The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1915-08-25
GERMAN TELLS OF
4 SINKING GOLIATH
Gives Details Of a Mid
) x night Exploit.
SLIPPED THROUGH THE LINES
Of British Ships BY Careful
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Deadly Blow.
HAD A THRILLING EXPERIENCES

HAD A THRILLING EXPERlENCE
Constantinople, Aug. 20.--Capt.
Lieut.. Rudolph Firle. commander of
the Turkish torpedo boat Mauvenet-
I-Millet, which sent the British line
ship Goliath to the bottom of Morto
Bay off Sid-el-Bahr, in the Darda-
nelles, told his own story of his ex-
plot to the Associated Press cores
pendent, simplifying with some in
teresting details the earlier accounts.
Capt. Firle is a young man of 33
years, but looks no more than 20.
He is Rhinelander, slight in build.
and speaks English almost without
foreign accent. The topedo boat he
commanded was one of four vessels
of the same class which were trans
ferred from German to Turkish own
ership several years ago. Before her
change in ownership she was known
as the "S-165."
When asked to relate his expert
ence in sinking the Goliath, Capt.
Firle proceeded with this straight
forward matter-of-fact narrative:
"The British ships of the Darda-
Z nelles entrances were causing the
Turkish troops near Sid-el-Bahr
some trouble. 1t was decided that
something would have to be done to
remove a little of the one-sidedness
of the affair.
Shortly after midnight, May H.
10, the Mauvenet slipped through
the Turkish mine fields and ap-
preached the British fleet of war
ships and transports which was lying
in and south of Morto Bay.
"As we passed one of the last pro-
montories the British fleet, with ev-
cry portfolio Lit and protector play
ing, it gave all the impression of a
large city-let me say like Kiel on
Regatta Day.
THE British ships had ON that
day kept up the bombardment of the
Turkish positions until after II
o'clock at night. On the way down.
held council with my two Lieu
tenants as to the time o. night we
we're to make our attack. We
thought at first that the noise of the
bombardment which was then still
gong on, would aid us. Later We
decided to wait until the weary
crews had turned in, expecting that
after so strenuous a days work
they would be too tired to exercise
mere than perfunctory vigilance.
1T was proven shortly afterwards
that this theory was correct.
I'VE continued down the stream at
leisurely gait of from seven to
eight knots an hour / ordered this
because wanted to get as close to
the British as possible before they
would discover the presence of an
enemy's craft. Driving a torpedo
boats machinery at full tilt causes a
great deal of noise and what is
worse, blows too many sparks out Of
the tunnels.
ut was about 1890 midnight
when l saw ahead of me the outlines
of two British destroyers. They were
patrolling the strait l am sure that
they must have seen us. But our
low speed evidently fooled them.
They held to their course and let
the Mauvenet glide through between
them.
Beyond the destroyers We sight
ed eight torpedo boats. churning
through the Esenkoi Bay In pairs.
each two keeping in a sort of eche-
Ion position. / admit that things
began to look very interesting.
But the eight torpedo boats. like
the two destroyers. kept looking af-
ter their own 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 Nor
to Bay. the silhouettes Of two Brit
ish lineships came into view. / held
the Mauvenet for the bow of the
nearest. and kept this course until
We were close TO her. Naturally. I
expected TO have my boat detected
each instant and have a few shells