HOW VON SPEE WAS TRAPPED.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 4, Issue 8, 29 January 1915, Page 2 (Supplement)

HOW VON SPEE WAS TRAPPED.

BATTLE OFF FALKLAND ISLANDS

THE INVINCIBLE LEADS BRITISH SQUADRON. (The following vivid account of the destruction of Admiral Von Spee's squadron oft' the Falkland Islands is taken from the report supplied by officers of the battleship Invincible and cabled from Monte Video to the American Press.) MONTE VIDEO, Dec. 20. The British battleship Invincible, with Admiral Sturdee aboard, arrived here to-day with the first story of the battle off Falkland Islands, from the viewpoint of the victorious participants. The Invincible, which as Admiral Sturdee's flagship, led the British squadron against Admiral Von Spee's fleet, sinking the German flagship Scharnhorst and three others of the five German ships engaged, was damaged in several places by German shells, but none of the hits was dangerous. Nine officers and men of the Invincible were wounded, including Commander Towncend.

Officers of the Invincible stated that 130 Germans were saved, and have been sent to England as prisoners of war. The British officers paid high tribute to the Germans, all agreeing that they fought bravely.

REACH PORT STANLEY. The Invincible and Inflexible, according to officers of the Invincible, accompanied by the battleship Canopus and the armoured cruisers Carnarvon and Cornwall and light cruisers Bristol and Glasgow, arrived at Port Stanley, the seaport of the Falklands. on December 7 to coal. The big battle cruisers ran into the bay, which is almso completely land-lock-ed Surrounded by the high hills, they were entirely hidden from outside.

On the morning of December 8 the German squadron, consisting of the Scharnhorst, Leipzig, Nurnberg, Dresden, and Gneisenau, appeared on the horizon, with the ►vident intention of taking the Falklansd and seizing Port Stanley as a coaling station.

Finding apparently only the British squadron of five cruisers and one old battleschip on guard, the Germans promptly cleared for action, and, closing in, opened fire, the British cruisers replying. BATTLE CRUISERS EMERGE. The action was already furious when, through the narrow harbour entrance, emerged the two great battle cruisers, each with her eight 1 2-inch guns swung out for action. Admiral Von Spee only then realised his mistake, and the trap into which he had fallen, and made signal for his little, squadron to scatter. It was too late, however, the Germans having drawn far within the British range. The Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau at once became the targets for the British cruisers' salvos, the light German ships being left to the smaller British cruisers. The Invincible, being in the lead, received the brunt of the fire. Both German armoured cruisers, although seeing at once their hopeless position, fought desperately, and, being within range for their S-inch guns, got home several broadsides on the In'vincible's side, which, however, rattled vainly against her heavy armour.

German shells exploded all about the Invincible's decks for a few moments, and one S-nich shell wrecked the cruiser's ward room, but. the crew were all under cover at battle stations.

Meanwhile one 12-in. salvo after another was methodically battering the German ships to pieces, tearing away their armour and opening gaping holes in their sides. ENEMY SHIPS TAKE FIRE.

It was not long before the flames were licking about the upper works, first of the Scharnhorst, then of the Gneisenau, and one after the other their guns became silent as the crevs were killed at their stations. lint there was no hint of surrender. With the last of their guns still blazing defiance, first one, then the other of the two gallant cruisers heeled slowly over and went down. Admiral Von Spee's flag at the main truck of the Scharnhorst was the last seen of the cruiser

Meanwhile the Glasgow, which was In her second battle with the German squadron, had overtaken the Leip'Vg and was settling an account due since November 1 off Coronel. The fight was not so unequal as that between the larger ships, and it was on the Glasgow that mr-st of the Brtish casualties took place. T;ie 6-in guns of the Glasgow counted for more than the 4-in. of the Leipzig, and at the end of a two-hour action the German ship, on fire and sinking, hoisied the white flag. The Glasgow promptly ceased firing, and, running down close to the sinking German ship, lowered her boats to save tho remnants of her crew. But as the first British boats started across the water on their trrand of mercy, according to the British accounts, another gun bla?ed forth from the Leipzig's side and a

shell exploded on the Glasgow's decks. The Glasgow's guns were manned once mre and another broadside poured into the German, sinking her. Ibe British officers, however, expressed regret at this outcome of the heat of battle, as they generally are inclined to believe that the shot fired from the Leipzig was accidental. The other British ships succeeded a little later in coming up with the Nurnberg. Her captain refused to surrender, and, completely outnumbered and outweighed, she was speedily sent to the bottom. Her destruction however, was the salvation of the Dresden and the troopship Prince Eitel Frederick, as the British cruisers stopped their pursuit long enough , to pick up the survivors from the Nurnberg, and this brief respite enabled the Dresden to get clear away. The description of four of the British ships engaged is as follows: Invincible. —Battleship, 17,250 tons displacement, 25 knots speed, eight 12-in. guns, eleven 4-in. guns, 5 torpedo tubes. Inflexible.—Sister ship of the Invincible. Canopus.—Battleship, 12,950 tons displacement, 18 knots, four 12-in. guns, twelve 6-in. guns, eight 12pounders, eight 3-pounders. Glasgow.—Lgiht cruiser. 5000 tons displacement, two 6in. guns, six 4-in. guns, and two torpedo tubes.