The Singapore Sling, Vols 10-11: News From Our PBEM Campaign

Our naval defence correspondent "Neptune"offers another column from his vantage point at the Empire Lounge, Raffles Hotel (reflecting state of play in our PBEM campaign after eleven turns, with much information concealed for the purposes of OPSEC - ref).

PIRATES CAPTURED!!

Brilliant news from the Marshall Islands, where the Russian squadron under Vice Admiral Ivanov has captured the German raider Prinz Eitel Friedrich.  

The Prinz Eitel Friedrich in happier days.

Readers familiar with these waters will remember the luxuriously appointed Friedrich as a regular caller in Pacific ports in her service with Norddeutscher Lloyd.  However, it appears that as the beastly Hun was drawing up his plans for war long before 1914, she was built with hardened deck points for gun positons and ammunition hoists.   While eluding the Royal Navy's dragnet for over a month and racking up many kills in the northern Pacific, she was vigorously chased by the Russian squadron, her caught her plundering and sinking the merchant SS Pontic before escaping into a squall.

Admiral Ivanov's flagship, the Askold.

However, the following week the Russian Admiral, tracking his prey like one of his country's Borzois,  brought his quarry to bay in the Marshall Islands, sailing out of the morning sun to surprise the Germans and catch them flatfooted.   A brief exchange of salvoes followed, and at this point, according to Admiral Ivanov, the German captain acted with remarkable chivalry.   His ship flooding, and many prisoners below decks threatened with drowning, Captain Theriechens struck his flag and offered his surrender, thus assuredly saving the lives of his charges.

With the flooding stabilized, the Russians were able to free the German's prisoners, a surprising mix of Japanese, French, and British sailors from five different ships.   All are now en route to Vladivastock eventual repatriation.   We hope that the German crew of the Friedrich have some war weather clothing in their dufflebags!

THE HERO OF THE MACASSAR STRAIT

The Sling has recently reported on a fierce night battle in the Macassar Strait in the Dutch East Indies which led to the sinking of the German heavy cruiser Scharnhorst.  Now that the survivors of that battle have arrived in Hong Kong, stories are emerging of the incredible valour displayed in that fight.    Hearts were heavy as cruiser HMS Yarmouth was towed into port, her decks awash, and only hours after she berthed and the last crew taken off, the poor ship sank at her moorings. Refloating and repair will certainly take months.

Wounded sailors being taken off their ship.

Stretcher crews were busy evacuating the many wounded of HMS Triumph, where casualties were particularly bad among the Royal Marine crew of her aft turret.   However, one wounded sailor was notably missing.   It appears that Admiral Jerram refused to return to port, and transferred his flag to the cruiser Newcastle, despite the fact that he suffered serious shrapnel and splinter wounds to one leg and had to be carried about his new ship while wrapped in a blanket.   Jerram is quoted as saying, "Hospital be damned, the medicos can fix me once I've fixed the Hun!"

MORE WORRISOME NEWS OF MISSING SHIPS

Admiralty sources admit that allied merchant ships continue to go missing on the high seas.   The latest ships to be unaccounted for are the SS Garlandstone (British), the Gudrun (Norwegian), the Grigory Stenkov (Russian) and the SS Manxman (British), all last known to be in the Philippine Sea.   Of these four, the Garlandstone is known to have sent a short SOS message, indicating that she was under attack by a German raider.    The hunt for the Kaiser's Pirates continues!

A WORRISOME AND MYSTERIOUS BROADCAST

Our friend the American correspondent Herbert J Forrester III of the New York Post reports that a recent wireless signal in plain Morse shocked recipients from the coast of East Africa to Suez, Celyon and West India.   The message purported to be from the Captain of the German cruiser Koenigsberg and gave an account of a nighttime battle in which two light cruisers of the Royal Navy, HMS Astraea and HMS Pegasus, were sunk.   The signal also reported that survivors of the Pegasus were rescued, and gave an exact locaton where more might be rescued.   Opinions are strongly divided as to the veracity of this signal.   Some believe that it is an elaborate ruse de guerre, and others that it is genuine and sent out of a sense of chivalry.   Your correspondent, Neptune, knows both these ships, and while they could have been expected to fight in the best traditions of the Royal Navy, they were both long in the tooth.     Commander M Peters, RN, a naval analyst attached to the First Sea Lord's staff, says that the report is being looked into and all possibilities are considered.  If true, this will be a galling defeat for the Royal Navy.

our humble correspondent Neptune welcomes all tips and information, especially when accompanied by a drink offer.  He can be found most days at the Empire Lounge, at his usual table for the 4pm Happy Hour.  Ask Fernando the barman to point him out to you.