Page 421 - The Dutch Caribbean Isles

n route on 28 August she received a man ships, HC Horn’s Consul Horn, which tling Antilla. One crewman locked himself
that evening successfully escaped through in the engine room, opened her seacocks
E coded radio message that all German the Allied blockade.[3] On 29 February the and climbed out through the funnel. Other
other two ships, Rudolf Christian Gribel’s crew set fire to several parts of the ship.
ships unable to reach a German harbor Heidelberg and HAPAG’s Troja tried to The Dutch marines boarded the ship and at
within four days should seek refuge in escape. Royal Navy ships intercepted them 0530 the German crew was assembled on
neutral ports. On 1 September, the day so their crews scuttled the two merchant- the poop deck. The Marines escorted the
Germany invaded Poland, Antilla bunkered men to prevent their capture. On 9 April crew ashore in a lifeboat and handed them
at Cartagena and sailed for neutral Curaçao. Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. into the custody of the Royal Marechaussee.
However, en route Schmidt learnt that This increased the fear that the Netherlands A few hours later two Netherlands Coast-
Willemstad Harbour was already full of Ger- would also be invaded, so on 12 April Dutch guard vessels, HM Aruba and HM Practico,
man merchant ships, so he and three other authorities in Aruba confined Antilla’s crew reached Malmok Bay and found Antilla on
German ships changed course for Aruba. In to their ship. On 10 May Germany invaded fire. Two of Aruba’s crew boarded Antilla,
October Antilla discharged her cargo of sul- the Netherlands so the Dutch govern- found the engine room and numbers 4 and
phur at San Nicolaas in the south of Aruba. ment ordered the seizure of all German 5 holds afire, and that it was not possible
However, the four ships’ anchorage was in ships in the Dutch Antilles. On 10 May a to reach the seacocks and close them. After
Malmok Bay in the northwest of the island. section of Dutch Marines in two boats ap- the Dutch marines had removed the Ger-
proached Antilla to board her but Schmidt man crew, Aruba fired two rounds at Antilla
T he Royal Netherlands Navy submarine refused to lower the gangway. The Dutch from her 37mm gun. By 0650 hrs. Antilla
HNLMS O 14 monitored the German marines were commanded by a Captain was afire from stem to stern and listing 20
ships in Dutch Antilles waters. Outside who anticipated armed resistance from the degrees to port. Aruba left Malmok Bay at
Dutch Antilles waters, ships of the Royal German crew. He therefore postponed the 1130 hrs., by which time Antilla’s list had in-
Navy America and West Indies Station and boarding to first light, when a machine gun creased to 30 degrees and she was sinking.
of the French Navy patrolled, blockading positioned ashore could provide cover. The
any German ships from leaving. However, German crew used the delay to start scut-
on 9 January 1940 ten members of Antilla’s
crew signed on to one of the other Ger-