Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-08
TURKISH CAPTAIN TELLS
OF HIS DARING EXPLOIT
Commander OF Boat Which Sent
British Ship Goliath to Bottom
Gives Details.
ONLY THIRTY-THREEY YEARS OLD
Slight In Build, and Speaks English
Almost Without Foreign Accent.
In straightforward, Matter,of-Fact
Way Narrates Adventure.

tain-Lieu,enant Rudolph Firle. COM
mender OF tho Turkish torpedo boat
N""'ene'-i-Miilet, which sent the
British l'neship Goliath to the bottom
OF Morto Bay off Sid -Bahr, In the
bdidanelles. has told his own full
story OF his exploit to the Associated
iress correspondent, amplifying with
come Interesting details the earlier
accounts.
Captain Firle Is a young man Of
three years. but looks no more
'har t"cnty-s!X. He Is n Rhinclander
ehEht IN build. and speaks English al
most without foreign accent. The tor
pedo-boat he commanded was ono of
iour vessels OF the same class which
We're transferred from German to
turkish ownership Heveral years ago
be'ore her change in ownership she
was known the "S-ls5.'
when asked to relate his expert
ence in sinking the Goliath, Captain
Erie proceeded with this straight
forward. matter-of-fact narrative:
The British ships Off the Darda
nelles entrances were causing the
Turkish troops near Sid Bahr some
trouble, - was decided that some
thlns would have TO be done TO re-
move little OF the onesidcdne.g of
the affair
Shortly after midnight. Nav 1918.
The Muarenet slipped through the
Turkish mine fields and approached the
BRUSH heet OF warshps and trans
ports which was lying In and south of
Morto Bay
AS we passed one OF the last pro-
mohtories. the British feet, with every
portfolio lit and protector PLAYING.
gave al! the impression Of large
ei'N-let me say like Kiel on Regatta
Dav
Tho British ships had on tina, day
Kept up the bombardment OF the Turk-
Zen positions until after II o'clock at
night On the way down held a
council with my two lieutcnants as 10
.no ume or night We were TO make
our attack. We thought AT frat that
The noise ot the bombardment, which
was SIN going on. would aid us Later
we decided 10 wait until the weary
crews had turned !n expecting that
auer SO strenuous days work they
would be too tired TO exercise more
'han pertunctory vigilance
IL was proven shortly afterwards
lhht this theory was correct
we continued down the strait at
leisurely gait OF from seven TO eight
knots an hour. ! ordered this because
wanted 10 get as close 10 the British
as possible before they would discover
the presence OF an enemys craft
Driving torpedo boats machinery al
ful! TIT causes great deal OF noise.
and. what IS worse. blows too many
sparks out OF the tunnels.
BRITISH BOATS MIsLED
ny HIS SLOW SPEED
II was about 1870 o'clock when
L saw ahead Of nle tho outlines OF
two British destroyers. They were
ratroll!ng the strait. am sure that
they must have seen US. But our low
speed, evidently. fooled them. They
held to their course. and let tho
them.
Beyond tho destroyers we sighted
eight torpcdo-boats, churning through
the Esenkoi Bay in pairs. each two
keeping In sort OF echelon position
! admit that things began TO look
very interesting.
But the eight torpedo boats, like
the two destroyers, kept looking after
their business. whatever that may have
been. SO on we went at the same
speed
Just as we rounded the northern
promontory which helps to form Morto
Bay, the silhouettes Of two British line
ships came into view. / held the Mu-
avenct for the bow OF the nearest and
kept this course until we were close TO
her Naturally, expected 10 have my
boat detected each instant and have a
few shells come her way. Nothing OF
the sort occurred. however.
TO have n torpedo strike surely IL is
necessary TO have its course run as
closely at q right angle to the side OF
the target as possible. This obliged me
to steer 10 port in a slight curve, be-
cause had decided TO torpedo the Brit
ish l!neship on her starboard side,
which was nearest to the open water
through which the Muavenet would
have to escape.
Tho Muavenet was discovered Just
as her broadside became visible to the
lookouts on the British lineships. A
night signal flash began to work. It's
long and short blinking spelled out
what ordinarily is the Morse letter o.
II wasn't quite prepared to give an
intelligent answer to that, but felt that
the inquring was for me. I got to
work with my own night lantern and
also spelled o., taking it for granted
that repetition of the signal on my
part would at least delay some other
action or prevent for n few moments
the making Of another inquiry.
The ruse succeeded. After "a few
seconds delay the signal man on the
Goliath again flashed o. / replied
with the same number of dots and
dashes and having now come within
$50 10 400 yards of the British vessel,
amidships. made up my mind to fire the
three torpedo tubes.
Tho third 90 OF the Goliath's signal
man camc more speedily than tho pre-
ceding two. / lanced one torpedo, then
Nos. and S-ten seconds apart.
THE first torpedo hit the Goliath we'll
forward. / saw a binding flash and a
cloud Of smoke. Before the second tor
pedo struck-near the forward mast
the vessel had already .isred to star
board.
by the second torpedo an explosion
in the interior OF the Goliath was
caused. Before the third torpedo hit
the vessel was a s good Is totally lost
I'VE started on our return trip with
little better speed. but kept the fires
down, because I didn't want to have the
sharks from the tunnels show where we