NAVAL ACTIONS OF THE WAR.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 187, 30 June 1916, Page 3 (Supplement)

NAVAL ACTIONS OF THE WAR.

Until this last big light, it was over sixteen, s'nce a naval action of any imp<.wu>n.c has been fought, the last being that i» which the British tcored a sttecess against a raiding Clerjnan squadron on the Dogger Bank in Januarv, 1915.

.The first sea fight of consequence in sthis war occurred off Heligoland on August 2S, 1914, when Commodore Tyrwhitt on the light cruiser Arethusa played a leading part in a vigorous and successful action, which resulted in the enemy losting three cruisers and a destroyer, whereas all the British ships got back to port. In those days everybody was expecting to hear of some great battle in the North Sea —rumours had been current irom the outbreak of the war—and the Heligoland fight relieved the tension. The engagement was brought about by the light armoured cruiser Arethusa, with a strong force of destroyers, intercepting enemy warships, which were guarding the approaches to the German coast. The principle of the operation was a scooping movement to cut oft' the German light craft from home, and then engage them at leisure in the o[>en sea. The Arethusa, leading the line of destroyers, was first attacked by two German cruisers, which she drove off. Later in the morning she engag.nl other vessels in company with the Fearloss and the British light cruiser squadron, when the Mainz (-1280 tons) was sunk. Considerably knocked about, and with several guns disabled, the Arethusa was about to be attacked bv two other Gorman cruisers the Koln (4280 tons) and Ariadne (2608 tons), when the British BattleCruiser Squadron, whicn, by the way, included the Queen Mary, arrived and sank the two latter. In addition the Germans lost two destroyers. In officers and men the Germans lost 1,200. The total British casualties were only 69 killed and wounded. Submarines on both sides were active, but could get in no effective work. A feature of this action was that it was fought .at comparatively short range, 0000 yards being the limit of visibility. The next action was the disaster off the Coronal coast, when Britain lost the Good Hope (14,000 ton-) and the Monmouth (9800 tons). These two vessels were steaming with the Gla.-gow (4800 tons) and the armed liner Otranlo to intercept the German Pacific; Squadron under Vice-Admiral Graf Yon Spec, and were expecting to be joined by the battleship Canopus before they encountered the enemy. At sunset on November Ist, 1914, they met the Scharnnorst and Gnoisenau (11,420 tons each) and the light cruisers Leipzig, Dresden and Nurnberg. In the ensuing action the Otranto took no part. A heavy sea was running, which made it impossible for the Good Hppe and the Monmouth to use their main deck guns ; and with the light conditions all against them the British guns were hopelessly outclassed. Both the Monmouth and Good Hope were hit by the enemy's third salvoes, and .ultimately sank, while the Glasgow was damaged, but escaped. BearAdmiral Sir Christopher Cradock went down with his flagship, the Good Hope. In this battle the entire crews oi the lost ships perished, rough weather precluding any possibility of rescue. The British Navy was not long unavenged. The Falkland Islands light saw the end of the German Pacific fleet, and between the Coroncl battle and the engagement H.M.A.S. Sydney caught and destroyed the notorious commerce-raider Emden on November 9th. On November 11th Yice-Admiral Sturdee's squadron, comprising the battle-cruisers Invincible and Inflexible, the armoured cruisers Carnarvon, Cornwall and Kent, and the light crui*ers Glasgow and Bristol, was lying at the Falkland Islands when the Germans ran, so to speak, right into its arms. There could only be one result. The enemy were overmatched and outnumbered, and had even less chance of siices? than had the Good Hope and Monmouth against them ten days previously. The British battle-cruiser.? attacked the Scharnhorst and Gnoisenau, both of which were sent down with colours still flying. The Leipzig -was driven by the Glasgow within range of the Kent and Cornwall and sunk, and the Kent, having seen the Leipzig out of action pursued and caught the Nurnjberg. The Dresden escaped. The German losses in men were heavy, but the British casualties totalled only •eleven.

Tlie Dogger Bank battle was a running fiulit bc-tweon a German squadron that was caught on Juno 2Stli, 1915, on its way to raid the East Coast of England, by British battle-cruiscru under the command of Sir David Beatty. 'l i e enemy had a fourteen milt*' start of the British warships, hut the latter had the advantage in speed. The enemy force comprised *he Derfflinger. Seydlitz. Moltke, and Blucher, and the chief British ships were the Lion, Tiger, Princess Royal, New Zealand, and Indomitable, the first three being the most modern vessels, mounting 1;',.5 inch guns. After a stern chase the British flagship got within range of the slow-footed Blucher (lo.oOO) and opened lire. Each of the British battle-cruisers in turn pounded the Blucher. which was eventually torpedoed bv the Aretliusa and sunk. An attempt, by the German destroyers to create a diversion was frustrated by the British destroyers, but enemy destroyers. getting between the Gorman battle cruisers and the British. raised huge volumes of smoke to toul the range, and under cover of thin tin- enemy changed his course, ritimatclv the Lion was disabled, and the presence of German submarines and the proximity of the German minefield caused the action to be abandoned. Of the Bliicht vV crew the British vc->sol» i-av-ed 2s:k The total Brit'sh casualties were 4 ; S. ami no ship was lost, though the German•> claimed persistently that they had r->ink one of our liatlle-crui—-er~. The Lion was totted back to port.