THE DESTROYERS' FIGHT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2286, 21 October 1914, Page 5

THE DESTROYERS' FIGHT

GERMAN FIRE MAINTAINED

TO THE END

(Rec. October 20, 6.50 p.m.)

London, October 19. Further details of the sinking of the four German destroyers show that by fino seamanship the enemy wore compelled to fight, 'l'hey faced the odds, bravely and opened fire at a range of fivo miles. Then whon the British ves-. sols closed in there began a running fight. While the cruiser Undaunted devoted her attention to two destroyers the British destroyers mado fine practice on tho others. The Loyal quickly shot down the funnel and the wheel of one, and the Lance, Legion, and Lennox battered the other. The German gunnery is described as poor, and the British destroyers came out almost unscathed. s After half at hour's fighting the first of the enemy's craft sank, and at intervals the others, still fighting gamely, sank, maintaining a fire until the end.\ The fight lasted ninety minutes.

WHAT'A TRAWLER SAW. (Rec. Ootober 20, 11.25 p.m.)

London, Ootober 19. The Undaunted's first wireless message on Saturday read: "Pursuing four German destroyors"; the second read. ''Sunk the lot."

The skipper of a Lowestoft trawler related that he saw the destroyers off the DutclTcoast. When the British appeared llio destroyers opened out. but the Britishers' speed frustrated the move. The Undaunted fired her forward guns,, and one destroyer was blown out of tho water and the rest sank rapidly.

L'HE NAVAL CAMPAIGN TO :DATE.

(Rec. October 20, 5.50 p.m.) > London, October 19.

"The Times", naval oorresppndent says: "During the progress of a sea war of their own choosing the Germans have succeeded in knocking off some useful vessels from our list, the feats embodying a large amount of luck. Our score has been chiefly made in tho good old above-board fashion, although British submarines have shown they can also play the other game successfully. The- affair of Saturday is an illustration of what may happen to other warships that njay try to sneak up the Belgian coast."—("Times" and' Sydney "Sun" Services.)