Evening star., 1915-06-13
STORY Of THE DASH
. Of TWO WARSH|PS
Sensational Flight of the Ger
man Cruisers Goeben
and BresIau.
SMALL SUPPLY OF FUEL
. ADDS TO DIFFICULTIES
Vessels Finally Reach the Darda-
nelles and Are Sold to the
Turkish Government.

.Constantinople. and of some of theil
subsequent activities in the Black sea
is vividly told in the following lettel
from one of the crew. which has beer
received in Washington:
"KONSTANTINOPEL,
November 81. 1914.
..On Board S NJ. S. Goeben.
..On August 2 we received in Messlna
the declaration of war to Russia. The
same night. with the cruiser Breslau'
we left Messina for Phillippeville, with
all lights covered. and broke through
the French troop transport pase
Biserte-Toulon. during the night OF
August 3, and appeared at O'CLOCK
am. of August 4 before Phillippeville
The cruiser Breslau had separated IRON
us during the night and was ordered
to lombard Bone.
Flying the Russian flag, we steamed
into the harbor and opened fire, after
hosting the German naval ensign, and
DESTROYED the harbor. Private houses
were not shelled.
when the two forts replied to our
fire with shrapnels and howitzers we
left under full steam the enemy's har-
Dor, always under heavy fire from the
forts. But the Frenchmen were bad
marksmen.
Belgian Steamer Halted.
Out of range of the forts artillery
We stopped a Belgian steamer Then
we met again the cruiser Breslau,
which came from Bone. Soon thereafter
we sighted a battleship squadron.
Clear for action, we went ahead toward
1t, but recognized the ships as being
English. England had not yet declared
war The squadron passed and closed
up behind us. 1t consisted of the battle
cruisers Indefatigable. Infiexible and
the cruisers Weymouth and Gloucester.
"On inquiry by our admiral what
they wanted we received the reply:
Threatening war conditions between
England and GERMANY That meant
for us to get away. The superiority
was too great. With superhuman ef-
forts we accomplished 1t.
For fully twenty-four hours with
all bands. all officers and non com
missfoned ofricers: we worked before
no difference. Our coal supply was
rapidly decreasing. and we had to
search the corners for coal and get 1t
out with our hands. During the after
thirty miles an hour, feat which re-
mains as singular. thought that every
minute our ship would blow up in
pieces, The snG was ,hronT ana tna
water, the forepart partly submerged.
and in the evening the English were
out of sight. Eleven hundred lives and
100000 marks were at stake the
price Of the Goeben)-
England Declares War.
During the night we received by
xx-5rn he nj w
England For this the English squad
ron had waited. Half an hour later.
standing at the guns. naked and black
repulsed an attack Of six torpedo boats.
In the morning at o'clock we reached
Messina.
ITALY was neutral. and We had to
leave the harbor within twenty-four
hours. first taking on coal-as much as
possible. Outside Of the harbor the
French ships had concentrated in
order 10 capture the Goeben and Breslau.
Breslau-'
We received from the emperor the
following telegram: I am convinced
that Goeben and Breslau will break
through And we did. In the last mo-
ment We threw every superfuous thing
overheard, and with unshaken conf
dence in God. August s. at pm. left
the harbor.
Our escape from the hostile forces
followed. Thirteen great battleships
and ten torpedoboats were lying in
wait for our two cruisers This was the
world-famous break through at Mes
sina.
In Messina everybody believed us
doomed. and we were really lost to all
the world for three days. During this
time appeared all kinds of rumors
cording to French and English news
we had been sunk four times. What
really happened during this time I will
tell at some other time; 1t would take
too much space here. But it was a
chase of life and death, of which the
which withdrew to Port Said and Alex
andria. badly damaged and crippled
can tell tale of how German gunners
shoot.
Arrive at Denuia.
Sunday. sth of August we reached
Dennia Zone of the many small islands),
not dying any flag or showing any
name.
We could not get out of the Medi
feTanean. Our communication with
the Austrian feet was blocked by the
English and French. II we stayed more
than twenty-four hours in neutral
port we would be disarmed: So .wha,
the battle Of life and death against
tremendous odds.
At last. however. a solution pre-
eented itself Turkey bought the Goe-
ben and Breslau. 50 at any rate they
were lost for Germany. And SO, on the
10Th of August. at ) pm, we steamed
INTO the Dardanelles. Two hours later
at pm. the English with Ave battle
ships and torpedoboats lay before the
Dardanelles and demanded the surren-
der Of our two ships Both were denied
by Turkey. We breathed more easily
for we could not have held out another
week Next to God. We have to thank
Goeben that We are alive. However
many Of our crew have since lost their
lives.
We were granted two weeks leave.
The English admiral Of the Mediter
ranean feet was recalled 70 England
TO appear before a court rtial be
cause he le, the Goeben and Bre.Ia II
escape Then began our new actiyi
" in the Turkish navy.
was detailed with machinjst and
German offacer Baron Won Fiske) 70
the Turkish torpedo boat Numme-u
Harie and the Turkish navy was de.
Neloped according to German ideas.
Vessels Under New Names.
'Goehen is now called Tavin sultan
'5elim, and Breslau. Midilli.
During the time lay with my boa,
often in Constantinople and went fire.
quently ashore. Ny hat is a red fez
such as the Turks wear. You should
have read the lying kilograms tha,
were circulated here, for in CONSTANT.
nople half of the inhabitants are for.
eigners.
Amongst other reports there wa,
posted at the French embassy the fol
lowing: The German crown prince
tai nrja IL