Count Von Luckner

Returns To The Pacific

Arrival at Tahiti Recalls Wartime Exploits of "See Adler" and Her Crew

From Our Own Correspondent

Papeete, Nov. 16.

'T'HE Count and Countess Von Buckner '*■ arrived on board their yacht See Teufel at Papeete on October 22. It is precisely 20 years since Count Von Buck ner was in these waters as commander of that famous wolf of the sea, the Ger man raider See Adler.

All the world knows how the See Adler, disguised as a Norwegian ship, sailed out of the Baltic through the blockading cordon and gained the open sea to become the terror of commerce in the Atlantic and the Pacific. She came to her end on the reefs of Mopiha, in the Society Islands. The atoll Mopiha was, at that time, under lease to Messrs.

Grand, Miller and Company, of Tahiti, as a coconut plantation. It lies on a lonely sea far to the west of the inhabited islands of the Beeward Group.

The war bulletins of that period (1917), coming through the recently established wireless station on Tahiti, occasionally included an item about a German raider somewhere in the Pacific.

The monthly mail steamers began to ob serve precautions such as voyaging with out lights* blanketing port holes and interdicting smoking on deck after night fall. But there was no definite news. The Pacific Ocean is a large body of water and the main trade routes were then, as

now, far to the north and south of the Society Islands. There was little marine traffic to attract a commerce raider to this neighbourhood. So no one at Papeete gave the matter much thought.

The inter-island schooners sailed to and fro among the islands of French Oceania confident that they were not of sufficient importance for the mysterious corsair to trouble them even if he chanced to come in sight on the horizon. It was with this spirit of confidence that Mr.

Pedro Miller (of Grand, Miller and Co.) and Mr. Fain (the Co.’s agent at Paris) set out aboard the schooner Lutece for a voyage of inspection to Mopiha.

Captured By The Germans

When they sighted Mopiha, those on board the Lutece were astounded when boats full of armed men came out from the island and made for their vessel.

The Lutece had no engine and the wind was light, so there was no chance to get away before the boats came alongside.

There was nothing to do but surrender.

Ashore, they discovered they were not the only prisoners. The captains and crews of three ships recently sunk by the See Adler were on the island. Hard and fast on the reef was the See Adler.

S)ie had been brought to this lonely spot for refitting and to allow her crew to stretch their legs on shore after many months at sea. A sudden storm had cast her on the reefs before she could be manoeuvred into deep water. All her stores and everything moveable had been brought ashore in the vain endeavour to lighten the ship sufficiently to refloat her.

Von Buckner’S Adventures

Count Von Buckner, in his book, has told vividly and dramatically the odyssey of his voyage in the ship’s launch from Mopiha to Fiji; his capture at an out lying island of that archipelago; his sub sequent escape from Motuihi —the prison island at New Zealand; and his final re capture by a pursuing vessel just off the Kermadec Islands. He had already de

parted from Mopiha when the Lutece arrived there. His first officer was in command.

With the Lutece in their hands, the Germans lost no time in preparing their departure. Before sailing away, they broke up all the small boats and canoes on the island so that those left behind could carry no news to other islands and thence by radio to the warships that were combing the seas for the See Adler. We learned long afterwards that they voy aged to the eastward; that the Lutece went ashore at Easter Island; and the fugitives finally made their way to South America.

The first Papeete heard of all these happenings was through a wireless mes sage received by the Governor of French Oceania from the Government of Samoa.

It appears that a young Russian, mem ber of one of the crews marooned on Mopiha. was a skilled boat-builder, and under his direction a seaworthy boat had been constructed from the materials of those broken up by the Germans before their departure. This boat manned by a captain and three sailors managed to reach Pago Pago, American Samoa, and told the story to the authorities there.

Immediately on receipt of the message from Samoa, the schooner Tiare Tnporo,

under the command of Captain Win chester and of Monsieur Chazal (Admini strator of the Leeward Islands), was despatched' to Mopiha to rescue those left on that island.

Fate Of The “Lutece”

Information as to the fate of the Lutece and her crew is contained in a letter from Easter Island published at Tahiti in the Vea KatorVka of that period.

“On October 3, 1917, a two - masted schooner arrived here with 58 Germans aboard, who, after a two-days’ stay ashore, proceeded to break up and sink the vessel. Upon being questioned by the Chilean Government Agent in charge of the island to the reason for this pro cedure they stated that the vessel was leaking and unfit for further survice.

“About two months later another sail ing vessel passed close to the island, and 15 of the Germans gave chase to her in a boat with the object of capturing her, but they were unsuccessful. The Germans were all armed and the Government Agent remonstrated against this action, which he said would bring discredit upon a neutral country. From this time on, the Germans were closely watched by the native people, but luckily no serious trouble arose.

“In January, 1918, a Chilean schooner arrived to take away a cargo of wool from Easter Island. She left on February 3, with the Germans aboard, en route to Chile.”

Relics Of The “See Adler”

The guns of the See Adler are now at Tahiti, One of them is mounted beside the entrance of the Albert the First Park, facing the quay and Papeete Harbour.

Count Von Luckner was much moved when he recently saw this relic of his old ship. He laid his hand on the gun and! addressed it as a comrade in arms.

Many other souvenirs now in the museum and in private possession were inspected by the Count.

The Count and Countess Von Luckner will remain in French Oceania about a month, during which period they hope to vis t Mopiha. Their next port of call after leaving this colony will be Apia, Western Samoa.