary remarks added to it.
The press reports that concerned us were now being translated and made up into a sort of ship-newspaper which was distributed among the men.
Pause!
23-27 September.—Since leaving the home country the Karlsruhe had, barring a few short stops, been underway constantly. The boilers and engines can be called the heart of the ship. In order to keep her well and strong these must be overhauled from time to time.
As all the English warships were, to all appearances, a good distance away, we decided to use several days for this purpose. A surprise by an enemy cruiser would have been fatal to us at such a time because the engines were not ready. In order to prevent a surprise we proceeded a good distance to the westward out of the commercial highway.
The other ships also needed repairs and so they used these days for the same purpose. The ship was pretty badly damaged by the constant coaling. The paint on the side had been worn away and the rust showed through in many places. Very little of the deck linoleum remained. The bare steel came through all over. The first officer did his best to remedy these conditions.
Other than this, these days were much like the days when we lay in wait without sighting anything.
The shark hooks were broken out. The officers amused themselves shooting sharks. During spare hours we hunted places free of coal dust in order to sleep or read.
The best gathering place was still the navigating bridge which was always clean.
As long as the quarter-deck and the remainder of the main-deck was covered with a deck-load of coal there remained only the poop to go to in order to get some fresh air, but even this was no good when the wind blew the coal dust around. As soon as the coal on the quarter-deck was passed down to the bunkers the after end of the main-deck was thoroughly scrubbed down. Then we had a place "to promenade" and "to Muller" [evidently the Muller physical exercises], of which we were all in need. The captain also enthusiastically joined us in these physical exercises.
After the evening meal the men would gather on the foc's'le, the officers on the bridge, and listen to the music. Our ship's band was gathered after much work before the ship left home. Their performances were better than those of other ships' bands, barring the regularly organized government bands.
Every Sunday the captain held a short service on the quarterdeck. The band then played on the after-deck. Refreshments and cigarettes were also served to the men.
The steamers accompanying us were always invited to these concerts. On the Krefeld several hundred Englishmen, Frenchmen, Chinese, negroes, etc., would crowd the rail on the side toward us, all listening to the strains of "Deutschland, Deutschland, uber Alles" and the "Watch on the Rhine," which were always sung as a finale. The repertoire of our band was very extensive. The latest opera hits were played as readily as the oldest Prussian ballads.
One day our men got up a real minstrel show on the foc's'le. There were plenty of comedians among them. Their efforts were rewarded by heavy salvos of laughter. One of the mates discovered that he possessed poetical talent, and one day he showed this to an astonished but thankful audience.
And day after day the wonderful sun continued to shine down upon the endless, deep-blue surface as if there were nothing more peaceful than this poor earth. It is a pleasant feeling to wake up in the morning and know that the sun is shining!
The captain would invite several of us to dine with him nearly every evening at dinner, and on Sunday to lunch. Of course, the conversation soon got around to the political situation at home, and from that it was not much of a jump to our relatives. Nobody knew anything definite about his own. The last letters were written at the end of June. This one had a father, that one a brother or brother-in-law in the field. But no one knew on which front they were serving. The captain always drank a toast to the welfare of our loved ones at home.
Our Best Week
28 September.—After completing her repairs, the Karlsruhe proceeded to her coaling place. On the way we met the Asuncion. She had emptied the Strathroy's bunkers and then sunk her. The Strathroy crew transferred to the Krefeld.
29-30 September.—While coaling we received the joyful news that the Fortress of Maubeuge had surrendered with 40,000 men, four generals and 400 guns. We even received news of the Emden and were very pleased about her successful cruise.
1 October.—Loaded to the limit with coal, we started back to our region of operations on 1 October. The entire main-deck and quarter-deck were piled about 1 meter high with coal. The ship did not ride the high seas very well, vibrating as each large wave passed under her.
2 October.—The following day the Asuncion brought as a lot of important telegrams.
Our auxiliary cruiser Kap Trafalgar had been sunk. That was a sad message.
Our cruiser squadron was on its way to South America. The English cruisers Good Hope, Monmouth and Glasgow had started to the southward. We were anxious to learn the result of the events that would soon take place off the west coast of Chili. In addition to those named above, three other English warships had rounded Cape Horn.
A great coal famine existed in Brazil. In the large cities only a limited amount of electric lighting was permitted. The trains had reduced their schedules. (We thoroughly understood the reason for this!) The government had forbidden the export of coal. If, even in spite of this, the English ships left Brazilian harbors "loaded down with coal," then we knew how poorly the neutrality laws were being observed, which must not be ascribed entirely to the bad feelings of the Brazilians but mainly to the pressure which England exerted upon them.
3-5 October.—For two days we lay in wait without results. About noon of the third day the Krefeld, that had been sent by the captain several miles to the eastward, sent us the signal: "I have a steamer in sight."
The vessel was steaming to the eastward of the usual trade lane. Therefore she could not have a very clear conscience!
This time the chase lasted two hours. Therefore our joy was all the greater when we received the report: The English steamer Farn has 7000 tons of the best Cardiff coal bound for Montevideo from Barry. As the Chinese and German crew of the Strathroy had been relieved of their duties, this cargo saved their lives. She would take the place of the Strathroy. Lieutenant of Reserves Lubinus would be her new captain.
The captain had planned to send this coal to our cruiser squadron later on when their scene of operations was nearer and definitely known.
According to the story of the captain of the Krefeld, the English crews took a great part in the chase of the Farn. As soon as they saw the smoke clouds of the steamer they reported the fact to the captain and officers. During the chase they made bets as to the nationality of the steamer. Most of them wanted to bet on the English. When the flag was recognized they yelled in delight. The chase caused as much excitement, and apparently as much pleasure, for the Englishmen as it did for us.
The captain of the Farn, no doubt, pulled a long face when he climbed the Krefeld's gangway and was met by the sound of his countrymen's voices.
The captains of the steamers living on the Krefeld must have had mixed feelings as they watched the undisturbed operations of the German cruiser. They, of course, knew nothing of our worries, the constant lookout for enemy radio messages and the frequent signs of the approach of enemy warships. I wonder what the captain of the Strathroy thought, he who had witnessed the Karlsruhe's operations since 1 September.
At the beginning, when approached on the subject, the Englishmen aired their views in words somewhat as follows: "Just you wait! Before long our cruisers will be at your heels and then your little hour will come." Finally, however, they lost these hopes. And when anybody reminded them of their "navy" they would bite their lips and commence to swear.
On this very day an English warship patrolling between Cape Verde and South America came in our immediate vicinity. During the night his radio became so "howling" loud that the captain decided to steam several miles to the eastward. We stopped about 30 miles to the eastward of the usual trade lane.
6 October.—This time the Rio Negro was lucky. About 4.00 p. m. we received a report from her concerning the English steamer Niceto de Larrinaga. The prize crew went over. We, who remained aboard the Karlsruhe, pictured the usual procedure. Soon after the arrival of the prize officer the steamer crew would be gathered together. After the reports of the prize officer in regard to cargo, nationality, destination, etc., had been signaled over by the prize quartermaster the captain would signal back his decision: The steamer should be sunk. We pictured the prize officer informing their captain—a biting of the lips and then the usual nod ("All right, sir")—then a word to the gathered crew; all hurriedly disappear below decks. We knew that they were now packing their clothes and trinkets and would soon appear once more. The boats would be stowed and made ready for lowering.
Soon the captain himself would appear, chronometer and other nautical instruments under his arm. He had saved what was really valuable.
The Niecto de Larrinaga had a cargo of 8000 tons of oats and corn from Buenos Aires for London. Her crew and provisions went aboard the Krefeld. She herself took the road of all her predecessors except those we were using as colliers.
The steamer had a radio outfit. Like all the other steamers, she made not the slightest attempt to call English warships to her assistance, and even though the chase would only last one hour, she must have known that several ships were in the vicinity, and these would have known we were a German cruiser from the message.
We noted in her radio logs that she had been warned of us by the Bristol. The cruiser had advised her to steam about 30 miles to the eastward of the usual steamer tracks. It was her bad luck to follow this advice and run right into our arms, because we had gone that far to the eastward to escape the English cruiser.
The English captain was very astonished to be captured in spite of his caution. But he was still more astonished when our prize officer told him that we knew his course and had tracked him out there. Then, he said, we had probably caught the steamer that left Buenos Aires with him and was travelling the same course. The prize officer increased the captain's sorrow by saying that we were unfortunately delayed in capturing another steamer, whereupon the old man harmlessly remarked that we had better wait until morning; there were three of them leaving Buenos Aires at the same time, and the third one, which was slower than his ship, would surely pass along here.
7 October.—We did not have to wait long for the expected steamer. About 7.00 a. m. she came in sight. We steamed ahead slowly to meet her. She anticipated her fate and hoisted the English flag when still a great distance away. At 8.00 o'clock we stopped the steamer Lynrowan. The calculation came out correctly. The captain did not seem to be surprised when the prize officer, this time more truthfully, assured him that we had been waiting for him since yesterday. Soon thereafter he was greeting his colleague on the Krefeld. They probably were very angry because the third one, or rather the first one, had had more luck and escaped us!
The captain had his sick wife and a young nurse on board. They were the first feminine guests on the Krefeld and were received with a great outburst of enthusiasm.
The Lynrowan had a cargo of 5000 tons of corn, sugar and tallow in hogsheads, and 12 automobiles received at Buenos Aires and bound for Liverpool.
The gunnery officer, Lieutenant (J. G.) von dem Borne, had begged the captain to give him this prize as a target for gunnery practice. After the Krefeld, with her Englishmen, had disappeared over the horizon, we made a run at extreme range, using target-practice ammunition, and then made several runs at close range using reduced charges.
The steamer Lynrowan sank about 3.00 p. m. The cargo hatches burst open when the ship was down deep under the water, and all the buoyant contents of the cargo holds, above all, several hundred hogsheads of tallow, shot to the surface. The captain tried to destroy this extensive field of wreckage by making several runs back and forth across it. But the hogsheads persisted in coming back in one bunch. The sharks gathered at once and fought over the lumps of tallow floating out of the splintered casks. The sharks experienced a rare thing, for these regions, in their hunt for game; numerous fat rats were running around on the casks trying to save themselves from the wreck.
It is not entirely safe to steam over a spot where a ship has recently been sunk. All sorts of wooden articles, such as yards, poles and cargo booms, break loose down in the depths and shoot up to the surface with great force. The force that tears them away down below is sufficient to break the heavy shrouds, etc., that hold them in place. Even boats often break loose from their lashings and appear on the surface. In order to prevent their playing the role of traitors and later on giving away the sinking of the ship, it is advisable to punch holes in them before blowing up the ship. I consider it possible for the heavy timbers shooting up to the surface to actually pierce the ship's bottom.
The Englishmen on the Krefeld heard our firing and decided that we were in action. In their agitation they began to cause trouble. The next day the captain had this case investigated. It appeared, however, to have been entirely harmless.
From the Argentine newspapers which we found on board the last two steamers we discovered that Admiral Cradock had taken the Good Hope with him to the southward and had therefore shifted his flag. The Good Hope, Monmouth and Glasgow had remained in Montevideo for several days and celebrated just as they would have done during peace. Cradock and his flag lieutenant, Cumming, were pictured as heroes in all the newspapers. But there is no use in grumbling over the unfriendly actions of the neutral Uruguayans.
8 October.—The first rays of the rising sun had barely begun to paint the eastern heavens red when another steamer was sighted. She set her flag at once but soon hauled it down again when she recognized us. But we did not have to see her flag to recognize the colors of her smoke-pipe—blue funnel with black top and a broad white band—as belonging to one of the English steamers of the firm of Lamport and Holt of Liverpool. We were close aboard her by 7.00 o'clock. On her stern was the proud name Cervantes.
The signal of the prize officer told us the following: "4500 tons of cargo, fodder, sugar, hides and wool. The steamer came from South America and is heading for Liverpool. The crew consists of 43 men, practically all of whom are English, including four passengers from Punta Arenas and Rio Grande do Sul." These four were something new and were thankfully received as a welcome diversion.
After these 47 were received by their compatriots and fellow-sufferers in captivity on the Krefeld—the transshipment was accomplished very quickly this time because they had all previously packed their clothes—the prize officer went ahead with the blowing-up. He had devised a new scheme (the memory of Bowes Castle still rankled!) : the bombs were secured outboard below the water-line. We all anxiously awaited the result, and this time we were not disappointed. The explosion tore a great hole in her. The steamer sank very rapidly. About noon she painfully rose up out of the water for the last time and then shot stern first down into the depths.
There were now about 300 involuntary guests aboard the steamer Krefeld. The captain decided it was time to send these unnecessary eaters away. He therefore called Captain Vieth aboard for a conference. A neutral harbor, not too near, had to be chosen for their landing. The captain decided on Teneriffe as being the best suited for the purpose.
In order to get an idea of the "chaos of races" on the Krefeld, attention is invited to the following summary. On the 11 steamers captured since 1 September (excluding Bowes Castle) there were:
205 Englishmen (of whom two were women)
8 Finns
7 Russians
1 Belgian
2 Frenchmen
Total of 223 citizens of enemy countries.
107 Chinese
22 Spaniards
10 Hollanders
13 Swedes
4 Americans
2 Italians
3 Chilians
4 Norwegians
1 Dane
3 Swiss
2 Mexicans
1 Ecuadorean
1 Cuban
1 Greek
1 Arab (Mohammedan)
Total of 175 citizens of neutral countries.
All told there were, therefore, 20 different nationalities!
But before the steamer was released another addition arrived. About 11 p. m. the lights of a steamer hove in sight and we brought her to with a blank shot about midnight. In answer to our question she signaled back: "Pruth of London."
She had 2300 tons of barley and 3800 tons of saltpeter from Chili and was proceeding to St. Vincent under charter.
We intended to sink the steamer the next day. After sending a watch crew aboard her she remained stopped close to us.
9 October.—Early in the morning the crew of the Pruth was transferred and then the vessel was sunk. She sank about 10 o'clock.
Shortly after noon we stopped the Spanish mail steamer Cadiz. Her decks swarmed with passengers, and, of course, they all ran to the side towards us in order to stare at us, thereby giving the large steamer a heavy list.
Those passengers capable of judging such things must have wondered concerning the appearance of our ship. The results of the constant coaling could not be erased entirely. There was only one thing as immaculately white as it was during peace times and that was our flag.
They could not help being astonished over the appearance of our cutter's crew. They thought we were approaching starvation. But that was not the way our men looked; the excellent, sufficient and ever-fresh supplies of our prizes agreed with them remarkably well. The sun had burned them a reddish brown. They looked like Indians. We could have used them as medical advertisements. The cutter's crew were not exceptions to the general rule. The all-around physical condition of the men was very good. Had it not been it would have been impossible for them to have stood the strenuous work of coaling and hoisting cargo out of steamers in this glowing heat. Naturally the firemen suffered most from the effects of the heat. Therefore they did not appear to be so robust and full of strength and health as did the seamen. But even among them there were none seriously ill.
The steamer Cadis was released very soon and then showed her gratitude by a vigorous blowing of the steam-whistle which we answered with pleasure. In addition we sent her a flag signal: "Pleasant trip."
10 October.—During the early morning hours we again stopped and released a neutral steamer. This time it was a Norwegian named Bergenhus.
The time had come again when we had to plan on filling up our coal bunkers. We headed for the rendezvous of the Asuncion and Farn.
Our most successful week lay behind us. Our last coaling on 11 October had certainly paid for itself. Since 5 October we had captured a steamer each day.
Taking Leave
11 October.—About three o'clock the following afternoon, as the Karlsruhe approached the place where the Asuncion waited, the lookout reported three steamers ahead. He was scolded for not being able to count up to three. He refused to change his opinion, and soon we, on the bridge, could make out six mastheads that were soon followed over the horizon by three vessels. One was running away at high speed. The others remained quietly lying where they were. At the same time our radio operator reported that the Asuncion was yelling for help as she was being chased by an enemy ship. The running steamer therefore could not be other than the Asuncion. We quieted her and soon thereafter she appeared over the horizon.
Meantime the Karlsruhe had increased her speed and was rapidly approaching the other two steamers. One of them hoisted the German flag. That was the Farn! The other pulled and hauled on the English flag. We had to laugh!
Captain Lubinus then told us the following story: Shortly before the Karlsruhe came in sight a steamer appeared at the rendezvous flying the English flag. Thereupon Lubinus hoisted the English flag on the Farn. The Englishman hoisted his signal number "Condor of London" and asked the Farn for her name and destination which he quickly gave. Then there followed a long series of flag signals asking if the Farn had any war news, whether she knew anything of the English men-o'-war, etc.
When the conversation was getting irksome the Karlsruhe appeared over the horizon. The Englishman and the Asuncion had taken us for a British cruiser. The latter then took to her heels but the Britisher did not move. The Farn then did likewise as she had recognized us.
We could not ask for a more delightful way of capturing a steamer!
The Condor was an ugly ship with a poisonous-green smoke-pipe. But we looked at her with different eyes when we learned what she carried: Merchandise, especially provisions, dynamite, and 150 tons of lubricating oil. She came from New York and was bound for Chili. The captain had been warned of us and had navigated very cautiously. He had made a great sweep to the eastward of the West Indies and carefully avoided all commercial lanes. He certainly did have rotten luck!
We were especially pleased with the lubricating oil which we could use very nicely as fuel oil. And the provisions also came in very handy, because our own stock, as well as that of our auxiliary, was getting low. The dynamite bombs were a welcome addition to our explosive bombs, which we used for sinking steamers, only a few remaining on hand at that time.
The steamer was therefore captured and all the boats we had were used to unload her. That was not easy, and it took a longer time than we had expected because the oil barrels were on top of the other cargo and had to be hoisted out of the way first. Included in the cargo was a quantity of large window panes. Fortunately we did not have to handle these carefully or there would have been no end to the work.
The crew of this steamer was also wished on the Krefeld. Among them were five Germans who were to be enlisted in our service.
12-13 October.—The unloading of the prize lasted the entire following day and the day after that.
After generously providing the Krefeld with all the provisions possible she was finally scheduled to be released on 13 October. In the course of the afternoon an officer of the steamer came aboard as representative of the English captains and their steamers' crews. He thanked our captain in their name for all the favors and the consideration shown them, both when alongside the cruiser and when aboard the accompanying ship. The captains would not fail to make reports to their government about this.
At 4.00 p. m. the Krefeld started for Santa Cruz de Tenerifa, where she should not arrive prior to 22 October. To celebrate the leave-taking she hoisted an especially large flag and then made a turn around H. M. S. Karlsruhe and the other steamers. We had our band on deck and played the piece that is usually played when German seamen part from each other: "Musz i denn, musz i den zum Stadtele hinaus." [Translator's Note: This is not pure German. Literally translated: "Must I then, must I then go away from the village?"] And then the steamer that had shared our joys and sorrows for a month and a half slowly disappeared from sight. She took our mail with her. After two months our relatives might now get some word from us for the first time.
About 10.00 p. m. we had finished transshipping the oil from the Condor. We could not blow the ship up because of her dynamite cargo. So we had to content ourselves with opening her valves and breaking in her side-ports. This last precaution hastened the sinking very much. At each roll great quantities of water streamed through these ports into the hull of the ship until finally the ports reached the level of the water. And then the steamer ended the struggle in a very few minutes.
The Rio Negro was detailed to await the finish. The Karlsruhe and the Farn had started off to coal.
14 October.—While on the way we lighted our oil-burning boiler, in order to test the mixture of lubricating oil and petroleum. The result was, on the whole, very pleasing.
15-16 October.—Not since the beginning of the war was the Karlsruhe so well provided with fuel as she was on 16 October when, having finished our coaling, we set off to waylay some more steamers. We had 180 tons of fuel-oil and 1500 tons of coal on board, of which 1100 tons was the best Cardiff coal. This entire load of fuel came from our prizes. The supplies, brought along by our steamers, had hardly been touched.
17 October.—When we met the Rio Negro the next day her captain reported that hardly 10 minutes after the sinking of the Condor two extremely heavy dynamite explosions took place. The steamer must have been down to a considerable depth by that time. The concussion was so strong on the Rio Negro, even though she was several miles away from the sunken steamer, that the compass cards jumped from their spindles.
Soon we met the Asuncion. This steamer had discovered the surprising but pleasing news that the Fortress of Antwerp had fallen. This must have been a heavy blow to England. All the newspapers had said that Antwerp could not possibly be taken, so now they could not minimize the importance of this victory. In spite of that, however, the English did try to do this, as we discovered later on.
18 October.—We had just reached our old place to the northward of the Island Fernando Noronha when the lookout reported a vessel in sight. We caught up with her in an hour. It was the English steamer Glanton of London.
"Thirty-seven hundred tons of coal from Cardiff for Montevideo for the firm of Wilson and Sons, crew English," read the signal from the prize officer. "Steamer is captured, prepare to sink her" was the prompt reply of our captain. We did not need the coal at this time, and we had no men to spare to man the steamer.
The Rio Negro succeeded to the duties of the Krefeld and took the crew and all the provisions of the prize on board.
As the Glanton was rising from the sea for the last time and then disappearing to the never-to-be-seen-again regions, a second steamer was sighted and the chase began at once. But it was the Dutch steamer Zaanland from Amsterdam. We had no reasons for doubting her movements or appearance. The captain permitted her to proceed without even stopping her. The same thing happened to an Italian that we saw late that evening.
19-22 October.—Although we had met three steamers on this day, the next three days passed without any successes at all. The Rio Negro and Karlsruhe drifted around, engines stopped, hunting the horizon until our eyes got tired.
On 22 October, in honor of the birthday of our Empress, we celebrated by having "Sunday routine." After a short religious service the captain addressed the crew. He eulogized this Imperial Lady, mother of her country, and her devotion as leader of the Red Cross, setting a wonderful example to all German women. He reminded them also of the fact that she was a real German mother that had the same worries as other mothers had, in that she had six sons and one son-in-law, all of whom were in the field. Three spirited and heartfelt "Hurras" thundered over the deep blue depths below the equator in honor of our Empress and the Imperial Family.
On this day the result of our deeds would be spread from Tenerifa to our homes and to the entire world! Each one thought he had to remind the others of this fact.
We waited the whole day hoping for an Empress'-birthday prize. When, about 10.00 p. m., we sighted the lights of a steamer we thought our hopes had been fulfilled at the last hour. But the vessel was found to be the Swedish steamer Atlant of Gothenburg that was heading to the southward. We had to let her proceed, and did it without even stopping her.
23 October.—As a reward for our unsuccessful chase, the next day brought us the English steamer Hurstdale from Liverpool with 4600 tons of corn bound from Rosario to Bristol. She made little work for us. Just as she was half sunk and making her last efforts to resist her doom, another steamer was reported, but this time it was a Swede. She was the Annie Johnson of Gothenburg. We stopped her but set her free immediately.
24 October.—Due to the arrival of our prize crews at Teneriffe, the Englishmen must now know of our operations on the northeast coast of South America, and the manner and means in which we increased our coal supply and planned our future operations. We could therefore assume that our beat which we had patrolled since 1 September would be carefully searched in the near future.
As a matter of fact, in these days we once more recognized the radio signals of the English warships which cruised in our immediate neighborhood for the first time in a long while.
When we were going south from the West Indies the captain had an idea that it would be a good thing to shake up the many English and French colonial possessions in the Lesser Antilles. He especially had in mind a joke on the French island of Martinique and the English Barbados. But at that time he had to give up these plans because he was not sure of his coal supply. Now, however, he had taken up this scheme once more. You can imagine how pleased we all were about this.
Aside from the fact that the English would now carefully search our scene of operations up to this time, there now remained but little chance of our capturing any more enemy merchant ships. The experiences of the past month had taught us that the English steamers were not using the main travel lanes very much. All of them were making great detours. The number of neutral steamers that we met increased considerably.
Therefore the captain decided to leave our old place for a while until the shipping quieted down again, and to suddenly bob up in the West Indies to carry out the aforementioned little jokes.
25 October.—We gathered all our steamers about us, Rio Negro, Asuncion and Indrani. Each one received detailed instructions for the next few weeks. Then they were released. The Farn, our collier, was the only one to follow us on our cruise to the northwestward.
Vandyck
26 October.—We had proceeded a good distance away from the active lanes of travel to South America when on the morning of 26 October, to our great surprise, the lookout reported a steamer bearing east-southeasterly, steering a northerly course. When we saw her high white upper-works we knew from a distance that she was a passenger steamer. Then we recognized the colors of the smoke pipe—the sign of the firm of Lamport and Holt. The steamer was stopped about 11 o'clock. It was the Vandyck, the third largest steamer of this company, over 10,000 tons displacement and only three years old.
The daintiest morsel had fallen most unexpectedly at our feet!
In addition to 210 passengers, of which 112 were in the first or second cabin, mostly North Americans, the steamer had 130 bags of mail, $2500 of the firm's funds, a large cargo of general merchandise and about 1000 tons of frozen meat. She was bound from Buenos Aires to New York via Trinidad and Barbados.
She had been warned against us by the Bristol. The captain had exercised great caution in that he ran darkened at night and did not use his radio for six days. Therefore he was most surprised when our prize officer very seriously told him that we had been waiting for her since yesterday!
Her captain was an old man and he lost his balance due to this misfortune. We always gave the crews of our prizes the choice between being quartered aboard the Karlsruhe as prisoners of war or of signing an agreement not to take part against us or our allies during the rest of this war. If they elected the latter, we promised to set them free as soon as the next opportunity presented itself. Up to this time all the Englishmen had signed the agreement without hesitation. When this agreement was submitted and explained to the crew of the Vandyck the old captain made an exciting speech to his men. The prize officer found it necessary to report this to our captain. The latter immediately sent two armed men aboard the steamer to take charge of the captain. Meantime, however, his more level-headed officers had quieted him so that this measure was not necessary. This was the only case of an English captain trying to create a disturbance.
The passengers had, until the very last moment, taken us for an English cruiser. When they discovered their mistake there arose a grand howl. Because of the senseless infamy heaped upon our armies by the South American press (under English-French control) the passengers had expected the worst possible treatment and robbery at the hands of the "Huns." This madness was not confined to the between-decks passengers, who are usually of ordinary and uneducated extraction and who, therefore, may be excused because of their ignorance. Among the first-class passengers was the Columbian diplomatic representative to Argentine, a mestino, with his wife and child. He had had the foresight to request our ambassador in Buenos Aires to write a letter to the commanders of all German warships. This he presented to our prize officer, and, shivering from head to foot, he begged that he, his wife and child, be spared! He did not subside for a long time, even after the captain had sent Ensign Count Beissel to the steamer to attend the diplomat and his wife.
When the passengers finally understood that we had no idea of hurting a hair on their heads nor of taking their property, the astonishment was great and the gratitude effusive.
In order to give the passengers ample time to pack up, the captain delayed unloading the steamer until the next day. Meantime all our henchmen were recalled by radio and they arrived one after the other. Those on the Vandyck were certainly surprised to see the swarm of ships floating all around.
The transfer of baggage was to commence at 6.00 o'clock the next morning. The passengers were permitted to eat one more comfortable noon meal on the Vandyck on the 27th. Then they were to follow their baggage over to the Asuncion and, along with the crews of the last three steamers, be taken to a neutral harbor.
As our provision supply, such as fresh meat, flour and rice (the last was necessary for the Chinese) had been considerably reduced, the wonderfully supplied steamer came in very handy. Therefore the next day was to be devoted to a wholesale transfer of provisions.
27 October.—During the night a part of the crew, especially the firemen, got drunk. This had usually happened in the case of the other steamers if the men were given sufficient time to save as much of their rum as they could. A drunken sailor from one of these steamers jumped overboard and it took considerable trouble to fish him out again.
Another thing that usually happened aboard the ships was the fact that as soon as a steamer was captured the officers lost control of their men. They would then besiege the captain demanding that they be paid and attempting to break into the stores, especially if they thought these contained alcohol. In several cases the prize officer had to intervene in order that their captain would be obeyed.
The first officer of the Vandyck had requested permission to superintend the transfer of the baggage. He and the other ship's officers behaved very sensibly, and did their best to lighten our work and to do what they could for the unfortunate passengers.
The ship's boats had been packed full the day before. Promptly at 6.00 a. m. the first officer directed that they be lowered. The passengers were watching this work and saw a most surprising spectacle: all the wooden boats of the large and new passenger steamer were leaky and soon filled with water so that all the baggage was thoroughly soaked. The suffering passengers raged. They cursed the first officer and then the captain until they were finally quieted by the officers of the Karlsruhe, who were watching the performance.
The German steamboat then took the heavy, wet boats in tow and, about noon, the transportation of baggage was finished.
After the noon meal the transfer of passengers to the Asuncion began. They were all aboard her by 7.00 p. m., including the crews of the steamers Glanton and Hurstdale; also a 10 days' supply of provisions.
The Asuncion was a much smaller steamer than the Vandyck and was not fitted to take care of so many passengers. The women and children were all assigned cabins, but as there were not enough of these, the captain and the ship's officers surrendered their rooms to them. The men had to find places on deck as best they could.
The captain had a notice posted in the salon and in the steerage. In this notice he invited attention to the lies that had been published in the press which had caused so much uneasiness among the passengers. German soldiers and sailors would never rob an unfortunate traveler of his property, much less attempt to take his life. In regard to the English, this might be the case, as they paid their naval officers and seamen prize money, that is, with the property of strangers. This custom, dating back to the days of piracy, was unknown to the German Navy. The German Navy was accustomed to doing its duty which required us to capture enemy steamers and to treat neutral passengers with every possible consideration. The only real way to escape inconveniences was to travel, not on English, but on neutral steamers.
This notice was read with interest and then widely discussed. Taken full and by, the opinions of the passengers were not bad. They accepted the inevitable in their predicament. They gave a letter to the officer who had charge of their transfer in which they thanked him for his courteous treatment: "No one with reason could expect more under the circumstances."
The presence of two American newspaper reporters was not an unfortunate thing at this time.
The women and children begged for souvenirs and especially wanted Karlsruhe cap ribbons and uniform buttons.
After the Asuncion had received our mails, Captain Fritch was ordered to take her to Para. He was to arrive there on 1 November. Captain Fritch was very sorry to have to leave us. He asked me to tell the captain that he would much rather share the joys and sorrows of the Karlsruhe.
The transfer of provisions from the Vandyck continued through the night. Shortly before midnight lights were sighted. It was a steamer heading directly for us, so that we hardly had to move in order to stop her. We were not a little pleased to discover that she was an English vessel by the name of Royal Scepter from London. She had noticed the gathering of ships. That pleased her so she decided to find out what was happening here in the middle of the ocean. She ran straight into our arms. Unfortunately, however, she had a very valuable neutral cargo of coffee. This was estimated to be worth about 5,000,000 marks, while the steamer herself was an old and worn-out craft. The captain decided, with a heavy heart, to turn her loose. About 1.30 a. m, her lights disappeared from sight.
28 October.—Early in the morning, about 6.30 o'clock, the steamer Vandyck went to the bottomless depths.
The End
29-30 October.—The Karlsruhe with her three remaining steamers set out for the West Indies. On both the following days the bunkers were filled from the Farn and, on 1 November, we filled up again. Then the Farn was left behind while the Rio Negro and the Indrani followed us.
2-3 November.—In addition to the jokes on the English and French colonies, the captain had decided to institute proceedings to create uneasiness in the steamer-lanes between the English Barbados and Trinidad.
The island of Barbados was chosen as the first objective. We knew that several large liners which we intended to sink would be in this harbor. Nothing would be more effective than such an undertaking to hurt the cause of England in America and the West Indies. We were all anxiously awaiting the events of the next few days. Never before was the morale on board better than during this period. The crew had not been told as yet of our plans. But to get an idea of what the men thought let me relate the following story: My boy (servant) had been seriously ill with malaria which he had contracted in Mexico. He had just recovered from a severe attack and was released from the sick-bay. When I asked him how he felt he did not answer my question but said, "The sinking of steamers is very nice, but time is hanging heavily on our hands. It is high time that our guns got a chance to do something. That would be some diversion."
That is what all our men on the Karlsruhe thought.
This good humor called forth on 4 November a small feast in our mess, although there might have been another reason in that our cook had, after a long wait, finally received fresh butter, frozen poultry and other costly food supplies from the Vandyck. The first officer directed that red wine be served. Our mess room was decorated with the potted plants and flowers taken from the salon of the Vandyck.
4 November.—About 6.30 p. m., on 4 November, H. M. S. Karlsruhe was in latitude 10° 7' North, longitude 55° 25' West.
It was in the hour just preceding the short tropical twilight. The captain and the watch officer, Lieutenant (J. G.) Freiherr von Althaus, and the helmsman and signalman of the watch, were on the navigating bridge. The men had finished supper and were gathering as usual on the foc's'le to listen to the ship's band that had assembled under the bridge. The commissioned officers and the warrant officers were still at dinner in their mess rooms in the after part of the ship where were also the deck, engine-room and fire-room watches, boys, stewards and cooks.
The steamers Indrani and Rio Negro were following the cruiser at a short distance.
The first officer had just risen from the table and some of the officers had decided to leave the after end of the ship and go up on the cooler bridge, when we felt a heavy shock, followed by a dull cracking and gnashing as the ship shuddered. The electric lights went out.
The ship immediately took a heavy list to port.
Somebody in the officers' mess yelled "Torpedo hit!" This idea was mechanically conveyed from one to the other. We hurried to our battle-stations.
Before I could reach the poop, my station as second gunnery officer at "general quarters," I heard the call, "Close water-tight doors!" and the customary five short strokes of the ship's bell.
Ahead of our bow I saw the bottom of a floating ship which sank immediately. I thought it was some strange craft with which we had had a collision, even though this seemed impossible to have occurred. Actually, however, it was the forward half of our own ship.
A powerful explosion had blown H. M. S. Karlsruhe into halves.
The place where the explosion occurred and the immediate neighborhood, which included that part of the ship from the bow to the forward smoke-pipe, also the navigating bridge and foremast, must have been blown to atoms. No one saw a piece of it.
The forward part, with the majority of the crew, sank after a very few minutes. Only a few men, most of whom had been thrown a good distance away, could be saved by the after end of the ship and their boats. All of them were more or less seriously burned or mutilated.
The after end, in which all the water-tight doors had been closed, remained afloat for about 20 minutes. This fact, a glowing testimonial to our ship's material and the German construction, was the main reason we few remaining ones were saved.
The two accompanying steamers saw the catastrophe, saw a column of flame 100 meters high, and hastened to do all they could; they came up at high speed and lowered all their boats.
Our own boats were quickly lowered and assisted the steamers' boats in searching the unfortunate spot for any survivors.
After the first officer and the engineer officer on watch had inspected all the lower compartments in the ship and had made sure that there were no more aboard, the last boat, full of officers, left the ship. We had hardly gone 100 meters from the ship when her stern lifted straight up out of the water so that we could distinctly see her propellers and rudder. The boats were still hunting for swimmers, but when the rest of H. M. S. Karlsruhe shot suddenly down to the depths all the men in the boats gave three "Hurras!" to her and to our comrades.
Then all was quiet in our little circle. A heavy load of pain and sorrow lay upon us. and before us were the questions: How? and Why?
These questions will never be answered.
The catastrophe had befallen us so suddenly and with such force that we had no time to make clear estimates of the reasons or results. By and by when all the survivors were assembled on the Rio Negro and it was seen how many of our comrades were missing, and when it was settled beyond doubt that our captain, that excellent man, honored and respected by all, had drowned with our good ship, then we all began to understand the extent of our losses and how hard this accident had hit us.
Each man on board ship had made up his mind that the end of our war cruise would come some day, and all hoped that it would be in battle with the hated enemy, proving that German patriotism and devotion are not empty words. How else could the end come?
The Return Home
The search for survivors of the sunken vessel was given up as useless on the following morning.
What should be done next?
The answer was not hard to find. There were two courses of action open to us: We had to make an effort to place ourselves and our men at the disposal of our Fatherland as soon as possible. Also we had to conceal the loss of the cruiser as long as possible. The English could not possibly know of it, Lord be praised ! The excellent work of H. M. S. Karlsruhe had severely damaged the English trade on the North Atlantic Ocean, causing no end of uneasiness. Until the arrival of our cruiser squadron, which was very indefinite as yet, there was no other ship available to replace our cruiser. The sinking of H. M. S. Karlsruhe would relieve the pressure on the English and then all the results of our work would have gone to naught at one stroke. But if we were able to keep her loss a secret the uneasiness in English commercial circles would continue for another month. A considerable number of English warships were detailed to search for us, which was another advantage for our cruiser squadron.
The idea of trying to join the cruiser squadron was dropped. We were soon unanimously of the opinion that we should attempt to break through to Germany.
There were several ways of carrying out this plan. We might proceed to some neutral American harbor and then each individual could have undertaken to make the dangerous trip back home. Or we might proceed on our own steamers direct to Europe and attempt to go straight to Germany.
After a short argument we decided on the latter course. Getting back via America was very doubtful. We did not have the necessary clothes. Our outer garments were so noticeable (uniforms) that we would most certainly have been recognized and interned. We also had read in the newspapers that the English did not hesitate to take German citizens and people of questionable citizenship off neutral ships. Above all, however, the minute we arrived in a neutral harbor the secrecy of the Karlsruhe's loss would be broken. Even if our hundred-odd men were able to keep absolute silence—past experience had taught us how difficult this really is!—we still could not expect that much of the Chinese on the Indrani. This last consideration decided the question.
We could now divide our crew between the two steamers. If one were captured we still had a chance for the other half to get through. Should the English capture both steamers—we were absolutely helpless!—that would have been fine business for them; and we could not begrudge them that chance.
So we decided to sink the Indrani as soon as we had thoroughly filled up for the long cruise. Then the Rio Negro steamed northward.
While underway we picked up a variety of reports, good and bad. Our cruiser squadron had won a victory over the English at Coronel; the efficient Emden had met her end.
As we steamed into the northern latitudes the scarcity of clothes was felt. Of course, the steamer crew helped us out most willingly as far as possible. But we were too many for them.
Our seamen made clothes for themselves out of old canvas and woolen coverlets. The results, however, were more apparent than real; the men looked picturesque, some like characters in fables, some like comedians, but all froze just the same.
We had decided to head for Norway and wait there until we picked up some reports and news (for instance, concerning the English watch in the North Sea and the Skagerrak) and then act accordingly, i.e., whether the individuals would proceed home overland via Norway and Sweden, or whether we would take our steamers on in to Kiel or Wilhelmshaven.
Not having received any important reports, and without having sighted a single enemy vessel, we arrived at a Norwegian harbor in the forenoon of 29 November after a journey of practically four weeks.
We had broken through! The English blockade lines were behind us. Were the efficient Britishers asleep? Or was it the bad weather and the high seas which we experienced that were too much for their famous seamanship? All our dreams of the barbed-wire fences around English prison camps had vanished.
I chose to continue my journey overland with Ensign of Reserves Eyring. There was always danger that the steamer Rio Negro might be taken on the last leg of her cruise. It was not possible for our men to make the overland trip in their clothes without exciting suspicion, so they had to be taken along on the steamer.
I wanted to make sure that I would safely reach home with the most important reports, especially my war diary which, except for a few official papers that I was able to rescue on 4 November, constituted the only record of the cruise and fate of the Karlsruhe. On 4 December, a beautiful sunshiny winter day, the two of us arrived on German territory at Sasznitz and were arrested by the first German landsturmer that we met.
A few days later we heard the good news that the Rio Negro had dropped anchor in German territory.