Kapitän leutnant Otto Weddigen - sketch by Jamie.
See Original image at
http://www.uboat.net/wwi/men/commanders/390.html
Source: File: Indian City 1915.jpg, 2015. Reardon
Smith Ships. [online] Available at: <http://reardonsmithships.co.uk/indiancity1001.php> [Accessed:
15 March 2015].
Source: File: British
merchant ship SS Headlands 1915.jpg, 2015. The German submarine U-29 stalks SS
Headlands. [online] Available at: <http://reardonsmithships.co.uk/indiancity1001.php> [Accessed:
15 March 2015].
An underhand war
on water,
Seemingly
reaching a peak,
On a weekend of
middle March -
Found the sea
about Britain,
A dangerous place
to be.
With enemy
submarines,
Trolling about
Britain Isles,
Some attacks on
civil shipping
Began Friday 12
March,
About the Scilly
Isles.
From underwater
sights,
German naval
patrols,
Focused on three
steamers;
Andalusian, the
Headlands
And Cardiff's the
Indian City -
Luckily no lives
were lost.
The Indian City
steamer,
A newly built
British ship
Completed 1915 - was
run
By a triple
expansion engine -
Set out on its
maiden voyage,
For
transportation of cargo.
Nine miles south of
St Mary's,
The largest of
the Scilly Isles,
The Indian City
was steaming
Past, with their
cargo of cotton -
At 7.30 a.m. to spot a
submarine.
With the Indian
City stopped,
The German crew
of submarine
U29 came aboard
the boat.
Kapitän leutnant Otto Weddigen
Addressed Captain
Williams.
With perfectly
polite English,
The Captain was
given orders
To hoist their
flag - with this
And the German
Ensign shown,
The crew was sent
to the boats.
The Steamer was
to be sunk -
With the steamer
crew quickly
Clear, the boat
was struck
With a torpedo - the Kapitän
Asked their Captain aboard -
With the boats safely attached,
And towed by the U29.
In politeness the Kapitän gave
Cigars and a bottle of wine,
As they conveyed the stricken
Crew to the islands - when
two
Patrol vessels were spotted.
With Captain Williams ushered
Back to his crew - the boats
Were released and U29 turned
About - the vessels' speed
Made a good distance from
As the patrol fired on
them.
A new chase was to ensue,
To involve the Headlands
At 9 a.m. this steamer was
Also south of the Scillys',
When they saw the steamer,
Indian City, well on fire.
At 9.30 a.m. they viewed
A patrol boat, set to chase
A submarine - Captain Lugg
Made orders to keep away -
But soon the menace
Would turn on them.
In losing the patrol boats,
U29 came on the Headlands,
Firing their warning rockets
To halt the ship's course -
yet
The Captain would not stop.
The chase did not last very
Long, as the steamer came
To within seven miles, South
West of the Isle of St Agnes -
Trying hard to manoeuvre
To escape the outcome.
In taking a photo of the
enemy
From his bridge - Captain Lugg,
Finally convinced of the
danger
By the Kapitän, was given five
Minutes to abandon their ship.
With a torpedo fired at the
boat,
The Headlands crew watched
As the boat exploded at
midship.
Sending black smoke into the
air -
To sink a cargo of fruit and
ore.
The steamer did not yet sink,
But sat at an angle by stern,
Drifting with the tide -The U29
Did not wait but turned to
seek
A third steamer - with only
short
Days left to find their own
fate.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1915. Cigars
and Wine - invited on Board Submarine. The Daily Telegraph, [online] 15 Mar. P.9. Col.5. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11467849/Daily-Telegraph-March-15-1915.html
[Accessed: 15 March 2015].
Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 15 March 2015).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
#worldwarone #worldwaroneremembered #WW1IslesofScilly
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