THE SEA BATTLE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 11, 31 August 1914, Page 5

THE SEA BATTLE

SICKENING DETAILS OF THE PLIGHT OF THE WOUNDED.

"THE KAISER’S INFAMOUS WAR.”

DESTROYERS’ PLUCKY FIGHT RESULTS IN VICTORY.

BRITISH LOSE 29 KILLED.

(Received 8 a.m.)

London, August 30 (morning)

When the British destroyers went to the rescue they found the decks of the German ships lined with bodi«i. In many cases the wounded had but bleeding stumps left of their arms, while in others the legs were hanging by a shred. One who was formerly a waiter in a London hotel had the right side of his face practically blown away. They fiercely denounced th* Kaiser’s infamous war.

The victory was even more splendid than the official report indicates.

The consensus of the survivors’ narratives is that the battle was charaeterised by magnificent dash and th« boldest daring on the part of our d««troyers, which were fairly near tht German ships before they were discovered and fired upon.- Th« fort* joined in the cannonade, and the destroyers were soon hotly engaged. Thor gradually drew the enemy towards the open sea, where the German cruisers were reinforced with smaller craft. One account states that the enemy’s gunners made better practice from the forts than the ships’. The shells from the land did most damage, although they were hied too high. When the German cruisers opened fire they held a position of great advantage, i*asmuch as our battle cruisers and light cruisers had not yet apepared, though they had been steaming fast. The destroyers for some time bore the brunt, aided by two scout leaders.’ The damaged vessels showed that the struggle had been a grim one. The destroyers attacked the enemy incessantly until the heavy warship*

brought aid. The Admiralty announces that the British losses in Heligoland amounted to two officers and 27 men killed and nineteen men severely wounded, and one officer and eighteen men slightly injured.

STIRRING FEATS OF BRITISH SEAMEN.

THE SINKING 9F THE ENEMY'S VESSELS. . V

(Received 9.15 a.m.) , i '. ' t ■ l London, August 30. Tn the' Htelio'goland engagement twa of opr. showed magnificent pluck and ran between two German icruisers and greatly harassed them. The Germans were afraid to fire, or fired hesitatingly, fearing to hit each other. Four destroyers battered a German cruiser so much that she started to sink, and a ship approached and finished her. One cruiser while stiffly engaging German cruisers was hit nineteen times, some of the holes being just on the water line. They hare since been plugged with wood and fcbhefWise* the ship is not seriously flamag’MV A shell caught, her ~ aft, pierced her annp'ur and passed,through the' ‘ship/’ The Mainz began to sink by the stern and then the bow rose high out of the water and she suddenly vanished.

GERMAN OFFICIAL ACCOUNT §F THE ACTION.

DEFEAT ADMITTED.

Copenhagen, August 30.

A German semi-official statomoat says that several small British cruisers and nearly forty torpedoers appeared in the bay north-west of Heliogolamd and there was desperate isolated fighting between them. Small German cruisers went in a westerly direction

and came in contact with several strong cruisers. The German cruiser Ariadne was hit by shots from two of the Lion class and sank after a glorious fight. The majority of the crow of 250 were saved. A torpedoer was bombarded by a small cruiser and ten torpedoers aud sank after firing till the last moment. The commander of the squadron, was killed. The small cruisers Koeln aud Maine are missing. According to English accounts they sank after a fight with a superior force. Six of their officers and ninetv-oa* men were apparently saved by the Britishers.