#OTD in 1916 – The merchant ship SS Libau left the German port of Lübeck disguised as the Norwegian ship of similar appearance, the SS Aud, for Ireland that were to be collected by Roger Casement with arms for the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Masquerading as the SS Aud, an existing Norwegian vessel of similar appearance, the Libau set sail from the Baltic port of Lübeck on 9 April 1916, under the Command of Karl Spindler, bound for the south-west coast of Ireland. Under Spindler was a crew of 22 men, all of whom were volunteers. The Libau/Aud, laden […]

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1916 – The Aud arrives at Banna Strand, Co Kerry, from Germany with 20,000 rifles for use of the Volunteers in the Easter Uprising.

A German ship, the Aud is discovered off the coast of Kerry with a reported shipment of up to 20,000 rifles for Irish rebels who were planning the 1916 Easter Rising (three days later). The crew scuttled the ship and spent the rest of the war in captivity. Meanwhile the U-19, failing to find the […]

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1916 – The merchant ship Aud leaves Germany for Ireland with arms for the Irish Republican Brotherhood.

Masquerading as the SS Aud —an existing Norwegian vessel of similar appearance— the Libau (also known as SS Castro) set sail from the Baltic port of Lübeck on 9 April 1916, under the Command of Karl Spindler, bound for the south-west coast of Ireland. Under Spindler was a crew of 22 men, all of whom […]

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