page_title: SS Libau
section_title: Smuggling operation
hierarchical_section_title: SS Libau / Smuggling operation
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Ungefähre Route der Libau (ex Castro, auch "Aud") von Deutschland nach Irland, 1916 (Wilhelmshaven–Kaiser-Wilhelm-Kanal–Lübeck/Warnemünde–Göteborg–Bremanger–Polarkreis–Rockall–Tralee-Bucht–Queenstown)English: Approximate route of ship Libau (ex Castro, also "Aud") from Germany to Ireland, 1916 (Wilhelmshaven–Kiel Canal–Lübeck/Warnemünde–Gothenburg–Bremanger–Polar circle–Rockall–Tralee Bay–Queenstown)
context_page_description: Libau was a merchant steam ship. In 1916 it masqueraded under the cover name of Aud in an attempt to carry arms from Germany to Ireland as part of the preparation for the Easter Rising.
context_section_description: Masquerading as SS Aud — an existing Norwegian vessel of similar appearance — Libau set sail from the Baltic port of Lübeck on 9 April 1916, under the command of Karl Spindler, bound for the south-west coast of Ireland. Under Spindler was a crew of 22 men, all of whom were volunteers. Libau, laden with an estimated 20,000 rifles, 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 10 machine guns, and explosives (under a camouflage of a timber cargo), evaded patrols of both the British 10th Cruiser Squadron and local auxiliary patrols.
  After surviving violent storms off Rockall, Libau arrived in Tralee Bay on Holy Thursday, 20 April. There they were due to meet with Roger Casement, who had negotiated the arms transfer, but as they had no radio on board the ship, they were unaware that the Kerry volunteers had been told to meet the ship on Easter Sunday off Fenit pier.
  On Good Friday, 21 April, the Libau was approached by three British destroyers and attempted to leave the area, but was cornered. Captain Spindler allowed himself to be escorted towards Cork Harbour, in the company of the Acacia-class sloop HMS Bluebell. The German crew then scuttled the ship to keep the weapons from falling into British hands.
  Spindler and crew were interned for the duration of the war.
  Although Casement had been landed by the submarine U-19 in Banna Strand that Friday, he was captured and arrested, without ever meeting the Libau. Four months later he was tried and hanged as a traitor by the British government.'
  One of the two car-loads of volunteers who were supposed to meet Spindler had crashed into the River Laune, many miles away, at Ballykissane pier, Killorglin (resulting in the death of three of the four occupants of the car).  So there had been no possibility of an organised transfer of arms.
caption: Approximate route in April 1916, via the Kiel Canal, the Arctic Circle and Rockall.
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