THREE BRITISH CRUISERS TROPEDOED

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2263, 24 September 1914, Page 5

THREE BRITISH CRUISERS TROPEDOED

■ GERMAN SUBMARINE ATTACK ' ENEMY'S SHIPS ALSO DESTROYED BATTLE IN FRANCE GERMANS HARD PRESSED ON THE RIGHT FIGHTING IN BELGIUM GERMANS ON THE DEFENSIVE SERVIANS OCCUPY SARAJEVO The most startling item in to-day's news of the war in Europe ifl tne attack which has been-made upon three British cruisers in the North Sea. The old armoured cruisers Aboukir, Cressy, and Hogue— sister ships of tlje Euryalus, sometime flagship on the Australian star" ' tion, and on occasional visitor to Wellington—were torpedoed by Ger- ' man submarines. A later report states thai; the attackers were themselves destroyed/The loss to the N,avy, having regard to the age and general 'effioienoy of the sunken'cruisers, is not so serious as might at first, sight appear, although the score to the Germans will no doubt be regarded at Berlin as'justifying the wasp attacks they are said to have adopted'as their sea strategy in preference to formal engagements by their fighting fleets. H.M.S. Berwick, in the Atlantic, has be<ai doing effective, work in keeping the trade routes clear. On land, the operations in; France have. further advanced the steady pressure of the Allies oh the .German line, particularly on the enemy's right wing. General Von Kluck's headquarters have been removed to Mons, indicating, we are told, an early retreat from the present position of that wing. Heavy convoys are said to have concentrated at while , Arras has been hastily evacuated. Along the centre the ' operations of tie Allies / have been so far successful as to pin down tho German centre armies'to a definite line, compelling them to operate within given points, and restricting ' their manoeuvring for changes of front. ' The French armies in the ■ cast, betweon Belfort and Mulhauson, aw operating on the Gorman, frontier, and the situation in that region is distinctly unfavourable for the enemy. In Belgium the Germans are busily mining the roads and entrenching against attack from the Belgians should their'armies in France be. compelled to retreat, while the Belgians are preparing to ■ give the enemy a warm reception on their ; arriyal back from France. : In Galioia, the advance of the Russians is being well maintained, and : it is now clear that the Austrian armies have been effectively silenced, and that no offensive operations can be undertaken by them till the spring. The Servians, in-the south, have carried their successful invasion of Bosnia.ns far as the capital, Sarajevo, which, they have now occupied.