George Washington's Ghost

The survivors of the Achilles had been billeted in the makeshift, hurriedly thrown up barrack camp bordering the jungle about a mile south west of the nearest coastline, which now entertained the men of the SMS Emden. There were only thirty-three men left under Peter Cowdrey-Singh’s command, existing rather than living in a hut surrounded by the five-hundred-and-thirty-seven men disembarked from the German cruiser.

Ironically, having initially been in such a screaming hurry to expel every ‘heretic and unbeliever’ off their new toy, the Dominicans had quickly realised that the one-hundred-and-eighty men of their own religion and navy already on board the Emden – supposedly ‘in training’ – were, when push came to shove, patently incapable of running the big, modern, complicated and in many ways, very delicate prize even when she was tied up alongside the quay.

“The idiots have already damaged number two boiler and short-circuited the aft fire control station!” Kapitan-zur-See Claude Wallendorf, the Emden’s former commanding officer, an irascible man of Franco-German heritage, could barely contain his mounting outrage as he and Peter Cowdrey-Singh accompanied the German Minister and his wife on a tour of the new ‘Naval Camp’ situated about half-a-mile into the jungle. “My people say they can hardly bear to watch the fools monkeying around with the guns; they expect the idiots to inadvertently loose off a salvo at any moment. The Dominicans are like children, spoiled, ignorant children!”

Prior to handing over the ship Hans von Schaffhausen had asked Wallendorf to transmit a list of the names of the British ‘guests’ under the protection of the German Concession, and of those men who had died in the Weser’s action against ‘pirate elements of the Santo Domingo Navy’, to the Admiralty in Berlin in ‘the plain’, so that the Royal Navy would, at least, be able to intercept the signal and therefore, be able to communicate what little good news there was, to the comrades and relatives of the men under his protection on the island.

The High Command had wanted to know why Wallendorf had transmitted in plain text; he had peremptorily wired back: “CODE BOOKS DESTROYED TO AVOID SAME FALLING INTO THE HANDS OF THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE.”

Yesterday morning, Peter Cowdrey-Singh had been invited by the German Minister to sit with him awhile on his balcony, to drink tea and to enjoy the ongoing slapstick chaos on the quayside and on the upper decks of the Emden

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After touring the jungle camp, the Royal Navy man accompanied the German Minister, his wife, Claude Wallendorf and a protective escort of former crewmen of the Emden – each carrying side arms – on a walk through the Concession’s small port.

“The Dominicans have had militiamen swarming all over the ship looking for things to steal,” Wallendorf went on disgustedly. “The chap they’ve put on board to command the ship has a bloody Inquisitor standing behind his shoulder all the damned time!”

The previous day the Anglo-Indian former Executive Officer of the Achilles had watched the ‘idiots’ dismantling several heavy anti-aircraft guns and dumping crate upon crate of treasure ripped out of the bowels of the cruiser onto the dockside.

He grunted his barely concealed contempt: “I wouldn’t be surprised if we wake up one morning and the bloody ship has capsized alongside the dock!”

Personally, Peter Cowdrey-Singh would not shed many tears if that happened. Although Claude Wallendorf seemed like a decent sort, and he and his officers were obviously unhappy about the part they had played in recent events, the Royal Navy man was not about to forget the death, destruction, and blood spilled that Wallendorf, and all the other ‘good’ Kaiserliche Marine men like him in the Caribbean, had caused while fighting for his King’s enemies.

“And now,” Wallendorf protested to the German Minister, his ire and the violence of his language only restrained by the presence of a lady, the German Minister’s effervescent wife, Angela, “you are telling me that not only has the Empire broken off diplomatic relations with the British, but that normal, customary channels of communication with our brothers in the Royal Navy have also been outlawed!”

Hans von Schaffhausen nodded.

“Yes. Since then I have received further updates from Berlin and a communication from the Governor of New England in respect of the message, that you, Kapitan Wallendorf, kindly transmitted in respect of the survivors of HMS Achilles.”

The Emden’s ex-commanding officer listened, still scowling.

“My information is that although the Kaiserliche Marine supports the administration of the new Kaiser, it is taking no part in the fighting in Berlin or in quelling the ongoing disturbances in the other cities, other than providing peace-keeping detachments in the major ports, Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, Cuxhaven, Stettin and Danzig.”