What is the WillmoTo?

In the half-light of the equatorial daybreak, a U.S. cruiser sighted a vessel about eleven miles away. The cruiser signaled by searchlight. There was no answer--first suspicion.

The cruiser approached, made out a U.S.

flag at the stern, other flags on the weather screen of the lower bridge on each side.

At the bow and over the bridge was the word Willmoto; a signal flag was hoisted also indicating the name Willmoto. No answer to further searchlight signals--second suspicion.

The cruiser hauled up alongside, and an officer shouted through a megaphone: "Where you from? Where you bound?" The answer, "Cape Town to New Orleans," came in broken English--third suspicion.

The officer shouted: "Why don't you answer signal?" No answer--fourth suspicion. Packages were observed being thrown overboard in a steady stream--fifth suspicion.

The cruiser dispatched a boarding party. But before the boarding party could get to the "Willmoto," the merchantman hauled down her call and hoisted the flags N (blue & white checks) over O (yellow & red diagonal fields): "I am sinking; send boats for passengers and crew." Immediately afterward there were two dull explosions aft, and lifeboats dropped.

The boarding party got aboard, found that the crew of 45 was German, that the vessel was the 5,098-ton German motor-ship Odenwald, that she had cleared from Yokohama for German-held Bordeaux via Cape Horn with a cargo of baled raw rubber and U.S.-made tires and tubes. A dollar bill was found in one of the inners; bags of peanuts were also found. No arms were found except revolvers.

Two of the Germans were so scared that they jumped right into the sea. The others were just sullen; all they would say was that the Odenwald, alias Willmoto, was due to sink within the half-hour.

She took a list and settled by the stern, but did not sink. The cruiser sent a salvage crew aboard, who eventually succeeded in pumping water out faster than the Odenwald, alias Willmoto, shipped it; and got the engines going. . . .

All that happened two weeks ago. This week the Odenwald, alias Willmoto, dragged into San Juan, P.R., under her own motive power but in the captive power of the U.S. Navy. She was proof in bulk that little suspicions can make a big difference.

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