The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-11-20
MUTINEERSPUT
SHIP FIRES OUT
T0AVOID FIGHT
German Marine Tells How
Comrades Refused to Face
British Fleet.
NO GLORY IN SACRIFICE
High Officers Wanted to Go
Down With COlors Flying
but Crews Baked.
NO GLORY IN SACRIFICE
Special Gable Despdtch TO THE sUN from Me
london Ti,nes Serpice

Special Gable Despdtcn TO THE suN from Me
London Times Service
Copyright. 1918; all rights ,eserred.
LONDON. Nov. ia despatch from
The Hague says the Beroi=che Arbciter-
stimmc publishes letter from n ma
rlne containing interesting disclosures
Of recent events in the German navy,
The letter is addressed TO the father OF
the marine and after saying "It is to
be hoped this letter does not get into
wrong handss continues:
"Great things have happened in the
imperial navy. Crews of all line ships
and armed cruisers are mutinying.
I'VE as our fiotilla has been for
some time in the North Sea, have been
in touch several times with the British
and observed various signs that some-
thing was going forward. AS we wanted
to put in for a few days we saw the
whole German feet. including all the big
ships and torpedo boats at anchor. We
amazed. but no one knew anything
definite
Suddenly II was said the fleet COM
mander wished to maneuvre in the Ger
man blight. Naturally no one was de-
ceived by such an obvious absurdity.
but imagine the stupidity of undertake
ing great naval maneuvres in the mid
die OF a crisis. The first order to be
ready for sea fixed Wednesday night.
and II suddenly was changed TO Thurs
day. We. lying at a littles distance.
heard whispering Of the mutiny but did
not believe il.
Mutineers Drown Fires.
AT o'clock We went alongside the
Oetriesland, where was the chief Of the
first squadron. who then came aboard.
We did not know what to make Of the
whole business until the comma nder Of
our half OF the fiotilla caused the whole
crew to be summoned on deck and
delivered a speech shall never forget
In the whole course OF my life. ~
Something deplorable had happened.
Crews of various ships In all sauadrons
had refused obedience. When the 1eet
should have put out the men had APP
piled fire extinguishing apparatus so the
fires were extinguishcd in all the boilers.
''They had done the same on every
order to make ready for sea and con-
@eIuently had prevented the feet from
putting out Asked for the reason, they
answered they would disobey no other
order, but would under no circumstances
put to sea. They would not participate
n the German fleets battle OF despera-
tor.
Planned 10 Die Fighting.
Those In higher quarters said among
themselves. Let us rather than sur
render the fleet stake everything on
one card Let us blow everything to
smithereens rather than surrender our
fine fleet to the British AS the com
mander OF the Thueringer said. We
will fire our last 1000 rounds and will
go down with Gying colors.'
The soldiers then said to him that
he would go out alone. Now the bust
up started. In the first squadron ii was
the worst, on the Thuer!nger and Heligo-
land The mutineers had barricaded
themselves in the forepart OF the ship
on the Heligoand they took possession
of three guns. Our fotIlla commander
told us that when so ordered by the
commander OF the torpedo boat we must
train our guns on our own comrades
I'VE got our machine guns and tor
pedoes ready and proceeded to a point
200 yards from the Thueringer Mean
while a steamship with ESQ marine In
fantry arrived to remove tine insurgents.
should they refuse to go aboard the
B-97 must intervene with its guns.
III you knew how ] felt when we
aimed our guns at our comrades. what
an impotent rage ! had But what we're
we to do? II all came so suddenly we
had no understanding with the other
boats. But we still continued hoping
the matter would end satisfactorily.
ultimately. after an hour the in
surgents abandoned their cause and dis
played the red cross flag. They then
quietly allowed coo men TO he brought
aboard.
"A weight fell from cur hearts We
were within a hairs breadth OF destruc-
ton, for even II We never fired on our
comrades we had trained on us three
fifteen centmeter guns If only one shot
had been fired from our guns there
would not have been splinter left os
the B-97. I shall never in my life forget
October 81. II was a thousand times
more terrible than at Oesel and in the
Channel.
"On the Heligoland and some other
No..