WAR STORIES

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1929, Page 2

WAR STORIES

monitors in east africa. Early in June 191 o the two British monitors Mersey and Severn readied Mafia Island, near the mouth of the Rlifiji River in East Africa. In the river the German light cruiser Konigsbcrg had taken refuge in 1914. She was a fast and formidable craft, whirl), had sunk the British light cruiser Pegasus. To blockade her, a consiilerahle squadron was required; and her anchorage could not be reached by any of the British cruisers in East African waters because of-the shallowness of the Rnfiji. For that reason the two monitors were sent out from England. Two aircraft were also sent cut for the work of spotting,, this bein**. the first time that an attempt had' been made to destroy a hostile vessel by indirect lire from the sea. The Ivonigsberg was anchored nine Hides up the river. On July 6 the two monitors pushed on to a point about 11,000 yards from the Konigsborg, whence their b uns could reach her. No sooner had the Mersey ai d Severn anchored and opened fire than their crews found that the Ivouig--borg had .their range exactly. She placed salvoes of four or five 4, in.

shells neatly about them every minute or two. Yet by some stroke of luck neither ship was hit till the fight was tfiioe- ' quarters of an hour old, when one of the .Mersey's 6-in guns was put out of action and 3 men were killed and 1 disabled. A. little later she was hit on the waterline, and. as there was considerable risk of her disablement if she remained in her position, she .shifted her anchorage to a point half a mile away. 'l’lie Konigsbcrg remained intact and ln«t only 4 killed and 10 '.rounded. 'Hie business of spotting from the air—then a new manoeuvre—was extremely difficult with the weak aeroplanes of that date, the intense sunlight, and the lack of experience in the airmen. Towards 4 p.m. the British flotilla retired with 1 killed and 4 wounded, having achieved 'little. How the j Konigsbcrg was eventually destroyed will be told next week. A VERY GALLANT FAILURE. THE r,th KING'S OWN AT DTYALA. Advancing from Ctosiphon up the old road to Baghdad in March 1917 our troops had to secure the crossing of the Divala river at or near Us junction with the Tigris, where Divala village stands. There was little lime for reconnaissance. That part of the village on the near bank had

been abandoned by the Turks; the 6th King’s Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment), which led the column, dashed forward under fire and occupied it at 11 p.m. on March 7. Pontoons were now brought up to ferry the Lancaster men across tin river. The bright moonlight, whih betraying to the enemy anyOnovement near the water’s edge, was a help to the sappers—men of the 71st Field Company and No. 2 Bridging Trni in bringing up the pontoons throng the houses, trees, and walled garden; DEADLY FIRE. There was no time to clear specie, passages and each pontoon require 16 men to carry it. The only spo at which launching was easy was tli ramp of an old bridge, and on tlr the Turk's in houses near the oppo site bank had trained their rifles am machine-guns. As soon as the first launching partappeared :i deadly fire was opened Every one of the party was hit, but with the utmost coolness, prepara lions wore made to get four pontoon; afloat at 3 a.m. At that hour two succeeded iiv reaching mid-stream only to receive a fusillade which killed or wounded all on board : men of the King’s Own and the rowers, who were volunteers from the other Lancashire battalions of the brigade. The two craft drifted away down the Tigris, and another

was shelled and sunk with all its freight.

Courage and illation could not achieve the impossible, and orders were given to abandon the attempt, which had cost the King’s Own 40 in killed and wounded, including two officers.

Our total loss amounted to 60 of all ranks; practically all who had been concerned in the venture.