Listing continued from ADM 137/23/3. Folio 246-294: SS. La Correntina (ship¡¯s official...

Listing continued from ADM 137/23/3.

Folio 246-294: SS. La Correntina (ship¡¯s official number 131470), owned by Messrs. Houlder Bros. & Co, London, captured on 7 October 1914 and sunk on 14 October 1914 by Kronprinz Wilhelm. Under the command of Captain A. Murrison left La Plata on 5 October 1914 with a cargo of frozen meat for Liverpool. When captured she was in position Lat.34¢ª20¡¯S Long.49¢ª40¡¯W, only 18 miles to eastward of usual trade route and actually on it when first sighted enemy. The Master made no attempt to use his wireless until too late and the vessel was captured with the wireless intact and two 4.7¡± gun intact. There is grave suspicion that the Master and Chief Officer were in league with the enemy and practically handed over the vessel by arrangement, (folio 247). Index of documents, (folios 248-249). Newspaper cutting from the Evening News 23 Nov. on capture, (folio 250). Letter 5 November 1914 from Buenos Aires about no information of La Correntina, (folio 251). Letter dated 4 November 1914 from Furness, Withy & Co Ltd to the Admiralty on information obtained on how the Captain of the German cruiser Karlsruhe is kept closely informed on the dates and names of steamers to and from the River Plate. He knew also that La Correntina had no ammunition on board. The cruiser is assisted by four captured ships in acting as scouts, (folio 252-254). Letter 8 November 1914 advising navigation clear of Cape San Roque, (folio 255). Report on why La Correntina did not have ammunition for her two guns, (folios 256-258). Foreign Office telegram asking why was she in that position, why she had no ammunition and why did the captain not destroy his gun and wireless, (folio 258). Letter 23 November 1914 from the Captain to the owners reporting the capture, (folios 259-260). Letter dated 23 November 1914 from the Captain A. Murrison to the owners reporting the events from capture to release in Montevideo, (folios 261-263). Report 23 December 1914 questioning why the Captain was on a trade route and did not destroy his guns and wireless, (folios 264-265). Further report adding that Germans appear to be informed by radios in Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina on sailings of British ships, (folios 266-267). Letter from Houlder Bros. confirming that the Captain had paid off crew members from Germany or Austria, (folios 268-269). Letter from their Buenos Aires office to Houlder Bros, London, on the instructions received by Captain Murrison, the capture and transfer of stores and two 4.7¡± guns, adding that the Kronprinz Wilhelm could get suitable ammunition from other ships captured, (folios 270-274). Cuttings from the Buenos Aires Herald 24 to 28 November 1914 on the capture and that the Pantry man on board La Correntina was a German Naval officer, (folios 275-281). Undated report on the plans to get ammunition to La Correntina, (folio 282). Report 29 December 1914 by Lieutenant-Commander Samuel Spaulding Richardson, R.N.R. to Admiralty Trade Division stating that the guns could have been disabled quickly and unseen, (folio 283). Letter 6 January 1916 from Houlder Bros. to the Admiralty giving the names of the Captain A. Murrison, Chief Officer H.J. Odam and 1ST Officer J.T. Newman, (folio 284). Examination on oath (paper number M 32508) dated 1 January 1915 of Captain Arthur Murrison, (folios 285-286). Legal documents in which Captain Murrison made a statement recorded in the Uruguayan Register of Protests and Declarations about the capture of his ship, (folios 287-293). Letter 9 February 1915 from Houlder Bros. to the Admiralty stating that Captain Murrison emphatically denies that he failed to follow the instructions from the British vice-consul, (folio 294).

Folios 295-320: SS Bellevue (ship¡¯s official number 105978), owned by The Bellevue S.S.Co. Ltd. (Bell Bros.), Glasgow, captured on 4 December 1914 and sunk on 20 December 1914 by Kronprinz Wilhelm. Under the command of Captain Iver Iversen she left Liverpool on 14 November 1914 with 5,400 tons of coal and general cargo for Montevideo. When captured she was in position Lat. 3¢ª0¡¯S Long. 29¢ª9¡¯W, about 150 miles to the eastward of the trade route and was following Admiralty instructions, (folio 296). Index of documents, (folio 297). Telegram dated 5 January 1915 from the Captain to the owners reporting capture, transhipment of cargo, sinking and release of crew, (folio 298). Newspaper cuttings 5 and 6 January 1915, (folio 299). Report from Rear Admiral Commanding Cruiser Squadron Funchal about capture from information obtained from crew on being release at Las Palmas from German auxiliary ship Otavi, (folio 300). Deleted page (folio 301). Telegram dated 5 January 1915 from Funchal to Admiralty correcting position of capture, (folio 302). Telegram dated 5 January 1915 from Captain Iversen to the owners reporting capture and release of crew, (folio 303). Letter dated 8 January 1915 from the North of England P & I Association to Admiralty regarding the Captain receiving the Admiralty instructions, (folio 304). Letter from the owners to Admiralty that ship¡¯s papers were confiscated by the Kronprinz Wilhelm, (folio 305). Examination on oath of Captain Iver Iversen, SS Bellevue, (folios 306-307). Letter 21 January 1915 from the owners to Admiralty requesting that they express their satisfaction to the Captain for following their instructions, (folios 308-309). Telegram from Admiralty to Montevideo saying as the Captain was following instructions the capture was pure chance, (folio 310). Admiralty document (paper number M 15679) dated 17 January 115 noting that the Master was doing his best to follow instructions, (folio 311). Letter dated 19 January 1915 to the owners that the Master deserves to be commended and reemployed, (folio 312). Letter 26 January 1915 from the owners covering a report prepared by Captain Iversen on incidents and observations while on board Kronprinz Wilhelm and Otavi and a list of positions, (folios 313-317). Admiralty note 27 January 1915 that based on the above report, the Kronprinz Wilhelm appears to be short of ammunition and damaged, (folio 318). Admiralty document dated 27 January 1915 and letter to owners thanking them for the interesting report, (folios 319-320).

Folios 321-330: SS Hemisphere (ship¡¯s official number 106857), owned by the Hemisphere S.S. Co. Ltd, Liverpool, was captured on 28 December 1914 and sunk on 8 January 1915 by the Kronprinz Wilhelm. Under the command of Captain Richard Jones left Hull on 4 December 1914 with 4,145 tons of coal for Buenos Aires. When captured she was at Lat. 4¢ª20¡¯S Long. 29¢ª25¡¯W about 170 miles to the eastward of the trade route following Admiralty instructions, (folio 322). Index of documents, (folio 323). Telegram dated 20 February 1915 from Lloyds to Admiralty reporting capture, (folio 324). Shipping Casualties report dated 1 March 1915, (folio 325). Examination on oath 15 March 1915 and statement (paper number M 19370) dated 19 February 1915 of Captain Richard Jones, (folios 326-329). Letter 6 April 1915 from Captain Jones to H. M. Barton, Receiver of Wrecks, on the capture, (folio 330).

Listing continued in ADM 137/23/5.