Coming into
the harbor in the twilight of the dawn, she was taken by those on
shore to be the British ship, not a hostile gun ready for her.
Lying in the harbor was the Russian cruiser _Jemchug_ and three
French destroyers and a gunboat. The watch on the Russian ship
questioned her, and was told by the wireless operator on the _Emden_
that she was the _Yarmouth_ returning to anchor. By this ruse the
German ship was enabled to come within 600 yards of the Russian ship
before the false funnel was discovered. Fire immediately spurted
from the Russian guns, but a torpedo from the _Emden_ struck the
_Jemchug's_ engine room and made it impossible for her crew to get
ammunition to her guns. Von Mueller poured steel into her from a
distance of 250 yards with terrible effect. The Russian ship's list
put many of her guns out of action, and she was unable to deliver
an effective reply. Another torpedo from the _Emden_ exploded her
magazine. Fifteen minutes after the firing of the first shot the
Russian had gone to the bottom.
Von Mueller now put the prow of the _Emden_ to sea again, for he
feared that both the _Yarmouth_ and the French cruiser _Dupleix_
had by then been summoned by wireless. Luck was with him. Half an
hour after leaving the harbor he sighted a ship flying a red flag,
which showed him at once that she was carrying a cargo of powder. He
badly needed the ammunition, and he prepared to capture her.
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