100 Years Ago Today

[Sailor Steve]

October 25:

South Atlantic: Captain Köhler of SMS Karlsruhe, realizing that his released captives will almost certainly give away his position, heads north. With Cradock heading for the Pacific and British forces searching for him south of the equator, Köhler feels he will be safe attacking shore bases in the Caribbean. He dispatches his supply ships Asuncion, Hoffnung (ex-Indrani) and Rio Negro to meet him at a later date, keeping only Farn as his collier.

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

1918.

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

1918

What's wrong with these numbers?

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I'm not making the cartoons or pictures date specific

Sorry Steve; I'm just following Jimbuna's lead here and only as to the narrowing of a particular vessel's identity....nuthin' more

[Sailor Steve]

I know. I'm just trying to keep the thread on track.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

What's wrong with these numbers?

I'm not making the cartoons or pictures date specific.

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...&postcount=357

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

Sorry Steve; I'm just following Jimbuna's lead here and only as to the narrowing of a particular vessel's identity....nuthin' more

Well don't, check the phrase above my sig, although in all honesty it was there before you joined the community so obviously not intended for you.

[Jimbuna]

26th October 1914

Western Front

Yser: German progress stopped: attack on Pervyse repulsed.

Heavy fighting round Ypres, La Bassee and Arras.

Naval and Overseas Operations

U-boat Warfare - First U-boat attack without warning. French liner Amiral Ganteaume carrying Belgian refugees mistaken for troopship and torpedoed by U-17 (whilst other sites such as www.uboat.net credits U-24) off Cape Gris-Nez, reached port.

On 26th October 1914 Kapitänleutnant Johannes Feldkirchener, commanding U-17, attacked the French ferry the Admiral Ganteaume without giving any warning. The ship was carrying over 2,000 Belgian refugees and 40 people died. Bulwell man Thomas McClune was aboard the SS Queen when it came to the aid of the stricken ferry. He left an account of his participation in the rescue of the survivors.

"I was sitting by the taffrail on the starboard side of the Queen, along with a few friends, when I saw a huge volume of smoke, and water rise around the Admiral Ganteaume, which at the moment would be about 360 yards ahead of us. The smoke and water rose to a height of 80 or 100 feet, and immediately it had subsided the Admiral Ganteaume hoisted her signal of distress. Then we heard our captain pipe, 'All hands on deck,' and we knew something serious had happened to the Ganteaume. Everyone at once said 'She has struck a mine'.

"Unable to get near enough on one side, Captain Carey, with superb seamanship, swung his boat right round.

"As the Queen made her way across the 'nose' of the Ganteaume the steward came to me and asked me if I were willing to help, as the Ganteaume had struck a mine. I replied, 'Yes,' and saw an attempt to lower the Queen's boats. The sea apparently was too heavy and Captain Carey drew his ship alongside the ill-fated vessel. As we did so, five Belgian soldiers dived from the Ganteaume. Four of them immediately sank and did not reappear. The other swam a short distance and then he sank.

"The Ganteaume lowered a boat full of people, but as soon as it touched the water it dived straight down and we saw no more of the occupants.

"The scenes on the French vessel were simply beyond description. Men and women were fighting; others climbing into the rigging and sliding down ropes into the water. As soon as we got close alongside her there was an immediate rush for the Queen. The sea was rather high, and the boats heaved to and fro and it was impossible to run a bridge across. The passengers from the Ganteaume had simply to jump from one boat to the other. Some of them missed their footing or failed to hold the taffrail and they either dropped into the water or were crushed between the boats.

"I took my stand with the steward and helped him to catch the babies as they were thrown from the Ganteaume. I had a terrible experience in this work. As the last child was thrown the boat heaved away, and I just touched the child's shawl. The little one fell short of the ship and was crushed between the two vessels as they came together again. A man who jumped from the other boat missed his foothold, and though he held the ropes his legs were crushed.

"The rescue work of Captain Carey and his crew was magnificent, and I do not think there would have been a life lost if there had been no panic.

"After the terrified people had all got on board they shrank in horror to the opposite side of our boat with the result that it began to list very seriously. Accordingly they were instructed to distribute themselves more evenly but before they could be induced to do so they had to be dragged apart. They clung to each other in an ecstacy of terror. Then came the most pitiful scene of all. Children had been separated from their parents, husbands from their wives, and our first care was to restore the children to their parents. I shall never forget the spectacle as we conducted the little ones round the boat and one by one they were identified.

"Nearly all the men, women and children had their faces and hands and clothes blackened by the flying soot from the Ganteaume. Nearly all were soaked with water. The scenes on arrival of the Queen at Folkestone were also indescribable. On all sides people shouted, 'Vive L'Angleterre!'.

"Food was quickly provided for them but no-one who passed through the awful tragedy will ever forget their terrible tragedy".
Kapitänleutnant Johannes Feldkirchener


Edea (Cameroons) occupied by French forces.

South Africa: Maritz driven into German territory.

Cameroons: Allies occupy Duala.

German forces begin an unprovoked invasion of Angola (Portuguese West Africa).

Political etc.

Count von Bernstorff, German ambassador to the U.S., states that an attack against Canada is not a violation of the Monroe Doctrine.

Ottoman Empire assures ambassadors of Britain, France, and Russia that it will remain neutral in the war.

General Sir .J. Wolfe Murray appointed Chief of the Imperial General Staff, Great Britain.


Ship Losses:

Buresk ( Kaiserliche Marine): The collier was scuttled in the Pacific Ocean off the Cocos Islands.
Manchester Commerce ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship struck a mine and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 20 nautical miles (37 km) off Malin Head, County Donegal with the loss of fourteen of her 44 crew. Survivors were rescued by the trawler City of London ( United Kingdom).
Vandyck ( United Kingdom): The cargo ship was sunk in the Atlantic Ocean 690 nautical miles (1,280 km) west by south of the St Paul Rocks, Brazil by SMS Karlsruhe ( Kaiserliche Marine).



In the Dardanelles, the allied fleet blows up a disabled ship that interfered with navigation.



UNCONQUERABLE

THE KAISER: "So, you see--you've lost everything."
THE KING OF THE BELGIANS: "Not my soul."

[Sailor Steve]

October 26:

Jim has already posted a fine report on the sinking of SS Amiral Ganteaume, including the controversy over which u-boat did the deed. According to Edwyn A. Gray's The U-Boat War, 1914-1918, it was U-24 under Rudolf Schneider. Gray cites Schneiders defense of his act, claiming he thought it was a troopship, "...but his subsequent career suggests that he neither knew nor cared"* I tend to accept this account, not because I like the book, but because Feldkirchner of U-17 seems to have been more civilized than that.

*Gray, page 67



Pacific Ocean: Von Spee's squadron arrives at Más Afuera, in the Juan Fernández Islands. The next few days will be spent coaling.
http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/show...0&postcount=64



Atlantic Ocean: SMS Karlsruhe captures SS Van Dyck, a 10,000-ton passenger ship bound from Buenos Aires to New York with a mixed cargo, including gold and silver bullion, mail and 1,000 tons of frozen meat, as well as 200 passengers. The passengers were put aboard the supply-ship Asuncion, and she was dispatched to Para, Brazil. The rest of the day is spent stripping the ship of supplies, and Captain Köhler decides to put off her sinking until the next day.



SMS Emden recoals at Nancowrie Island, part of the Nicobar chain. They find the harbor not only beautiful but well protected from storms. During the coaling operation SS Buresk is stripped of her name-plates, making her more difficult to recognize. She is then sent to a rendezvous point west of Sumatra, and, like Exford, told to wait until Emden shows up or her supplies run out, in which case she is to make for the nearest neutral port. Emden then sets a course for Penang at 12 knots.

Meanwhile, at Sabang, a group of islands off northern Sumatra, SS Glenturret sends a message to Penang requesting a boat to offload 20 tons of explosives when they arrive there on the 28th.

[Jimbuna]

27th October 1914

Western Front

Yser: Belgians, with French aid, maintain unbroken the front Nieuport-Dixmude.

Neuve Chapelle taken by the Germans.

Germans pushed back east of Nancy.

Eastern Front

Poland: Russian victory along the line Petrokov-Radom.

Naval and Overseas Operations

South Africa: Beyers defeated by Botha at Commissie Drift, near Rustenburg.

H.M.S. "Audacious" sunk by mine off the northern Irish Coast.

AUDACIOUS (above, sinking), dreadnought, King George V-class, 25,700t, 1912, 10-13.5in/16-4in/3-21in tt, 21kts, c900 crew, Pennant No.54, 2nd BS Grand Fleet, Capt Cecil Dampier. With most of Grand Fleet now in Lough Swilly, the eight dreadnoughts of 2nd BS sailed from Loch na Keal, Isle of Mull on the 26th for firing practice, rendezvousing at 0500 on 27th with light cruiser Liverpool, tugs Plover and Flying Condor, and towed targets 30 miles N by W of Tory Island (Rn/gf - 55.45N, 08.30W). Four hours later, steaming in line ahead, the squadron was just turning to port in fairly heavy seas, Audacious at number three. Explosion port side aft around 0900, 20 miles N¼E of Tory Island (dx - 18 miles N3ºE of Tory Is; gf - 55.34N, 08.30W), came to a stop with port engine-room flooded and centre engine-room partly flooded, not known if mined or torpedoed, rest of squadron steamed away and called for assistance. Damage comparatively light but progressive flooding made her increasingly difficult to manage as the weather worsened. Liverpool circled and the tugs closed in as she began to settle by the stern, then stopped going down and moved ahead slowly under own power. Around 1300, White Star liner Olympic arrived in response to the SOS and tried to take her in tow, but she was now badly down by stern, hard to manage in the seas and the towline parted. Fleet collier Thornhill tried and also failed. Until 1600 it was hoped she could be saved, but by the time battleship Exmouth arrived to tow her in, Audacious' stern was awash and the remaining crew taken off by 1915. At 2045 she capsized and floated upside down for 15min before an immense ammunition explosion sank her at 2100 (in believed loss position: ke/wi - 17 miles N¼E of Tory Island in 55.33.34N, 08.12.30W, although there may some discrepency between the explosion position and distance made before going down), mining confirmed by the sinking of SS Manchester Commerce the previous afternoon, field laid by Berlin on 22/23 October; no lives lost, remaining survivors rescued by Olympic using her lifeboats. Audacious was a major loss to Adm Jellicoe and the Grand Fleet. The Admiralty tried to hide her loss and withheld information from the British press, but a photograph taken by an American on board Olympic soon appeared around the world. Wreck lies capsized in general depth of 200ft.

Liverpool, light cruiser, Bristol-class, 1st LCS Grand Fleet, standing by. When Audacious finally blew up, debris landed on Liverpool's deck; one petty officer killed.

"Emden" captures Japanese ship "Kamasaka Maru". (Widespread, unfounded rumour).

Boer Generals Christian de Wet and Christian Frederick Beyers rises up in revolt against the British in South Africa.

Political, etc.

Portugal: Naval Reserves called up.

Gavrilo Princip and 22 others are found guilty for the killing of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Ship Losses:

HMS Audacious ( Royal Navy): The King George V-class battleship struck a mine and sank in the Atlantic Ocean 25 nautical miles (46 km) off Tory Island, County Donegal. All 900 crew were rescued by HMS Liverpool ( Royal Navy), Olympic ( United Kingdom and Thornhill ( United Kingdom).
ÖRNEN (Sweden): The steamer was mined and sunk in the North Sea whilst on a voyage Gothenburg - Groningen with a cargo of wood. 5 men and 1 woman lost.

British, Allied and Neutral ships lost to enemy submarines, mines and cruisers etc in the month - 36 ships of 92,000 tons gross (Lloyd's War Losses).

The USS Fulton (AS-1), an American submarine tender painted in Dazzle camouflage.



DOCTOR: "Your throat is in a very bad state. Have you ever tried gargling with salt water?"

SKIPPER: "Yus, I've been torpedoed six times."

[Sailor Steve]

October 27:

Pacific Ocean: Graf Spee's squadron is still anchored at Más Afuera when they are joined by SMS Prinz Eitel Friedrich. An ocean liner converted to Armed Merchant Cruiser, she has spent the last two months in Australian waters avoiding Admiral Patey's squadron and having no success at all. Spee doesn't have extra coal for the new ship, so he dispatches her to Valparaiso with SS Göttingen for more coal, with Nürnberg as escort.

At this same time Admiral Cradock, aboard HMS Good Hope, has rendezvoused with his other armoured cruiser Monmouth and light cruiser Glasgow at the Chonos Islands off the coast of Chile. The other two ships had been prowling the area looking for any signs of Spee and his squadron. He receives a message that Canopus has made it to Punta Arenas, in the Straight of Magellan. Cradock decides that the old battleship will never be able to keep up, so he sends a message to The Admiralty: "With reference to orders to search for enemy and our great desire for early success, consider it impracticable on account of Canopus's slow speed, to find and destroy enemy squadron. Consequently have ordered Defence to join me after calling at Montevideo for orders. Canopus will be employed convoying colliers. From experience of 6 August respectfully suggest not to oppose depredations of Karlsruhe. May they continue until he meets vessel of superior speed."

It is obvious from this that Cradock still has not been informed that HMS Defence is not coming to join him. He has also not been told that he is not expected to engage Spee unless convinced he has a superior force.

In London First Sea Lord Winston Churchill sends a copy of this message to First Lord of The Admiralty Prince Louis of Battenburg, along with a note of his own: "This telegram is very obscure and I do not understand what Cradock intends or wishes. The situation on the west coast seems safe. If Gneisenau and Scharnhorst have gone north they will meet Idzumo, Necastle, and Hizen, and will be forced south on Glasgow and Monmouth who have good speed and can draw them on to Good Hope and Canopus, who should keep within supporting distance."



Atlantic Ocean: The crew of SMS Karlsruhe finishes stripping SS Van Dyck of her provisions and the merchant is scuttled.



Indian Ocean: SMS Emden has increased her speed to 15 knots in order to reach Penang during the night. Shortly before noon Captain von Müller briefs his officers on his plans for the attack and drills them on expected action for every possible emergency. Meanwhile the men are busy clearing the ship for action. During the previous day's coaling all extra coal had been cleared from the ship's decks. The ship has been scrubbed clean. Extra ammunition is stacked alongside the guns. At 1700 hours the entire ship's company, except for necessary personel at each station, is called to the quarterdeck. Von Müller briefs his enlisted men on what he expects of them. He then instructs them that every man will have a bath and clean clothes before going into action the following day. At 2000 hours speed is increased to 17 knots. Until midnight the standard watch is set. After that the ship is on full war watch, with extra lookouts and guns manned by skeleton crews. The plan is to arrive off Penang at dawn.

[Jimbuna]

28th October 1914

Western Front

Yser: Germans retake Lombartzyde.

Neuve Chapelle retaken by the British.

Eastern Front

Poland: Russians recover Lodz.

Czernowitz (Bukovina) reoccupied by Russian forces.

Galicia: Austrians defeated at Sambor.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Belgian Coast
Falcon, destroyer, C-class, 420t, 1-12pdr/5-6pdr/2-18in tt, 6th DF Dover Patrol, Lt Hubert Wauton, on anti-submarine patrol with destroyer Syren off Westende in NE Channel. Came under heavy, accurate shore-fire from Westende battery at c1230, returned fire and stayed on station, at 1400 between Nieuport and Ostend hit by 8in shell on port forward 6pdr muzzle, ship completely out of action and brought into Dunkirk by Acting Sub-Lt du Boulay; captain and 7 ratings killed, 2 ratings DOW, gunner and about 12 more ratings wounded.

Venerable, battleship, London-class, 5th BS Channel Fleet, Brilliant, old cruiser, Apollo-class (expended at Zeebrugge in 1918), Wildfire, old composite sloop, Nymphe-class, Rinaldo, old sloop, Condor-class, together with gunboat Bustard and three monitors, bombarding targets between Westende and Lombartzyde. Serious damage only avoided by continual course alterations although Wildfire badly hit on the waterline and sent home for repairs. In the afternoon Venerable ran aground but was helped off on rising tide by Brilliant with no damage, Brilliant (Rn/dp - one man killed, several wounded) and Rinaldo (Rn - 8 wounded) hit; only confirmed life lost was 1 rating in Rinaldo on 29th.

German cruiser SS Emden raids Penang, British Malaysia, sinking a French destroyer and a Russian cruiser. 135 Allied sailors are killed.
French destroyer MOUSQUET shelled by gunfire of German cruiser EMDEN in Malay waters, off entrance to Penang harbour in Strait of Malacca (05.38 N, 100.25 E). On patrol off north entrance to Penang harbour during the Allied ocean-wide hunt for the German cruiser EMDEN. Among the ships at anchor was Russian cruiser ZHEMCHUG. As EMDEN totally surprised and sank her, MOUSQUET returned to the sound of gunfire and was herself destroyed by the EMDEN’s guns around 07.44hrs; many of her crew died including the CO, Lt Théroinne.

Royal Navy destroyer flotilla sank four German torpedo boats off the Texel.

German steamer MICHAEL JEBSEN scuttled at Tsingtao (Qingdao) with ELLEN RICKMERS and DORENDART.

Political, etc.

Great Britain: Resignation of Prince Louis of Battenberg from office of First Sea Lord.

Ship Losses:

Maria Christiana ( Netherlands): The lugger struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 40 nautical miles (74 km) north west of IJmuiden, North Holland with the loss of all ten crew.
Mousquet ( French Navy): Battle of Penang: The Arquebuse-class destroyer was shelled and sunk off the Straits Settlement by SMS Emden ( Kaiserliche Marine), which rescued 33 survivors.
Zhemchug ( Imperial Russian Navy): Battle of Penang: The Izumrud-class cruiser was torpedoed and sunk off the Straits Settlement by SMS Emden ( Kaiserliche Marine) with the loss of 89 of her 354 crew.

Sailors aboard the French cruiser Amiral Aube pose for a photograph at an anvil attached to the deck.



German propaganda cartoon stating the British were camouflaging military installations and even ships and dirigibles as churches so that the Germans would not fire on them.

[Jimbuna]

A survivor of the crushing Battle of Tsushima during the Russo-Japanese war in 1905, the Russian light cruiser Zhemchug remained in the Pacific Ocean to show the flag of the Tsar in the warm waters of that region. When World War One erupted in 1914 the 3,100-ton Zhemchug took part in early convoy operations in the Pacific. Her general enemy was the German Pacific squadron of Kaiser Wilhelm II and her particular nemesis was the 3,364- ton German light cruiser Emden. The Emden had separated from the Kaiser's pacific squadron and raided the warm waters far from the European battlefields for months, sinking more than a dozen merchant ships and attacking British colonies. The two ships were well matched on paper; both were relatively new fast ships of a modern design capable of the same speed. The Zhemchug was armed with 8x4.7 inch (120mm) naval guns versus the Emden’s comparable armament of 10x 4.1 inch (105mm) guns.
In her search for the Emden the Zhemchug was brought to the Malaccan Straits where she stalked the Nicobar and Andarman Islands to no avail. Coming up empty handed the Zhemchug put into the Malaysian port of Penang on October 26, 1914. Feeling his ship safe in an allied harbor her Captain, Baron Cherkassov, departed his ship for leave ashore. The good baron left his ship in a deplorable state considering the Emden was thought to be in the region. The ship had no officers on watch as well as no lookouts posted. She was docked to where only one of her guns were able to fire on the harbor entrance, where any enemy would come from, and all of her 120mm ammunition save for a dozen rounds, was locked up. The keys to the ships magazines had been taken ashore with her senior officers for safekeeping. Worse still a number of local prostitutes were taken aboard the ship, further downgrading her crew’s effectiveness.

In the predawn hours of October 28, 1914, another cruiser slowly entered the approaches to Penang. It flew the white ensign of the Royal Navy and had altered her appearance to look like the British cruiser HMS Yarmouth. The mysterious cruiser observed the Zhemchug lying at anchor with her lights on and no protective searchlights or torpedo boats around her. The mysterious cruiser in question was in fact the SMS Emden herself. The German cruiser, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Karl von Müller, quietly crept towards her sleeping target who had just days before been hunting for her. At 0515 and a range of just 400m she struck her British flag and ran up the Imperial German naval ensign while fired her torpedo tubes point blank into the Zhemchug. Working up steam the Emden sped past the stricken cruiser, turned sharply and re-engaged her. She raked the decks of the Russian cruiser at a range of just 700m as she passed with every gun capable of firing doing so. A second torpedo from the Emden finished the Zhemchug off, with the stricken ship settling in 30m of water. The unharmed Emden went onto sink a French destroyer also in the harbor and trade shots with the old French cruiser D'Iberville before making good her escape. The Emden, scourge of the Pacific would find itself sunk by the Australian cruiser Sydney less than a fortnight later.

The sinking of the Zhemchug was a traumatic experience for the Russian Pacific Squadron and virtually ended the Russian effort in that ocean during the war. Eighty-nine officers and men were killed and more than a hundred of the survivors were seriously wounded. These figures were very heavy indeed when you consider the Zhemchug complement was 354 men. Eighty-two of the bodies were recovered and interned in western road cemetery in Penang. The remaining crew was returned to Russia on the auxiliary cruiser Orel who had salvaged some of the Zhemchug 120mm guns in December 1914. Captain Baron Cherkassov as well as his second in command, Senior Lieutenant Kulibinu, was arrested on return to Russia. The two disgraced officers were court-martialed for negligence and summarily stripped of all their ranks and privileges as well as being given a 3 year and 18 month prison sentences respectively. Tsar Nicholas II also went so far as to decree that the Baron was to be sentenced to perpetual bachelorhood, it being forbidden for him to marry so that he could not perpetuate his disgraceful family name.

To this day passing Russian ships drop wreaths in the Malaccan Straits and the harbor of Penang to those men of the cruiser Zhemchug. Russians still gather at the monument to the fallen men of the Zhemchug in the western road cemetery at the end of October every year.

https://suite.io/christopher-eger/w9y27m

[Sailor Steve]

October 28:

Pacific Ocean: Graf Spee's squadron departs Más Afuera for the coast of Chile.

In London the Admiralty sends a telegram to Admiral Cradock: "Defence is to remain on east coast under orders of Stoddart. This will leave sufficient force on each side." So the admiral charged with facing Spee is finally told that he won't be getting the extra ship he was counting on. Unfortunately the message won't reach Cradock until November 1.



Atlantic Ocean: During the night lookouts aboard SMS Karlsruhe sight a ship travelling fully lit up. When the ship is stopped it turns out to be SS Royal Sceptre, an old freighter carrying a load of Brazilian coffee. The cargo is owned by a neutral country, so Captain Köhler decides to let her go.



Indian Ocean: Sometime after midnight the false fourth funnel is hoisted aboard SMS Emden. At 0200 hours lookouts sight the lighthouse at Penang. They also see a freighter hove to in the channel. The crew are awakened and fed a good breakfast. Speed is reduced to 11 knots, as the harbor channel is tricky. Leutnant Lauterbach has been there several times before, when he was a merchant captain, so he is piloting the ship.

The mystery freighter is SS Glenturret, who had notified Penang two days earlier that she would be arriving this day with a load of explosives. Glenturret is waiting on a pilot boat to guide them into the port. At 0430 they sight the pilot boat. The pilot boat passes close by Emden, apparently mistaking her for a British cruiser, and heads for the freighter.

At 0450 the ship is cleared for action. Both torpedo tubes are loaded on the chance that the French armored cruisers Dupleix and Montcalm might be in port. Emden is no match for even one of those ships, and it will be necessary to torpedo them immediately if she is to survive the encounter. When Emden enters the harbor itself they find many ships, but only one warship. This is Zhemchug, a Russian light cruiser about the equal of Emden.

At 0505 torpedo officer Lt. Witthoeft is told to prepare to fire. At 0518 the German Naval ensign is raised and the order given. The range is 380 yards. Witthoeft fires his torpedo, which hits Zhemchug well below the waterline. The stern of the target is seen to lift completely out of the water. At the same time Emden's 10cm guns open fire on the hapless Russian cruiser's forecastle area, the idea being to disable the crew before they can man their own guns. The forward area of Zhemchug is burning heavily, but the ship is still afloat. Emden is brought about and the port torpedo tube readied by Lt. Hohenzollern.

A few of Zhemchug's crew manage to open fire. The shells pass over Emden and hit a Japanese freighter anchored further out in the harbor. Emden's guns soon silence those of the Russian ship. At 0528 Witthoef fires the port torpedo from 700 yards. The target is struck under the bridge, and apparently detonates a magazine, for the ship is literally blown in half. Four minutes later the smoke clears, and all that can be seen of Zhemchug is her masts rising out of the water. Von Müller decides not to pick up survivors, as several boats can be seen rowing out to do exactly that.

At this point a small vessel comes into sight at the harbor entrance. Thinking it might be a torpedo boat, von Müller orders full speed toward the new ship. At a range of 6,000 yard Emden fires a salvo, then ceases when it is recognized as an unarmed patrol boat. One shell did hit the Sea Gull's funnel, but no one was harmed. Von Müller had planned on attacking the French destroyer Fronde, the gunboat D'Iberville and as many merchants as they could sink, but now Emden is headed toward the harbor entrance so he decides to continue outward.

As the cruiser is traversing the channel leading to the sea, KptLt. von Mücke calls the crew to the fantail and gives a description of the action for the men whose stations were below decks. The gun crews are cleaning their guns. At 0700 a ship is sighted ahead. The ship is again prepared for action. On approaching the new ship it can be seen that she is a freighter, flying the yellow flag which indicates she is carrying explosives. Emden orders Glenturret to stop and Lt. Lauterbach takes a boarding party across. Now another vessel comes into sight, and is clearly seen to be a warship. Lauterbach is recalled, but before departing he asks the captain of Glenturret to convey his apologies to the port officials for firing on Sea Gull and for not helping pick up survivors from Zhemchug.

The new ship can be seen to be a French destroyer, and fire is opened at 4,700 yards. Emden's first two salvoes miss, but realizing her danger Mousquet turns directly into the third. Two shells strike the fleeing destroyer, one of them in the boiler room. The ship is enveloped in a cloud of steam. Mousquet fires a torpedo at Emden, which misses, and her guns open fire as well. They also miss, and after twelve salvoes from Emden the French ship is a floating wreck. The crew seem unwilling to surrender, so Emden opens fire again. After ten more salvoes Mousquet sinks bow first Apparently she hit bottom, and for awhile the stern is standing high above the water. Finally she settls and disappears. Emden's boats are able to pick up a lieutenant and thirty-six sailors. Hohenzoller gives a vivid account of the ship's doctors trying to treat the wounded. Two of them have lost a leg and one man is slowly dying, wounded in the stomach with his intestines exposed.

The unwounded French captives, upon being treated well, tell their story. They had seen Emden entering the harbor, but the false funnel had done its job and they had thought the cruiser was English. The had no idea what was going on until they heard a torpedo explode. They had rushed into the channel to find out what had happened. The fourth funnel had worked again and they approached Emden, still mistaking her for a British ship. Their first hint at their mistake came when Emden opened fire. Some of the crew did everything possible to fight back, but when some men were blown overboard some others thought they had jumped deliberately, and followed suit. Mousquet's captain lost both his legs to shrapnel, and ordered his men to lash him to the bridge railing, so he could go down with his ship.

The French lieutenant was severely wounded in the foot, and this has to be amputated. His spirits are raised when he is told how many of his ship's crew were saved, and he fills Emden's officers in on events that have transpired in the rest of the world. They only now find out about the loss of Markomannia.

Then a new ship appears. This is the French destroyer Pistolet, sister to Fronde and Mosquet. Her captain wisely uses his superior speed to stay out of range of Emden's guns, and starts to shadow the German cruiser. Emden runs away at 22 knots. Later in the morning they pick up an open wireless message: "Emden at Penang!" At 1030 messages start coming in from warships in the region, saying they have recieved the distress call and are converging on the areal. A message sent by Pistolet tells how Emden "assassinated" her sister ship. The destroyer continues to follow the cruiser, constantly relaying her position. Emden finally loses Pistolet in a rain squall, then changes her course.

At 1600 hours Emden again changes course, heading for the Nicobar Islands. At 1800 the islands come into sight. At this point some worry arises on the part of the French prisoners that they are to be marooned there. The crew reassure them that this is not going to happen. At 2000 the port engine starts running hot and has to be shut down. Emden has had a busy and productive day. The only regret is that they were unable to sink all the merchants in the harbor.

The attack has serious repercussions for the Allies. It turns out that Zhemchug had been patrolling the area, looking for Emden. When they told the British they needed to put into harbor for repairs, they were advised to anchor broadside to the harbor entrance, and keep their guns armed and manned. They had done none of these things. The captain was not aboard his ship, apparently spending the night with a woman he had met (some sources say she was his wife). There were only twelve rounds of ammunition at the guns, which were not manned. There is also a story that among Zhemsug's casualties were sixty Chinese prostitutes. Zhemsug's captain, Baron Cherkassov, and first officer Lieutenant Kulibin were later court-martialed. They were both convicted and reduced to the rank of common seaman. The baron was sentenced to three years in prison and Kulibin eighteen months.

In Australia the Anzac troop convoy, which had originally planned to depart on September 22 is held up for the third time. The first had been over worries about Emden and the second when Graf Spee's squadron had been sighted at Samoa. Now they are delayed yet again.

[Jimbuna]

29th October 1914

Western Front

Yser: Germans take Ramscapelle. The Belgians open the sluices of the canal.

Heavy fighting round Festubert (La Bassee).

Battle of Gheluvelt (Ypres) begins.

At the Battle of Ypres, Gefreiter Adolf Hitler rescues a man under fire, which will earn him an Iron Cross, 2nd Class.

Asiatic and Egyptian Theatres

Egypt: Beduin tribes raid the frontier.

Naval and Overseas Operations

Turkish fleet attacks Odessa, Novorossisk, and Theodosia, and sinks Russian destroyer, etc. The Russian ports of Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, and Feodosia are also raided by Ottoman ships.

Political, etc.

Great Britain: Lord Fisher appointed First Sea Lord.


Turkey enters the war on the German side. Ottoman Empire has 300,000 regular troops and 400,000 irregulars. Navy is largely outdated, except for 2 recently secured German cruisers.

Ship Losses:

Donetz ( Imperial Russian Navy): The gunboat was sunk at Odessa by Ottoman Navy gunboats.
Kazbek ( Russia): The cargo ship struck two mines and sank in the Black Sea off the Takil Lighthouse with some loss of life.
Kubanetz ( Imperial Russian Navy): The gunboat was sunk at Odessa by Ottoman Navy gunboats.
Our Tom ( United Kingdom): The trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 25 nautical miles (46 km) south east of the mouth of the River Tyne with the loss of two of her crew.
Rosella ( United Kingdom): The trawler struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 45 nautical miles (83 km) south east of Southwold, Suffolk with the loss of three of her crew.
Yalta ( Russia): The passenger ship struck a mine and sank in the Black Sea off the Takil Lighthouse.
BLANKA (Sweden): Steamer on voyage Umeå - Hull with a cargo of wood, grounded and wrecked at Rattray Head on the Scottish east coast.



German propaganda cartoon from the periodical Simplicissimus, Munich portrays the British Lion (traditional symbol of Britain) as infested with Japanese fleas. The message it conveys is that the British are being influenced towards war by the Japanese diplomatic maneuvers.

[Sailor Steve]

October 29:

"I can proudly say our regiment fought like heroes. I was made lance-corporal and was saved by a near miracle."
- Adolf Hitler, letter to his landlord (see Jim's post above)



Black Sea: Battlecruiser Yavuz Sultan Selim (ex-Goeben) and light cruiser Midilli (ex-Breslau) bombard the seaports of Odessa, Sevastapol and Theodosia. The attack is coordinated by Admiral Wilhelm Souchon. The German crews are wearing Ottoman uniforms, including fezes. The ships are flying the Turkish flag, and apparently Souchon's plan is to force Turkey to join the war on the side of the Germans. Souchon writes his wife "I have thrown the Turks into a powder keg."



Pacific Ocean: SMS Prinz Eitel Friedrich, Göttingen and Nürnberg arrive at Valparaiso. The armed merchant cruiser and the collier enter the harbor for information and to purchase coal. Nürnberg remains on patrol outside the harbor.

At this time Cradock's squadron is approaching Chiloé Island just a few hundred miles to the south. Cradock sends Glasgow to Coronel to check for messages from the Admiralty, and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto is sent to Puerto Montt for information on Spee's location.

Another few hundred miles south of them is Canopus, making her slow way with the squadron's supply ships.



Indian Ocean: Two of the more seriously wounded of Mousquet's crew have died during the night. At 0800 hours Captain von Müller has his men fall in wearing dress uniforms. He makes a speech honoring the fallen Frenchmen as heroes, and they are buried at sea with full military honors, including a rifle salute led by Lt. Schall. The rest of the day is spent preparing the ship for the possibility of another warship encounter. During the night a third wounded French sailor dies.

[Jimbuna]

30th October 1914

Western Front

German troops launch its final attack in the Battle of Yser against Belgian and French troops.

Yser: Germans forced by floods to retreat.

Ypres closely pressed by the Germans.

Germans press back French along the Aisne.

Eastern Front

Poland: Russians defeat Germans at Bakalaryevo.

Stanislau (Galicia) taken by Russian forces.

Serbian forces begin retreat from the line of the Drina.

Naval and Overseas Operations

British hospital ship "Rohilla" wrecked off Whitby.

ROHILLA, Admiralty hospital ship, ex-passenger liner, 7,891/1906, British India Steam Navigation Co, Glasgow-reg, hired 6/8/14, total of 229 on board including 100 medical staff, a Catholic priest and an injured naval gunner from Scapa Flow, Mr Neilson in command, sailed Leith Docks 29th for Dunkirk to pick up wounded troops from Western Front, severe SE gale with heavy seas. Possibly struck the Whitby Rock (wi - also possibly mined, although this appears unlikely at this stage in the war), at 0410 driven on to the The Scar rocks 600yd offshore, S of Whitby (wi - in 54.29.21N, 00.35.42W), broke her back; Whitby, Redcar and Upgang lifeboats launched in appalling conditions and saved some of those onboard, Tynemouth lifeboat Henry Vernon rescued over 50 after pouring oil on the water. Ninety lives lost - 62 crew and 28 naval medical staff, but 138 were rescued (wd - 86 lost, 143 saved including the Master and all nurses). Wreck remains lay in depths of 20-50ft. Sister hospital ship Rewa was torpedoed in 1918.

Belgian Coast

Vestal, old sloop, Condor-class, 980t, 6-4in/4-3pdr, taking part in bombardment of Westende area. Hit on forecastle about 1100 by same 8in battery that hit Falcon, possibly disabled; 1 rating killed.

"Konigsberg" discovered hiding in Rufiji River delta (East Africa) by HMS Chatham. (Possibly 31st).

Naval skirmishes continue off the coast of Russia following the Ottoman Empire’s attack on Russian ports yesterday.

South Africa: Rebels routed at Schuit Drift.

Aviation

Eight zeppelins are reportedly sighted heading to Belgium, where zeppelin sheds are being constructed.

Political, etc.

A £2.4 billion bill is proposed by Prime Minister Asquith in order to fund the war.

Great Britain: Trial of the German spy Karl Lody begins.

Great Britain and France sever diplomatic relations with Turkey. British and French Ambassadors demand passports.

Italian Cabinet resign. New Cabinet formed. Signor Salandra remains Premier.

Ship Losses:

HMHS Rohilla ( United Kingdom): The hospital ship struck Whitby Rock, off Saltwick, Yorkshire and sank with the loss of 85 of the 229 people on board. Survivors were rescued by Bradford, Henry Vernon, John Fielden, Queensbury, Robert and Mary Ellis and William Riley of Birmingham and Leamington (all RNLI FLAG.png Royal National Lifeboat Institution).



German propaganda cartoon from the periodical Simplicissimus showing a lone German knight standing firm against monster-headed waves. The image portrays the resolve of the Germans to defend their stronghold in China. It was published before the fall of Tsingtao.