CHRISTMAS ON THE "IGOTZ MENDI"
It must not be supposed that the life of the prisoners on the _Igotz
Mendi_ in any way approximated to that of passengers on an ordinary
passenger ship. To begin with, there were no ship's servants to wait on
us with the exception of the Spanish steward, a youth who "waited" at
table and excelled in breaking ship's crockery. Often he poured the
coffee over us, or into our pockets, instead of into our cups, and on
one occasion, during a heavier roll than usual, he fell down in the
middle of the saloon while carrying a tureen full of soup. It went
flying over the saloon and some of its occupants, so our soup ration was
short that day.
If the cabins were to be kept clean, we had to do it ourselves. Every
morning saw the occupants sweeping out and cleaning up their cabins,
as no ship's servant ever entered them. The water supply was very
limited, and had to be fetched by ourselves--no matter what the
weather--sometimes from the fore peak and sometimes from a pump near the
ship's galley. Washing water and drinking water were served out twice a
day, at 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., an ordinary water-can being the allowance of
the former, and a water-bottle that of the latter. The supply of washing
water was very inadequate, and no hot water was ever available. After
washing ourselves, we had to wash our clothes in the same water--for
there was of course no laundry on board--and then the cabin floor after
that. By this time the water was mud. It was impossible to have a proper
bath all the time we were on board, for there was no water supply in the
bathroom, and it was kept in an extremely dirty condition. "Laundry
work" was usually done by the prisoners after breakfast, and lines were
rigged on any available part of the ship to dry the clothes. It was a
sight for the gods to see the military officers presiding at their
washtubs on deck, and then hanging out their washing. On fine days with
a big wash the array of drying garments in various parts of the ship was
quite imposing.
My wife managed to borrow some irons from the Australian stewardess,
which she heated on the stove in the cook's galley. With these she
ironed her blouses and my shirts and soft collars, while I helped with
the hankeys. The ironing space was not ideal, being the cover, about
twenty inches square, of the cabin washstand. But the result was highly
creditable!
The saloon, about eighteen feet square, in which all the meals were
served in two sittings, was very rarely clean, and the habits of the
Captain's mongrel pup, born on the _Wolf_, did not improve matters.
_Something_ connected with the expedition had to be called "Luchs," so,
failing the _Hitachi_, the pup rejoiced in this name, and as he
frequently made the saloon so exclusively his own, it was often
appropriately named the "Salon de luxe." Poor Luchs! Every man's hand,
or rather foot--with the exception of the Captain's--was against him
(when the Captain was not looking!) on account of his reprehensible
behaviour. Many a sly kick was aimed at him, and when a yelp assured us
that the blow had struck home, one of us would exclaim, "Hooray for our
side!"; "our side" being all who suffered from his bad conduct. The
table "appointments" were often disgusting. The tablecloth was filthy
after the first meal or so, thanks to the rolling of the ship and
consequent upsetting of soup, tea, and coffee, but was only changed
twice, sometimes only once, a week. Cups were used without saucers, and
spoons gradually disappeared, so that towards the end one had to suffice
between four or five persons.
The ship, generally speaking, was filthy--she was never properly clean.
I remember on one occasion a large bottle of castor-oil was smashed just
outside the saloon door. The stuff remained there for hours before being
cleaned up. The crew certainly was not large, but a great deal more
could have been done in the direction of keeping the ship clean, and her
condition was never a credit to her Captain. This was a surprise to
those of us who had previously travelled on German ships.
We got thoroughly sick of the food provided, but the German officers and
crew had just the same. The _Hitachi_ had been carrying ten thousand
cases of Japanese canned crab to England. A great part of this was
saved, and divided between the _Wolf_ and her prize. None of us ever
want to see or hear of this commodity again; we were fed on it till most
of us loathed it, but as there was nothing else to eat when it was
served, we perforce had to eat that or dry bread, and several of us
chose the latter. How we groaned when we saw any more crab being
brought over from the _Wolf_! Bully beef, every variety of bean, dried
vegetables, dried fish that audibly announced its advent to the table,
bean soup, and pea soup (maggot soup would often have been a more
correct description), we got just as sick of, till, long before the end,
all the food served nauseated us. Tea, sometimes made in a coffee-pot,
sometimes even with salt water, was the usual hot drink provided, but
coffee was for some time available once a day. We owe a great debt to
one of our fellow-prisoners, a ship's cook, captured from one of the
other ships, who in return for his offer to work as baker was promised
his liberty, which fortunately he has now secured, though no thanks to
the Germans. He baked, under the most difficult conditions,
extraordinarily good bread, and over and over again we should have gone
without food but for this. We were often very hungry, for there was
nothing to eat between "supper" at 5.30 and breakfast next morning at
8.30. The Captain had given each lady a large box of biscuits from the
_Hitachi_, and my wife and I used to eat a quarter of a biscuit each
before turning in for the night. We could not afford more--the box might
have to last us for many months.
We could not buy much on board. The only thing of which there seemed to
be plenty was whisky, all stolen from the captured ships. When our ship
ran short of this, more was sent over from the _Wolf_. We could buy this
at reasonable rates, but the supply was always supposed to be rationed.
Soap and toilet requisites became very scarce or failed altogether as
time went on. We could buy an infinitesimal piece of stolen toilet soap
for a not infinitesimal price, and were rationed as to washing soap and
matches. The currency on board was a very mixed one, consisting of
Japanese yen, both in silver and paper money, English, Spanish, and
German silver, and German canteen tokens--all marked S.M.S. _Victoria
Louise_--ranging in value from 2 marks to 5 pfennig.
Mention has been made of the ship's rolling. Her capacity for this was
incredible--in the smoothest sea, whether stopped or under steam, she
rolled heavily from side to side, and caused great discomfort,
inconvenience, and often alarm to all on board. The remark, "The Mendi
roll, fresh every day for every meal, for breakfast, dinner, and tea,"
was made by some one at almost every mealtime, as we clutched at our
food, gliding or jumping from end to end of the saloon table,
accompanied by the smashing of crockery and upsetting of liquids and
soup. We were hardly ever able to sit still at mealtimes, but were
always rocking and rolling about, usually with our plates in our hands,
as leaving them on the table meant we might lose the contents. Even the
Captain was astonished at the rolling of the ship, as he well might have
been, when one night he, in common with most of us, was flung out of his
berth. No ship ever rolled like it--the bath in the bathroom even got
loose and slid about in its socket, adding to the great din on board.
As may be imagined, there was not much to do on board. The few books we
had between us were passed round and read over and over again. Some were
also sent over from the _Wolf_ for us. Card games of various kinds also
helped to pass the time, and the Captain and some of the prisoners held
a "poker school" morning, afternoon, and evening in the saloon. But
time, nevertheless, dragged very heavily. Some of us had occasionally to
carry our mattresses and beds out on to the deck, to hunt for bugs,
which were very numerous in some cabins. But the pastime was hardly one
to be recommended! And, it must regretfully be admitted, we all managed
to do nothing quite comfortably!
We were at liberty to go practically where we liked on board, but we
were never able to get far away from the German sailors, who always
appeared to be listening to our conversation, no matter where we were.
As on the _Wolf_, they were sometimes caught spying on us, and listening
at the portholes or ventilators of our cabins.
We next picked up the _Wolf_ on the afternoon of December 19th, and
heard that since we had last seen her she had sunk a French sailing
vessel, the _Maréchal Davout_, loaded with grain for Europe. The _Wolf_
usually sent us over a budget of wireless news when she had been away
from us any length of time. I remember an item of news on one occasion,
in which Mr. Lloyd George in a speech said we were getting on the track
of the submarines and that we had sunk five in one day. This gave great
mirth to the Germans, who naturally refused to believe it--they said
they had lost only a dozen since the war began! On one occasion the
Captain informed us of a "great British victory. Joy-bells are ringing
all over England. The British have captured a trench and have advanced
ten yards!" This was the victory at Cambrai!
The two ships proceeded on parallel courses for Trinidad, but about 8
p.m. both ships turned sharply round and doubled on their tracks,
proceeding on a south-easterly course at full speed. We learnt the
reason for this the next day. German raiders had previously coaled and
hidden at Trinidad; but Brazil was now in the war, so that hole was
stopped, and the _Wolf_ had intercepted a wireless from the Commander of
a Brazilian cruiser to the garrison on Trinidad. Hence her rapid flight!
But for that wireless message, the _Wolf_ would have walked right into
the trap, and we should have been free within twelve hours from the time
the _Wolf_ picked up the message.
Once again wireless had been our undoing. The _Hitachi_ had wirelessed
the hour of her arrival at and departure from Singapore and Colombo; the
_Wolf_, of course, had picked up the messages and was ready waiting for
her. One other ship, if not more, was caught in just the same way. The
_Matunga_ had wirelessed, not even in code, her departure, with the
nature of her cargo, from Sydney to New Guinea, and she wirelessed again
when within a few hours of her destination. The _Wolf_ waited for her,
informed her that she had on board just the cargo the _Wolf_ needed,
captured, and afterwards sunk her. The _Wolf's_ success in capturing
ships and evading hostile cruisers was certainly due to her intercepting
apparently indiscriminate wirelessing between ships, and between ships
and shore--at one time in the Indian Ocean the _Wolf_ was picking up
news in four languages--and to her seaplane, which enabled her to scout
thoroughly and to spot an enemy ship long before she could have been
seen by the enemy. Thus the _Wolf's_ procedure when hunting for her prey
was simplicity itself. Even without wireless her seaplane was of
enormous assistance to her. If her "bird" had revealed the presence of a
ship more heavily armed than the _Wolf_ chose to tackle, she could
easily make herself scarce, while if the ship seen was not at all, or
but lightly armed, all that the _Wolf_ had to do was to wait for her on
the course she was taking.
Soon after leaving the Indian Ocean the seaplane had been taken to
pieces and placed in the 'tween decks, so that if the _Wolf_ had been
seen by another steamer, her possession of a seaplane would not have
been revealed.
The two ships proceeded on their new course at full speed for the next
two days. On the 21st they slowed down, hoping to coal in the open sea.
The next day both ships stopped, but the condition of the sea would not
admit of coaling; we were then said to be about 700 miles E. of Monte
Video. It was a great disappointment to the Germans that they were
prevented from coaling and spending their Christmas under the shelter of
Trinidad, but it became quite clear that all the holes for German
raiders in this part of the ocean had now been stopped, and that they
would have to coal in the open sea or not at all. Some of us thought the
Germans might go back to Tristan da Cunha, or even to Gough Island--both
British possessions in the South Atlantic--but the Germans would not
risk this. Even St. Helena was mentioned as a possible coaling place,
but the Germans said that was impracticable, as it would mean an attack
on an unfortified place: as if this would have been a new procedure for
German armed forces! The fact that they knew St. Helena to be fortified
probably had a great deal more to do with their decision not to proceed
there!
But the disappointment about Trinidad was mitigated by other wireless
news received. The Commander of the _Wolf_ called all his men together
and harangued them to the effect that the latest news was that Russia
and Roumania were now out of the war, having given in to Germany, that
the Italian disasters had knocked Italy out in addition, that the war
would certainly be over in six months, and that the _Wolf_ would then go
home in safety to a victorious, grateful, and appreciative Fatherland.
Some such spur as this was very necessary to the men, who were getting
very discontented with the length of the cruise and conditions
prevailing, notably the monotony of the cruise and threatened shortage
of food and drink and tobacco.
(The _Wolf_ had brought out from Germany enormous stores of provisions
for the cruise, which was expected to last about a year. In fact, her
cargo from Germany consisted of coal, stores, ammunition, and mines
only. She replenished her stores solely from the prizes she took.)
The Germans were thoroughly confident of victory, and very cock-a-hoop
now that Russia and Roumania were knocked out, and Italy, so they said,
so thoroughly defeated as to be quite a negligible factor in the future.
Our enemies could not conceal their joy at the good news their wireless
brought them. They crowed over us, and at mealtimes the Captain
explained how, with the "three and a half millions" of their troops
released from the Russian fronts, defeat for the Allies was inevitable
in a very few months. A German victory was now as sure as to-morrow's
sunrise. "But, of course," he said, "there will first be an armistice to
discuss terms." We asked him what he meant by an armistice. He replied
that the troops on the front would cease fighting. "And your
submarines?" we asked. "Oh! they will go on with their work," he
replied. "Why should they stop?" Why, indeed? It was to be a _German_
armistice, graciously permitted by our enemies, in which they were to
continue the use of a deadly weapon, but we were to lay down our arms!
Generally speaking, however, we refused to be drawn into discussion of
the war, its causes and issues. The enemy was "top dog" for the time
being, we were in his power: we did not know what was in store for us;
we did not wish to prejudice any chances we might have, and it would not
pay to lose our tempers or be indiscreet.
Christmas Eve was still too rough for the ships to tie up alongside, and
our Christmas the next day was the reverse of merry. The Germans had
held a Christmas service on the _Wolf_ on Christmas Eve, and sounds of
the band and singing were wafted to us over the waters. We could have
no music on the _Igotz Mendi_, as we had no piano, but our friends on
the _Wolf_, so we heard afterwards, gathered together in the 'tween
decks and joined in some Christmas music.
I went out on deck early on Christmas morning, and there met the Spanish
Chief Mate chewing a bun. He asked me to share half with him--a great
sacrifice! Such was the commencement of our Christmas festivities. Later
in the morning the Spanish Captain regaled the ladies with some choice
brand of Spanish wine, and offered first-class cigars to the men
prisoners (rather better than the "Stinkadoros" sometimes offered us by
the crew), German officers on the ships exchanged visits, and we all
tried to feel the day was not quite ordinary.
Our thoughts and wishes on this sad Christmas Day turned to our friends
and relations at home who would be mourning us as dead, and may perhaps
be "better imagined than described," and with the bad news from the
various seats of war we all felt fairly blue.
The German officers had a great feast and a jolly time on the _Wolf_.
One cow and three pigs had been killed for the Christmas feast, but they
did not go far between eight hundred people. The day before we had been
served with some of the "in'ards," or, as the American said, the
"machinery" of the poor beasts cut up into small pieces, even the lungs
being used. Some of us turned up our noses at this, but the Captain
assured us that if we ever _did_ get to America or England we should
find that the U boats had reduced our countries to such straits that
even such "machinery" would be welcome food!
With Christmas Day came to an end for us a quarter of a year's
captivity, and all the prisoners, at least, were glad when the dismal
farce of Christmas under such conditions was over.
"This is the life," said the German sailor who supplied us with water
twice daily. He was a very hardworked member of the prize crew, doing
all sorts of odd jobs and always willing to help, and was said to be the
black sheep of a high German family, which numbered among its members
officers holding high commands in the German army and navy. If he
thought it "was the life," we didn't!
The Germans showed us the "Second Christmas Annual of the _Wolf_." It
was very well got up, with well-drawn and clever illustrations of their
exploits, and caricatures of some of their officers and prisoners. One
picture illustrated the _Wolf_ running the blockade on her outward
voyage. If the picture represented anything like the truth, she must
have got through by the very skin of her teeth! The covers of both
"Annuals" were very striking and very cleverly done.
The weather on Boxing Day was only a little more favourable than that on
Christmas Day, but the Germans decided to wait no longer to coal the
_Wolf_. They had previously conveyed water to our ship from the _Wolf_
in boats. The same method of transferring coal was discussed, but that
idea was abandoned. At 5 p.m. she tied up alongside us. She bumped into
us with considerable force when she came up, and not many of us on board
the _Igotz Mendi_ will ever forget that night of terror. Both ships were
rolling heavily, and repeatedly bumping into each other, each ship
quivering from end to end, and the funnel of the _Igotz Mendi_ was
visibly shaking at every fresh collision. Sleep was impossible for any
one on our boat; in fact, many feared to turn in at all, as they thought
some of the plates of the boats might be stove in. We wandered about
from cabin to deck, and from deck to cabin, trying in vain to get to
sleep. The Spanish Chief Engineer came to us on the deck about 4 a.m.
and did his best in his broken English to assure us everything was all
right. "Go sleep tranquil," he said: "I see this ship built--very
strong." But the whole performance was a horrid nightmare.
The next day was no better, but rather worse. About 6 p.m. there was a
great crash, which alarmed all; it was due to the _Wolf_ crashing into
and completely smashing part of the bridge of our ship. This was enough
for the Germans. They decided to suspend operations, and at 7 p.m. the
_Wolf_ sheered off, only just narrowly escaping cutting off the poop of
the _Igotz Mendi_ in the process. She had coaled six hundred tons in
twenty-five hours, her decks, torpedo tubes, and guns being buried under
great mounds of coal, as all hands were busy in the transference of coal
from her prize to the _Wolf_. Shifting the coal to her bunkers had to be
done after the ships had separated. If by good luck an Allied cruiser
had appeared at this time, the _Wolf_ would have been an easy prey. The
coaling process had severely damaged the _Wolf_, many of whose plates
were badly dented. We had lost eighteen large fenders between the ships,
and the _Wolf_ was leaking to the extent of twelve tons an hour. The
_Igotz Mendi_ had come off better. None of her plates were dented, she
was making no water, and the only visible signs of damage to her were
many twisted and bent stanchions on the port side that met the _Wolf_.
We had been allowed to send letters for Christmas--censored, of course,
by the Germans--to our _Hitachi_ friends on the _Wolf_, and when the two
ships were alongside we were allowed to speak to them, though
conversation under such conditions was very difficult, as one minute our
friends would be several feet above us and the next below us with the
rolling of the ships; and the noise of the coaling, shouting of orders,
and roaring of the water between the ships was deafening. There did not
seem much point in censoring letters, as the prisoners on the _Igotz
Mendi_ and the _Wolf_ were allowed to talk to each other a day or so
after the letters were sent, and although a German sentry was on guard
while these conversations were going on, it was possible for the
prisoners to say what they liked to each other, as the sentry could only
have caught an occasional word or two.
I have since been asked why the prisoners and Spaniards on the Spanish
ship did not attack the prize crew and seize the ship when we were not
in company with the _Wolf_. It sounds quite simple, but it must be
remembered that although the prize crew was certainly a small one, they
were well supplied with arms, bombs, and hand grenades, while the
prisoners and Spaniards had no arms at all, as they had all been taken
away by the Germans. Further, an attack of this kind would have been far
worse than useless unless its absolute success could have been
definitely assured. There were very few young and able men among the
prisoners, while the German prize crew were all picked men, young and
powerful. The working crew of the ship was composed of Spaniards and
other neutrals, including a Greek and a Chilian. It would have been
absolutely necessary to have secured the allegiance and support of every
one of these. The plan of seizing the ship, which sounds so simple, was
discussed among us many a time, but it was in reality quite
impracticable. What would our fate have been if we had tried--and
failed? And what of the women and children on board?