- Author
- Werner, Arthur
- Subjects
- WWII operations
- Tags
-
- RAN Ships
- None noted.
- Publication
- September 1980 edition of the Naval Historical Review (all rights reserved)
A few days later we sighted Madras at 9 p.m. and were astounded to find the town a blaze of light. Our Captain gave the order, ‘Ready For Action!’ We approached the port with the utmost caution as we did not know whether any hostile warships were in the vicinity or not. A sharp lookout was kept in all directions and at 10 o’clock, at a distance of about 4,000 yards from the oil-tanks, the order was given, ‘Searchlights On!’
As soon as the target came within searchlight range the order to open fire was given. Salvo after salvo thundered out and tank after tank burst into flames. The flames rose house-high and illuminated the entire town. ‘Cease Fire!’ was given after 125 rounds had been fired and we beat a hasty retreat, as we were ourselves fully illuminated by the flames we had caused. A shore battery opened up on us without effect, our lights were switched off and we steamed away under cover of darkness, leaving the town in a pall of smoke and flame.
It had been the first direct land attack by the Emden and at a distance of ninety miles the huge fire from the oil-tanks was still visible. Later, we read in the newspapers that the destruction of the tanks had caused a loss of several millions of gallons of oil.
Next morning we met up with our supply ship which had been sent out of the area before the action started. We at once started refuelling, a very unpleasant task in the heat of the tropics. The air was alive with wireless messages and there was no doubt that the hunters were on the track of the Emden. Death and destruction lurked around us, no one could tell at what moment the enemy would strike. At any moment an enemy warship could appear on the horizon, intent on our destruction.
An Indian coast station signal was intercepted which informed us that the mysterious ‘QMD’ was the call of the Hampshire so that we were even more on the alert for any sign of his approach.
After this operation we operated off the coast of Ceylon, where we able to observe the searchlight beams from Colombo. In this operational area we captured six ships, one of which was laden with 6,600 tons of Cardiff coal, the best in the world and of infinite value to the enemy. We were delighted with this booty for our so-called ‘milking cow’ the Markommannia was by this time almost empty. The name of the ship concerned was the Buresk and their Chinese stokers were offered work in our own ship and under our pay conditions, which they immediately accepted.
Some of our own men were then put aboard the Buresk and we were now in possession of an excellent coal supply ship. A large supply of stores was taken from the other ships which had been captured, all prisoners were transferred to one of them and the rest were immediately sunk. As this ship, containing the prisoners, left in the direction of a British Indian port its decks were once again crowded with cheering men, paying tribute to the fact that they had been given their freedom.
Stealthily we left this area and by the time the prisoners had probably touched land we were far away in the Maldive Isles on the Colombo-Aden route. There we refuelled from the Markomannia for the last time and sent her home. We were given permission to write a letter which would be taken home by this ship through a neutral port. We heard later that she had been captured by a British cruiser near the coast of Sumatra but not before our mail was well on its way home.
A fruitless cruise of several days on the shipping-route led us to decide to set course southwards to the Chagos Archipelago which lies about 600 miles SW of Ceylon. We had been informed by one of the prisoners that several transport ships had been seen on their way from Australia to Europe, so we assumed that it would be possible to capture some of them on their way back or, perhaps, to intercept ships laden with meat.