The North Sea Fight.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 22, 27 January 1915, Page 5

The North Sea Fight.

“TURNED TAIL.” ENEMY’S INGLORIOUS DISPLAY. THE LION’S SHARE. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, January 26. Sailors who have returned to Grimsby state that a British destroyer sighted the enemy at the Dogger Bank. The fastest ofthe British small vessels exchanged shots with the German light cruisers, while the battle cruisers endeavoured to bring the large ships into action. A running fight continued for a hundred miles. The Blucher caught fire, while another battle cruiser was afire, and |4ie whole of the gear above deck of another cruiser was shot away. The British have been ceaselessly watching off Yarmouth since the Germans escaped from Scarborough. Sailors who have returned to Leith state that the chase began when the Germans turned tail. The Lion led, not firing for. a considerable time, but at last the sighter secured the range and a thunderous roar followed, announcing the discharge of her 13-inch guns. The Lion took on all the fighting. Her speed exceeded all expectations.

THE FISHERMEN’S NARRATIVE. L NlXßii Pußit AiSOOiATIOM. Amsterdam, January 26. The sailers of the Dutch trawler Erica narrate that the British lire was somewhat slower than that of the Gei’inans, ljut far more efficient, and every shell appeared to hit in the right place. The Blucher was quickly disabled. Her crew sang patriotic songs while the vessel was foundering. When the Blucher disappeared, British boats rescued numerous survivors under the enemy’s relentless fire. The damaged German ships had their rudders disabled. SATISFACTION OF SUCCESS. The Russians are delighted with Vice-Admiral Beatty’s victory. Admiral Skrydloff declared that the British Navy throughout has accomplished everything humanly possible. Admiral Skrydloff recently returned, after .spending several months in England. The Times, in a leader, says: “One point requiring further emphasis is the proof of Imperial solidarity supplied by the participation of H.M.S. New Zealand in the North Sea fight. The whole Empire may be proud that this fine warship, built by our brethren at the other end of the world, was able to do such excellent service.” Mr John Redmond, on behalf of the Wexfordianj), congratulated Vice-Ad-miral Sir David Beatty. ' Paris-, January 26. Vice-Admiral Beatty’s victory was received with the greatest satisfaction and spirited newspaper comments. New York, January 20. The leading newpsapers exhibit a tendency to rejoice at tbe British victory, this being due to the belief that the Germans were about to attempt a raid on defenceless towns.

HALSEY’S THANKS. “THE FLAG IS READY TO HOIST AGAIN.” (Received 12.50 p.m.) London, January 26. Captain Halsey, in thanking the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie for the New Zealand congratulations telegraphed: “The flag is ready to hoist again.” PRESS COMMENT. “ACT OF JUSTICE AGAINST THE BABY-KILLERS.” (Received 9.0 a.m.) London, January 26. The Daily Chronicle says:— Vice-Admiral Beatty’s victory is an act of justice against “the babykillers.” Everybody rejoiced when Von Muller was saved from the Emden, and regretted when Von Spee was drowned at the Falklands, but there is no such sentiment for the “Baby-killers,” for whose claim the old stern naval justice would have exacted repayment at the yardarm. The Daily Mail declares that moral superiority passes decisively to Britain. The children of Drake and Nelson have lost none of their ancestors’ valor and seamanship. BLUCHER’S CAPTAIN SAVED. London, January 26. The Blucher’s captain is among the survivors.

The following shows the respective ships engaged and their tonnage:— BRITISH. Lion .... 26,350 Tiger 26,350 Princess Royal ... ... 26,350 New Zealand 18,800 Indomitable ... ... 17,250 Total 115,100 GERMAN. Derffiliuger 26,200 Sedlitz ... ... ... 24,640 Moltko 22,640 Blucher 15,550 - Total 89,030 As will be seen the British had the advantage in tonnage of ships en- ( gaged. They also were superior in guns, as the following will show : ENGLISH SHIPS. Lion ... 8 13.5 in. 16 4in. Tiger ... 8/ 13.5 in. 16 4in. Princess Royal 8 13.5 in. 16 4in, New Zealand 8 12in. 16 4in. Indomitable ... 8 12in. 16 4in. In addition there were the usual complements of 3-pouuder and machine guns. GERMAN SHIPS.

I)erlflinger 8 12in. 12 5.9 in. 12 3.4 in. Seydlitz 10 Ilia. 12 5.9iu. 12 3.4 in. Moltks 10 11 in. 12 5.9 in. 12 3.4 in. Blucher ' 12 B.2in. 8 5.9iu. 16 3.4 in. The British ships all possessed superior speed, and while generally the ships of both squadrons would each have torpedo equipment of about the same lighting value, the torpedo-light-ing batteries of light guns on the British ships would prove more effective than the Germans, which are of heavy calibre. The Blucher was the latest of the German armored cruisers, the protective belt being of 7in. steel, similar to that on the turrets. She was commissioned in 1910. The Derllinger is the last of Germany’s battlecruisers to be launched, and was barely past the builders’ hands at the-out-break of war. Him has thus early come in fop her baptism of lire. The

Seydlitz was completed in 1913, and the Moltke two years earlier. The personnel of the respective squadrons is interesting, the numbers of men carried being:—British: Lion, 980; Tiger, 980; Princess Royal, 980; New Zealand, 780; Indomitable, 780; total, 4500. German: Derffiuger, 1125; Seydlitz, 1073; Moltke, 1013, Blucher, 888; total, 4090.

THE FALKLANDS FIGHT. CLEARING UP THE MYSTERY OF THE BRITISH SQUADRON. Per Press Association. Wellington, January 26. The extent of the censorship on war news reaching the Dominion is not realised until vessels from overseas arrive and give first-hand accounts of some of the stirring events the world over during the past six months. The news which reached New Zealand on December 10th that a British squadron, under Admiral Sturdee, had disposed of the Gneisenan, Scharnhorst, Leipzig, and Nurnberg created much joy, but to this day mystery has surrounded the composition of the British' squadron which gained the great victory. Even the English Press up till this evening’s mail was dumb on the subject.

The arrival of the steamer Orari (Now Zealand transport, No. 6) from Alexandria afforded an opportunity of hearing further details of what took place in this battle. The New Zealand transports, with those carrying the Australian troops, were convoyed, as is well known, by the Japanese ship Ibuki and H.M.S. Minotaur, the flagship of the China Squadron. The Minotaur, however, did not proceed with the troops far past the Australian coast. The transports were outside Fremantle on Tuesday, 3rd November. The convoy then consisted of the Pyramus, Minotaur, Ibuki, Sydney, and Melbourne. Five days afterwards, however, those on board the transports were much surprised to learn that the Minotaur was leaving them for “Destination unknown.” It was on the following Sunday morning that the big British warship left the fleet, and steamed quickly westwards.

Where did the Minotaur go? This question was answered for curious New Zealanders -to-day, when the Orari arrived with official, but hitherto confidential, news that the Admiralty had ordered the warship to join Admiral Sturdee’s squadron off South America. This the vessel did, and early in December was engaged in the battle of the Falkland Islands, when the German Pacific Fleet met its fate. One of the reasons given for the Minotaur being sent to join Admiral Sturdee’s squadron was that her guns were exactly the kind required for an engagement with the German cruisers. Moreover, she was one of the fastest cruisers available. The Orari also brought news that the flagship of Admiral Sturdee’s fleet was HALS. Cochrane, an armored cruiser of 13,550 tons, a speed of 27 knots, and fitted with six 9.2-inch guns, four 7.5-inch guns, and 24 threepounders. She carries a complement of 704 officers and men. The other principal British ship concerned in the fight was the Goliath, of 12,950 tons, carrying 700 officers and men, and four 12-inch guns, twelve 6-inch, and ten 12-pounders. WEEKS OF NIGHTMARE. An interesting letter written to a friend by an officer of the German cruiser Scharnhorst, which was sunk by British warships near .the Falkland Islands, has been published in an American journal. “You cannot imagine ohat a time I have had,” he writes. “We have had no holiday, and we lived through weeks of nightmare. We live in a horror of great speeding Japanese battleships and John Bull warships. Doubtless some British captains have been feeling pretty scared. We did not sink any Australian ships or raid their ports, and why, because we could not have done so safely. I flunk our commanders were very careful of powder and shot, and many of the men were grumbling because there was nothing doing. Of course, our ooject was to concentrate the whole fleet somewhere, and you w.dl recognise that that was done wcJj. Seveiai times we could have created some sensations for the people of Sydney, and a good many passengers would have kept to their homes, had they known how close the Scharnhorst was going to pass their liner. Everyone in the ship wanted a raid on Suva or on'e of the New Zealand ports; but always there was the fear of the Australian battleship Australia, and of Japanese battleships, which we expected everywhere. We got a good deal of news of sorts, and should have liked to have joined the Emden. “We all felt sick at seeing the British flag flying at Samoa, though we hoped to find a small cruiser lying at Apia. What dreadful weeks those were on the Pacific. Day after day we steamed along, not knowing when we should run up against an enemy fleet. When we were in the region of Australia we hoped to have got among the troopships, but things were altogether too warm for us. What is going to happen to us now I can’t toll. We are going into the Atlantic, I think, but we can hardly hope to get far. Anyhow, there will be no running away.”