Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-07-11
CHAPTER TX
The Battle of the Falkland
Islands

Islands
Through an oily sea we sailed south
and west toward the Falkland islands.
Many time had passed this wa,
IN the old days when bound for Cape
Horn. These Islands OF the South At
lantic have long been the base for
whaling schooners. But to every Ger
mnn the Falklands Will be forever
memorable as the scene OF one sided
naval engagement In which one OF our
best beloved admlras WIS over
whelmed by British feet.
Hnd you seen our deck as we sailed
south during these days, you might
have wondered what we were about
Along with other plumber, we had loot
ed captured ships OF several great
sheets Of iron We had ripped them
from iron wills and roofs OF fore
castles and slowed them on our deck
Now the mechanics of the Seeadlers
motor crew got busy with. acetylene
torches, and from those sheets of met
al they welded great iron cross, ten
feet high.
We drew near spot OIL that lonely
ocean just d bit tn the east OF tile
Falkland islands My navigation otii.
Ger and figured out the point care
fully On our chart, and when our In
struments told us we were there, |
cuffed Hff hands on deck. Somewhere
fur below on the floor OF the ocean
were the bodies of hundreds OF our
comrades and the battered hulks OF
once proud German fleet. II was In
these waters that our gallant Pacific
squadron under Count Won Spec sank
In three thousand fathoms For here
Il was that our light cruisers, the
Scharnhnrst Gneisenau.. Nuremburg
and I.eipsic. with odds against them
fought II out With a more powerful
British squadron.
With tlng nt half-mast. we stood at
solemn attention. The sky was gray
and melancholy. The sen rolled with
a gentle swell. In our minds eye W.
could picture that disastrous day
when. outranged by the guns OF the
great British warships. our cruisers
two large and three small, had fought
q losing and hopeless fight One, q
scout cruiser, escaped The others
went down. Pounded from the dis
lance, they trembled under the blows
of the shells TINT rnined down upon
them. Exploding prnjectiles raked the
decks and pierced the hulls Of the Ill
fated vessels AS II In last strug
gle. trying to keep afloai for one more
shot at the enemy. they staggered
iurched and then. one after the other
plunged into the depths, entering part
on their hnal voyage far below on the
ocean floor, eighteen thousand feet be
meath the surface. Every man aboard
three of the ships was lost. high
sen happened To be running al the
time. so the viciors had little chance
to rescue The men from the dnnmed
ships. Two hundred and fifty mem
bers of the crew of the Gneisenan
were picked up and got to the Fnlk.
lan1s alive.
As II in dream, | thought Of fhe
IGar time | saw my friend Count won
Spee. II was in the days before the
world went mad. The navy yard nj
Hel was In gala mood. Every war.
ship In the harbor had sent three hun
dred men. They stood at rigid ntten.
tion while Won Spec and his staff
strobe by. Then he addressed them
by order OF the emperor. am 10
take command of our cruisers In Chi
nese waters My officers and men sail
with me tomorrow
The sailors all give three cheers
They think the admiral and his men
are merely going for pleasant vacn
ton to the Orient. II Is In 1913. No
war is In sight. YET a darker note
intrudes: Even then military and ma
val men were unable 10 escape the
thought OF war:
I'VE are leaving home and country
for two years. We who part from
you tomorrow Will do our duty know
Ing that every nan at home Will do
Ills. If war should come, we will be-
across he world and you will be here
We will be too far away TO lend n
hand to you, and there is little that
you will be able to do for US.
"Ours is young navy, but we have
had great teacher. When England
built her mighty fleet, she taught us
how to build ours. The English have
great naval traditions. and both their
fleet and traditions have been our
model. II war should come before we
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