SUCCESSFUL RAID BY GERMAN CRUISERS.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2336, 18 December 1914, Page 5

SUCCESSFUL RAID BY GERMAN CRUISERS.

BOMBARDMENT OF BRITISH COASTAL TOWNS HOSTILE RAIDERS ESCAPE IN THE MIST ByTol«cr<vph—Fresa AMSolaUon—C9X>T*U*t London, Deoember 16. The Press Bureau reports:— ' "Important German movements are taking place in the North Sea. '.'German vessels are at Scarborough and Hartlepool. "Our flotillas are engaged at various points." Two German cruisers Dombarded Whitby. A number of houeos were partially destroyed and Whitby Abbey was damaged. , . One person was killed and several injured. The Press Bureau states that the Germane engaged the fortress at West Hartlepool, but were driTen off. SHELLS FILL THREE MILES INLAND. London, December 16. It is reported that eighteen persons were killed at Scarborough. Thirty snells were thrown at \VMtby. Some fell three miles inland. The damage done, was ohiefly in tho lloadowfield district. A civilian has died from injuries received. Apparently the raid was made by two or three fast German oruisers, who dropped the shells in the towns over a forty-mile stretch of coast and disappeared in a fog. Scarborough alone reports eighteen killed and one hundred injured. CHASED '. ' jY THE BRITISH SQUADRON. « London, December Iβ. The Admiralty announces that a number of the latest German ships mad* a demonstration on tbe Yorkshire coast, where they remained an hour, and that when a British patrolling squadron was endeavouring to cut them off they went away at full epeed and escaped in a mist. The losses on both sides were small. FORTY SHELLS FIRED INTO SCARBOROUGH. London, December 18. Particulars regarding tho German raid are meagre. The military authorities control the telegraphic communications. About forty shells fell in Scarborough, the objectives apparently being the wireless station and the Town Hall. Two struck St. Martin's Church during tho Communion. Tho congregation remained calm. The cruisers steamed slowly past the town. The bombardment of West Hartlepool tras simultaneous with that of Scarborough. It lasted twenty-fivo minutes. A shell fired the gaeworks, but the result is unknown. Rows of houses were destroyed and a number of persons killed. The Press Association reports a naval engagement off Hartlepool. A British destroyer flotilla encountered three German cruisers eight miles off the coast. HUGE HOLES MADE IN BUILDINGS. i Huge holes were made in several buildings, and the Town' Hall was slightly damaged. ' The Scarborough wireless station is intact. [The wireless station at Scarborough belongs to the Admiralty, and is used only for official meseages. Details of its power and equipment are not available.] Many of tho people of Scarborough fled towards Hull. The bombardment began at 8 o'clock in the morning. It is reported that several buildings were damaged. The Exchange Company reports that four German cruisers participated in the bombardment. ■ ENEMY CRUISERS HIT BY LAND BATTERY CASUALTIES TOTAL 110, MOSTLY CIVILIANS. (llec. December 17, 7.40 p.m.) , London, December 17. The War Office announces that two German battle-cruisers and armoured cruisers commenced the bombardment of Hartlepool at 8 a.m on December 5. The land batteries replied, and apparently hit and damaged tho enemy. Firing ceased nt 8.50 a.m., whoa the enemy steamed off. None of our guns wero touched. A shell fell in the Roynl Engineer linos, and several in the line of the I.Bth Service Battalion of the Durham light infantry. Thej casualties among tho troops were seven killed and fourteen wounded. Some damage was done to the town and the gasworks were fired. Tile people during the bombardment, especially at West Hnrtlepnol) crowded (.he sti'cota, and iipproxltnately ttverily-U'o were killed and 61 ty wounded.

Simultaneously a battle-cruiser and an ajmourod , oruieer fired fifty Bhote into 'Scarborough, doing considerable damage. There were thirteen, casualties. Two battle-cruisers at Whitby fired shots, damaging some buildinge. Here two were killed and two wounded. The "War Office adds at all three places there, was an entire absence of panic. The demeanour of our people was everything that could be desired. THEY MAY OOME ONCE TOO OFTEN. (Rec. December 17, 7.40 p.m.) London, December 17. The "Times" in a leader says the possibility of such a raid was widely known, especially on the east coast. We fully 'expect the Germans to come again, until they come once too often. They think to frighten us, but we are not easily frightened, and they might as wall throw pebbles at the rock of Gibraltar." . . « [The bombarded towns are all on th e coast of Yorkshire and Durham, and the distance from Scarborough to Hartlepod is about forty-five miles. West Hartlepool ie a borough three times as large as Hartlepool, and has about 64,000 inhabitants. It has extensive shipbuilding yards. Middlesbrough is about ten milee from Hartlepool, and so mo miles in from the general coastline. It has important iron and shipbuilding works, a graving dock, and a fine breakwater. Redcar is a popular bathing resort, on the ocean coast, ten miles eastward of Middlesbrough. Twenty miles to the south-east is Whitby, chiefly notable as a fishing centre. Whitby Abbey, dedicated to St. Hilda, dates from tho middle of tho seventh century, Scarborough is one of the most famous of English watering places. It is fifty-four miles north of Hull. It has a, beautiful sandy bay, surrounded by lofty oliffs, which ri6e like an amphitheatre. The coastline from south of Scarborough to near Redcar is very lofty, with intersecting gorges. The British coastline attacked by the Germans is about 350 miles from the German naval base at Wilhelmshaven. OFFICIAL MESSAGES FROM THE HIGH COMMISSIONER. The Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. F. Massey) received the following message from the High Commissioner (Hon. T. W. Mackenzie) yesterday:— London, December 16. "The Germans shelled Scarborough and Hartlepool. "British flotillas are engaged, "The situation is developing. * "Whitby, Middlesbrough, and Redcar were also bombarded bj the Germane." "A fortress at West. Hartlepool .engaged the German war vessels. The enemy wae driven oftv A email German vessel fired on Scarborough and Whitby." A German cruiser force made a demonstration upon the Yorkshire coast, shelling Hartlepool, Whitby, and Scarborough. A number of the fastest ships were employed for this purpose, and remained about an hour on the coast, being engaged by patrol vessels on the spot. As the presence of the enemy was reported, the British patrolling squadron endeavoured to cut them off. On being sighted by British vessels the Germans returned at full speed, and, favoured by mist, succeeded in making good their escape. The losses on both sides are small, but full reports have not yet been received. The Admiralty point out that a demonstration of this charaoter against unfortified towns or commercial porte is devoid of military significance, and must not in any circumstances be allowed to modify the naval policy. The English coast bombardment casualties were troops at Hartlepool 7 killed, 10 wounded. Damage was done to tlis town, and the gasworks wore Bred. The people crowded vtho streets. Approximately twenty-two were killed and fifty wounded. Scarborough, thirteen casfcualtiea. ' Whitby, two killed and two wounded. Everywhere there was an entire absence of panic. AMERICAN NAVAL EXPERTS" ARE SURPRISED. Washington, December 16. Naval experts have expressed surprise that the Germane were able to break through the British fleet and attack the English ooaet. • It is thought the Germans are simply endeavouring to create a scare, and are not likely to accomplish a useful purpose. It is pointed out that the Germane are disregarding the laws of warfare in bombarding unfortified and unprotected towns.. ' . • . GERMAN RAIDING VESSELS SUNK AN UNCONFIRMED REPORT FROM BLYTH (Reo. December 17, 10.35 p.m.) London, December 17. When the British destroyers appeared the enemy's bigger ships desisted from the bombardment and retired. There were some minor engagements, but they were unproductive of decisive results to either aide. Narratives of residents show that men, women, and children were killed and others wounded. The indignation universally aroused by the attaok, which in the case of such undefended towns as Whitby and Scarborough is a manifest violation of The Hague Convention, is exceeded only by sympathy for the viefcoms of tho barbaric act. It is generally agreed by experte that tho Fombardment was out of the control of the North Sea Fleet, which cannot be everywhere. Moreover, the blockade of the German coast is not a close blockade, as in olden wars. The Admiralty point out that demonstrations "of this character against unfortified towns and commercial, porte are easy of accomplishment, provided a certain amount of risk is accepted, but they are devoid of military significance, , and although thoy ma-y cause loss of life among civilians, they must under no circumstances be allowed to modify the general naval policy which is being pursued. An unofficial report from Blyth stakes that all the German raiding vessels Were sunk. A message from Stockton-ou-Tees. states that thirty were killed and eixtyfoUE. injured at Hartlepool. THE OBJECTS OF THE RAID TO RELIEVE THE DEPRESSION IN GERMANY AND CREATE A PANIC IN ENGLAND (Reo. December 17, 10.55 p.m.) London, December 17. A couple of flashes and the roar of big guns startled the people of Scarborough, who were mostly breakfasting by gaslight, it boing an unusually dark morning. _ A light cruiser oame close in to ehore and a, bigger vessel remained at a distance, firing recklessly. The whole sea-front was swept by a rapid succession of shells, and most damage was done to Castle Hill, and Castlekeep was also damaged. Shells struck the General Hospital of tho Royal Northern Infirmary, Where there were wounded soldiers, but nono were injured. The Town Hall and several churches were damaged. The western part suffered' badly, many houses being demolished. The guns were" fired in threes, and after a few seconds' pause terrifying explosions indicated where the shells lodged. Three struck the~(irand Hotel, doing heavy damage. , _ A wounded resident who has arrived in London estimates that nearly a hundred houses were destroyed in East Scarborough. The population generally w*a calm. ' The objects of the raid were probably to relieve the depression in Germany and create panic in England, in the hope of retarding reinforcements being sent to the Continent. Another object, equally futile, was to divert some warships guarding the North Sea, and thereby enable tvould-be raiders to reach th trade routes or for contraband to enter Germany. The Emden's fate and the result of the Falkland Island battle were also great factors, and the newspapers recall Count Reventlow'6 recent statement that Germans must see clearly that in order to fight with success they muat fight ruthlessly in the proper meaning of the word. ' . A VIVID. ACCOUNT OF THE RAID : SOME TRAGIC SCENES IN SCARBOROUGH. (Rec. December 18, 0.15 a.m.) London, December 17. Those killed at Scarborough include several children of Mr. John Hall, exalderman. A postman was about to hand a letter to a servant when a shell exploded between them, killing both. A mother and daughter fleeing from their house were killed.on the doorstep. Elsewhere a mother and two children were killed. William Avery, a Salvation Army adjutant, was killed at Hartlepool, and leaves a widow and five children. , ; When the thunder of the guns was first heard at West Hartlepool, tho inhabitants 'regarded it as gun practice; thoy then heard explosions in the direction of tho railway station and ship-yards, and saw the gasometers and timber-yards on the waterfront burst into flames. The weather was hazy, and nothing was visible except tho sudden jets of flame. Tho forts came into action, and all the troops paraded to prevent a possible landing. , ■ The shops and offices were omptied and business was suspended. The waterworks were partly damaged, and several houses in the higher parts of the town were wrecked. Many people ran to the park, where several shells fell in their midst, but none were hurt. The residents of Black Hallrocks, five miles from West Hartlepool. saw the ships firing their broadsides, then turning and firing the opposite broadsides. , ; It is reported that the warships diplayed British signals, and were taken for friendly vessels until thoy opened fire. One family, consisting of father, mother, and six children, at Hartlepool. were killed. In another case one child in a family of four escaped. Several children proceeding to school were killed. A shell burst among a group of volunteers and killed seven. ' MEN ON ATTACKING BRITISH DESTROYER WOUNDED. (Rec. December 18, 0.35 a.m.) London, December 17. Under cover of the haze the warships approached to within a mile of Whitby. The first shot lodged in'Eastcliffe: they then got the range and rained shells o\i tl\o town. It is estimated that two hundred were fired. Many fell short. They were directed at the coastguard buildings, which were slightly damaged. Windows were broken throughout the town, otherwise the damage was apparently not serious. , , Many precautions prearranged '• on .the east coast were put into cnect. The gtis was cut off at North Shields, and the military guarded the Post Office. Tho news of the raid in many places, both on the coast arid • inland, caused a marked spurt in recruiting. ■ A wounded lieutenant and six men ot a destroyer were taken to the hospital in South Shields'Thw stuto thnt three German cruiaere snd four destroyers attacked tho Tyjie flotilla. A ebell exploded aboard the destroyer Md ...wounded otieia besides tfw seven,