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SS Libau
SS Libau (pronounced [lɪˈbaʊ]; originally known as SS Castro) was a merchant steam ship. In 1916 she was disguised with the identity of a Norwegian vessel named the SS Aud ([ʔaʊ̯d]) in an attempt to carry arms from Germany to Ireland as part of the preparation for the Easter Rising.
SS Castro was a 1,062 ton steam cargo transport built for the Wilson Line of Hull, England in 1907. Castro measured 220 feet (67 m) in length with a beam 32 feet (9.8 m) and a draught of 12 ft (3.7 m). The ship was captured by the Imperial German Navy in the Kiel Canal, at the beginning of World War I in August 1914. Renamed Libau (the German name of Liepāja), she remained inactive until 1916, when designated as the vessel to carry a cargo of arms to Ireland, to aid the Easter Rising, and disguised with the stolen identity of a Norwegian vessel with a similar outline.
Masquerading as SS Aud, Libau set sail from the Baltic port of Lübeck on 9 April 1916, manned by a crew of 22 men under the command of Karl Spindler, bound for the south-west coast of Ireland. Libau, laden with an estimated 20,000 rifles, 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 10 machine guns, and explosives (under a camouflage of a timber cargo), evaded patrols of both the British 10th Cruiser Squadron and local auxiliary patrols.
After surviving violent storms off Rockall, Libau arrived in Tralee Bay on Holy Thursday, 20 April. There they were due to meet with Roger Casement, a former government official who had negotiated the arms transfer, but as they had no radio on board the ship, they were unaware that the IRB contacts in Kerry had been told to meet the ship on Easter Sunday off Fenit pier.
On Good Friday, 21 April, the Libau, whose true identity had been uncovered by the authorities, was approached by three Royal Navy destroyers and attempted to leave the area, but was cornered. Captain Spindler allowed his ship to be escorted towards Cork Harbour, in the company of the Acacia-class sloop HMS Bluebell. The German crew then scuttled the ship to keep the weapons from falling into British hands.
Spindler and crew were interned for the duration of the war.
Although Casement had been landed by the submarine U-19 in Banna Strand that Friday, he was captured and arrested, without ever meeting the Libau. Four months later he was tried and convicted of high treason for his involvement in the affair and subsequently executed.
One of the two cars carrying Spindler's contacts had crashed into the River Laune, many miles away, at Ballykissane pier, Killorglin (resulting in the death of three of the four occupants of the car). So there had never been any possibility of a successful organised transfer of arms.
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SS Libau AI simulator
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SS Libau
SS Libau (pronounced [lɪˈbaʊ]; originally known as SS Castro) was a merchant steam ship. In 1916 she was disguised with the identity of a Norwegian vessel named the SS Aud ([ʔaʊ̯d]) in an attempt to carry arms from Germany to Ireland as part of the preparation for the Easter Rising.
SS Castro was a 1,062 ton steam cargo transport built for the Wilson Line of Hull, England in 1907. Castro measured 220 feet (67 m) in length with a beam 32 feet (9.8 m) and a draught of 12 ft (3.7 m). The ship was captured by the Imperial German Navy in the Kiel Canal, at the beginning of World War I in August 1914. Renamed Libau (the German name of Liepāja), she remained inactive until 1916, when designated as the vessel to carry a cargo of arms to Ireland, to aid the Easter Rising, and disguised with the stolen identity of a Norwegian vessel with a similar outline.
Masquerading as SS Aud, Libau set sail from the Baltic port of Lübeck on 9 April 1916, manned by a crew of 22 men under the command of Karl Spindler, bound for the south-west coast of Ireland. Libau, laden with an estimated 20,000 rifles, 1,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 10 machine guns, and explosives (under a camouflage of a timber cargo), evaded patrols of both the British 10th Cruiser Squadron and local auxiliary patrols.
After surviving violent storms off Rockall, Libau arrived in Tralee Bay on Holy Thursday, 20 April. There they were due to meet with Roger Casement, a former government official who had negotiated the arms transfer, but as they had no radio on board the ship, they were unaware that the IRB contacts in Kerry had been told to meet the ship on Easter Sunday off Fenit pier.
On Good Friday, 21 April, the Libau, whose true identity had been uncovered by the authorities, was approached by three Royal Navy destroyers and attempted to leave the area, but was cornered. Captain Spindler allowed his ship to be escorted towards Cork Harbour, in the company of the Acacia-class sloop HMS Bluebell. The German crew then scuttled the ship to keep the weapons from falling into British hands.
Spindler and crew were interned for the duration of the war.
Although Casement had been landed by the submarine U-19 in Banna Strand that Friday, he was captured and arrested, without ever meeting the Libau. Four months later he was tried and convicted of high treason for his involvement in the affair and subsequently executed.
One of the two cars carrying Spindler's contacts had crashed into the River Laune, many miles away, at Ballykissane pier, Killorglin (resulting in the death of three of the four occupants of the car). So there had never been any possibility of a successful organised transfer of arms.