[Public-List] SALSA - Captain von Muller

[John Birch]

Wonderful that there is a circumnavigation underway in the venerable A-30

I second David's comments and Gord's comment.

A few years ago we were having dinner aboard Sunstone with the Cameron's 
(Rough Bounds) who were anchored near by. Ron's wife is German and her 
friend was over for a visit and cruise with them and joined us for dinner. 
Inevitably the conversation drifted to the war and the friend made one of 
those comments that truly rings in memory.

She said: "people talk about the allies liberating Europe tend to forget, 
that they also liberated Germany."

A lot of Germans did not support the Nazi's. Later Chancellor, Willy Brant 
fought the Nazi's in the resistance and there were over 36 assassination 
attempts on the Fuhrer - at a terrible price for the conspirators. Pity one 
of those wasn't successful. Could have save everyone a whole lot of bother 
and lives.

I will Google more on Captain von Muller, thanks for the lead.

John



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "David Terrell" <dterrell1 at charter.net>
To: "Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2011 10:29 AM
Subject: Re: [Public-List] SALSA


>
> Gordon
>
> Great story! Sounds like it could make a great movie.
>
>
> David
>
>
>
> On Sat, Dec 17, 2011 at 6:14 PM, Gordon Laco wrote:
>
>> Hello friends -
>> Just thawing out before supper - spent the whole day working on TOUCH 
>> WOOD.
>> Wonderful.
>>
>> With regard to other circumnavigators - actually Yves is the only one I 
>> know
>> about who did it in an A30.
>>
>> I have to say Cocos-Keeling is one of the places I'd love to see some 
>> day.
>> A dear friend here in Midland who passed away in '92 had a family 
>> connection
>> to that remote place.  During WW1 the German raider SMS EMDEN met her end
>> there when she stopped by to destroy the wireless and intercontinental 
>> cable
>> stations.  My friend's uncle was the radio operator there.  Those who've
>> read the story know that by misadventure, the Australian cruiser HMAS 
>> SYDNEY
>> was passing and heard the radio distress call from the island and was 
>> able
>> to force an engagement with EMDEN and destroy her.  Her wreck is still on
>> the reef and I'd really like to see it.
>>
>> The EMDEN story is remarkable both for the daring her Captain von Muller
>> exhibited before he was finally run to ground (at one point over 40 
>> warships
>> were hunting him)... But also because of the fact that despite sinking 
>> and
>> capturing dozens of Allied ships, he didn't kill a single one of their
>> crews.  He took great pains to ensure this was the case.
>>
>> EMDEN's landing party, left behind when their ship had to rush out to sea 
>> to
>> fight for her life, captured an old schooner in the harbour and sailed it 
>> to
>> Arabia.  There they marched and fought their way across the desert, 
>> finally
>> home to Germany overland.  EMDEN's Captain was captured with when he 
>> finally
>> struck his colours to SYDNEY after a desperate battle, and spent the rest 
>> of
>> the war a prisoner on Malta - supported by a strong committee consisting 
>> of
>> the captains of the ships he destroyed.  He was a good man and a great
>> seaman.
>> When the Nazi's rose to power they attempted to recruit von Muller, but 
>> he
>> refused and history honours him justly for that as well as for his great
>> humanitarianism.
>>
>> There's a lot on the internet about von Muller, SMS EMDEN and what 
>> happened
>> at Cocos-Keeling.
>>
>> Gord #426 SURPRISE
>>
>> 


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