Listing continued from ADM 137/23/5. Part 11: Prinz Eitel Friedrich. Folios 409-431:...

ADM 137/23/6

1914-1915

Listing continued from ADM 137/23/5.

Part 11: Prinz Eitel Friedrich.

Folios 409-431: Prinz Eitel Friedrich. Table of names of ships captured, Date, Position, Owner, Port departed, Departure date, Cargo, Value of Ship and Cargo, Name of insurers, (folio 410). Index of names of ships captured and sunk by Prinz Eitel Friedrich namely: Charcas, Kildalton, Invercoe, Mary Ada Short and Willerby, (folio 411). Index of telegrams, press cuttings, and report, (folio 412). Telegram dated 7 December 1914 1914 from Coronel to Admiralty that Chilean steamer Maipo was stopped by the Prinz Eitel Friedrich 40 miles south of Curamilla Point, (folio 413). Telegram dated 11 March 1915 from Reuter New York with list of ships sunk by Prinz Eitel Friedrich, (folio 414). Cuttings from Lloyd¡¯s List and the Times dated 12 March 1915. that Prinz Eitel Friedrich had arrived in Newport News needing repairs and coal but might be interned. Among the ships captured was the American William P. Frye that had 5,500 tons of wheat for Liverpool. She had also captured the Russian sailing ship Isabel Browne, French sailing ships Pierre Loti and Jacobsen, and French steamer Floride, (folio 415-416). Admiralty intercepted message from Reuter New York to London 11 March 1915 on sinking of American Frye, the diplomatic issues and the repairs and coal need by Prinz Eitel Friedrich at Newport News, (folio 417). Telegram dated 11 March 1915 form Lloyd¡¯s to the Admiralty reporting sinking of the William P. Frye, (folio 418). Newspaper cutting of March 1915 on the release of the crew of the Kildaton marooned on Easter Island and the diplomatic issues of Prinz Eitel Friedrich at Newport News, (folios 419-420). Telegram dated 11 March 1915 from Newport News to Novo Nantes on safe release of the crews of the French and American ships, (folio 421). Intercepted telegram dated 11 March 1915 from New York to Daily Mail, London on arrival of Prinz Eitel Friedrich at Hampton Roads, (folios 422-423). Newspaper cuttings on potential escape of Prinz Eitel Friedrich from Newport News, (folio 424). Telegram dated 4 April 1915 that Prinz Eitel Friedrich might have sailed from Newport News during a storm, (folio 425). Newspaper cuttings 9 April 1915 that Prinz Eitel Friedrich has been interned at Newport News, (folios 426-427). Report ¡°Prinz Eitel Friedrich and Cormoran¡± (paper number NID 6712). At the end of July [1914] the Prinz Eitel Friedrich was ordered to Tsingtao where she was converted to an auxiliary cruiser under the command of Fregattenkapitan Thierichens. On 6 August 1914 she left as escort to a dozen steamers to the Marianne Islands where she met the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. She then proceeded to the Marshall Islands where she was joined by the Cormoran, captured from the Russian and also armed. Both ships then proceeded towards Australian waters. Prinz Eitel Friedrich then proceeded to the Pelew Islands and the Cormoran to Yap. On 28 September 1914 they met at Alexis Bay, New Guinea. The Prinz Eitel Friedrich then proceeded to the west coast of America and the Cormoran to Guam where she was interned. At the end of October Prinz Eitel Friedrich arrived at Valparaiso but missed the action [Coronel] on 1 November 1914. After parting with the cruiser squadron, she captured the British steamship Charcas and on the 11 November 1914 the French sailing ship Jean with 3,500 tons of coal and on 12 November 1914 the British sailing ship Kildalton. After taking on Jean¡¯s coal at Easter Island, she proceeded around Cape Horn with the intention of running the gauntlet to Germany. On 26 January 1915 she captured the Russian sailing ship Isabel Browne and on 27 November 1914 the sailing ships William P. Frye and Pierre Loti, on 28 November 1914 the French sailing ship Jacobsen and on 12 February 1915 the British sailing ship Invercoe. On 18 February 1915 she captured the British steamer Mary Ada Short, on 19 February 1915 the French steamer Floride, and on 20 February 1915 the British steamer Willerby. Having insufficient coal to reach Germany and having engine and boiler defects, she arrived at Newport News on 11 March 1915, (folios 428-431).

Folios 432-443: SS Charcas (ship¡¯s official number 123741), owned by The New York and Pacific Steam Navigation Co, London, captured and sunk on 5 December 1914 by the Prinz Eitel Friedrich. Under the command of Captain A.C. Norris she left Corral, Chile on 3 December 1915 with 220 tons of Nitrate of Soda on route to New York via the Panama Canal. Captured at Lat. 34¢ª0¡¯S Long. 72¢ª5¡¯W she was 9 miles from land and in thick fog. The Master was carrying out instructions to keep in territorial waters and was not to blame for capture, (folio 433). Index of documents, (folio 434). Telegram 7 December 1914 reporting capture and questioning circumstances of capture, (folio 435). Cutting from the Times 9 December 1914 reporting sinking and release of crew, (folio 436). Letters from The West of England Mutual War Risks Association Ltd, (folios 437-441). Shipping Casualties report December 1914, (folio 442). Report (paper number M 15469) December 1914 from the British Vice-Consul Valparaiso reporting sinking (folio 443).

Folios 444-452: SV Kildalton (ship¡¯s official number 115739), owned by the Kildalton Barque Co., Glasgow, captured and sunk on 12 December 1914 by the Prinz Eitel Friedrich. Under the command of Captain William Sharp she left Liverpool on 8 September 1914 with general goods for Callao, Peru. Captured at Lat. 44¢ª24¡¯S Long. 82¢ª35¡¯W about 245 miles to the westward of the usual steamer route. As a sailing vessel she had no means of escape. The crew were released on Easter Island on 31 December 1914, (folio 445). Index of documents, (folio 446). Telegram from Cooper, Coronel to Admiralty reporting the sinking, and with the crew of the French vessel Jean, crew being landed on Easter Island where they were found by the British vessel Skerries, (folio 447). Intercepted telegram from Gibbs, Concepcion to Lloyd¡¯s London, on sinking and adding that the crew refused to be taken off Easter Island and the Captain is reported mad, (folio 448). Two cuttings from Lloyd¡¯s List, the second dated 16 March 1915, reporting crew arrived at Panama, (folio 449). Shipping Casualties form dated 4 March 1915 at Glasgow, (folio 450). Examination on oath of Captain William Sharp on capture, being landed at Easter Island, the death of seaman David Campbell and crew being taken by Swedish steamer Nordic to Panama, (folios 451-452).

Folios 453-459: SV Invercoe (ship¡¯s official number 99643), owned by Messrs. George Milne & Co., Aberdeen, captured and sunk on 12 February 1915 by the Prinz Eitel Friedrich. Under the command of Captain W J King she left Portland, Oregon on 15 November 1914 with 2,336 tons of wheat for Queenstown, Ireland or Falmouth. Captured at Lat. 26¢ª31¡¯S Long. 26¢ª15¡¯W in the middle of the South Atlantic, so capture was pure mischance with no chance of escape, (folio 454). Index of documents, (folio 455). Telegram from Captain King at Newport News, USA to Milne, Aberdeen reporting capture and sinking and the crew being landed at Newport News, (folio 456). Shipping Casualties form (paper number M 10838) dated 20 April 1915 and signed by James Milne, Managing Owner, at Aberdeen, (folio 457). Examination on oath of Chief Officer Leslie Workman Howarth dated 5 May 1915 at Liverpool. The Canadian Captain has not returned to England, (folios 458-459).

Listing continued in ADM 137/23/7.

HS 23

Public Record(s)

Open Document, Open Description