Ten months in a German raider

by John Stanley Cameron

Some two weeks previous, while she was rising from the water and at a height of about sixty metres, something suddenly went wrong with the balancing mechanism and the plane made a dive for the sea, which she hit at a terrific speed; the back wings and the pontoons or boats were completely demolished. The mechanic and the observing lieutenant were catapulted into the sea and had much difficulty in swimming back to the wreck, which had the appearance of a gigantic bird sitting on its nose with its tail standing up in the air. It reminded me of an ostrich with its head buried in the sand. The bonnet around the engine and mechanic's seat, in all seaplanes of this description, is watertight, so that in case of an accident of this kind the weight of the engine will not cause it to sink. However, in this case, one of the struts supporting the pontoons had caused this watertight bonnet to leak and, although both operators baled for dear life, the water gained on them steadily. When the rescuing launch finally arrived alongside the machine it was just on the verge of sinking. The crew of the launch tied the machine to the launch with ropes in such a manner that it could not sink and the whole outfit was hoisted on board the Wolf. All six cylinders of the engine were cracked and the "bird" appeared a total wreck. However, the "aeroplane" squad set to work and repaired the planes and put spare cylinders on the engine; and in a few days she was ready for duty again. The crew of the plane apparently were none the worse for their mishap.

One day one of the officers told me that probably in a few days they would pick up a nice fat steamer with plenty of food on board. On the morning of October 26th, immediately after breakfast, I noticed that they were getting the "bird" on deck and assembling it. I asked one of the officers whether there was "something doing" and he said: "If we have any luck after lunch we shall have fresh meat for supper." About 11 A.M. the "bird" was finished and the engine warmed up. Suddenly somebody shouted, and everybody got his binoculars and looked astern of us, and, sure enough, a faint outline of smoke could be seen on the horizon. The hydroplane went up and in half an hour came back and reported a large steamer approaching. Commander Nerger shaped his course so as to meet this steamer but still give him the impression that we were en route from the Cape to Colombo. At 3:05 P.M. the steamer was right abreast, She was a fine big Class A Japanese passenger steamer, deeply loaded, and I could see passengers on her saloon deck. At 3:07 P.M. the Wolf broke out the Imperial Navy flag and signalled for the Hitachi Maru to stop and not use her wireless, also dropped a shot across the Hitachi's bow. When the Hitachi failed to stop, the Wolf fired another shot closer to her bow.

The Jap concluded to run for it and started in to work his wireless, also swung his ship into such a position as to bring his gun for submarine defence, 4.7 quick firer, into action. Meantime the Wolf had opened fire on her in deadly earnest. One six-inch shell from the after gun struck the Hitachi and exploded just under her gun where the gun crew was working, killing six Japs and blowing the balance into the water. I saw one Jap in particular hoisted high into the air above the smoke of the explosion, and he was spinning around like a pin-wheel. Another shot from the after gun put the gun on the Hitachi out of commission altogether, and killed another man. In the meantime from forward the Wolf had succeeded in putting a 4.5 shell through the wireless room, where the operator was working. This shell came through one side of the room, passed between the operator and his "set," cutting one of his aerial leads in two, and passed out through the opposite side of the room, decapitating a man standing outside. This shell eventually hit a ventilator shaft, ripped it to pieces and knocked a man down in the engine room so hard that he afterwards died of internal injuries. There were several more hits, one on the water line in No. 4 hatch, two more in the stern, and one in the wheelhouse on the bridge. About this time the flying machine came along and tried to drop a bomb on deck forward but missed, the bomb exploding when it hit the water just ahead.

The cannonading, while it lasted, was very severe, there being something over forty shots fired in as short a time as possible. Of these shots only nine were direct hits. I must add that the first possible twenty of these shots were directed in such a manner as to hit (if they did) the vessel in such a position as not to sink or permanently disable her; but towards the last, when it became evident that the Jap was trying to make her getaway, the shooting was in deadly earnest. Several broadsides were fired, which I think did more damage to the Wolf than to the Hitachi Maru, as the air concussion stove in the doors and glass ports on all the staterooms on the berth deck. In several of the rooms the wash basins and plumbing were broken. I was standing in my open doorway with one foot on the threshold in such a manner that half of my foot protruded outside the line of the wall. When the first broadside was fired the concussion or rush of air passing my doorway, hit the part of my foot outside the door, feeling just exactly as if somebody had kicked it away or hit it with a baseball bat. Something went wrong with the six-inch gun mounted on the stern of the Wolf and a shell exploded a few yards away from the muzzle, putting the gun crew and gun out of commission for the balance of the voyage.

The prisoners who were confined directly below this gun said that the shock and concussion down below was dreadful during the firing, and that when the shell exploded they thought the Wolf had been hit. At this time they did not know but that the Wolf had met a cruiser and many thought they were about to be drowned, especially when suddenly all firing ceased; they thought that the Wolf had been vitally hit and that the Germans had scuttled her and were abandoning her. Many of these men will remember this experience for the balance of their lives.

By this time the Japanese captain had decided that he did not have a chance, and stopped his vessel, while the Wolf sent the prize crew on board. In the meantime the passengers and crew had managed to get clear in the life-boats, which were picked up. The people were taken on board the Wolf. There were some 70 odd passengers, 1st and 2nd class, among them 6 women and one little black girl. They were a sorry looking sight as they climbed on board the Wolf; many of them were only half dressed, being just awakened from their afternoon nap by the cannonading. Over a hundred of the Japanese crew came along with the passengers. The Wolf could not accommodate such a large addition of prisoners without making new quarters for them, so they had to live and sleep on deck for the first three days, when they were transferred back to the Hitachi. The Hitachi had altogether 16 killed or mortally wounded. The Wolf incidentally lost its fresh meat for supper, because one shell had wrecked the refrigerator plant and spoiled all the fowl and fresh meat.

One of the passengers on the Hitachi Maru, an American chap hailing from Chicago, told me his experience.

When the Wolf was first sighted he was in bed reading; someone told him that they were going to pass a steamer, and he got up and dressed and went on deck to watch her. There was speculation regarding her nationality among those watching although none of them imagined her anything but what she seemed—an ordinary tramp. When she dropped her ports and fired across their bow, everybody for a moment was dumbfounded.

He ran into the cabin giving the alarm to those sleeping and secured some valuable papers he had in his cabin. The Jap crew were in a panic after seeing their gun crew killed, and many of them rushed the boats. The first boat to be lowered was filled with members of the Japanese crew, only one second class passenger being among them. On landing in the water this boat was capsized; but the occupants were shortly picked up by a boat, also manned by Japs.

The first boat to be launched with passengers in it was handled entirely by the white passengers. In this boat were four women and twenty-eight men; on being lowered the davit fall on one end fouled; and it looked very much as if everybody were going to slide out, as the boat was nearly perpendicular. Fortunately for all concerned, the fouled davit fall broke, and the boat dropped into the water. A lot of water was shipped but the boat floated right side up. The men immediately pulled away from the vicinity of the vessel. It was the firm belief of the occupants of this boat that they were to be shelled later on by the Raider.