On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 26, 1 February 1915, Page 5

On the Sea

THE NORTH SEA FIGHT. BERLIN PERSISTS IN CIRCULATING LIES. BOASTFUL OF THE NAVY. Timki and Sydney Sun Service!. (Received 8 a.m.) London, January 30. Berlin still persists that ' British battleships were sunk in the North Sea aud two British destroyers by the Blucher. The British squadron, it is stated, turned back seventy miles from Heligoland, fearing reinforcements or minefield:*, or perhaps, owing to the conditions of their own ships. The Neue Free Press says: The British Fleet was forced to retreat in its own province—the seas—as it was felt that a continuance of the fight against the inferior German Fleet would he highly perilous.

ITORIES OF AWFUL CARNAGE.

Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, January 30. The Germans rescued represent every large ship and most of the smaller ships comprising the raiding squadron. They are horrified at the carnage aboard the respective vessels, and state that scores leapt overboard, as they preferred drowning instead of what they regarded- as certain death aboard. They report that practically every ship swept by British shells took fire, being unfit to do more than trust to the engines to take them out of ac-

tion. The loss of life was very great, and some of the rescued became insane.

THE BLUEJACKETS' RETURN. Amsterdam, January 30. Over 200 bluejackets who participated in the North Sea fight have gone through Hamburg.

SUBMARINES AT WORK. GERMANS OPERATE IN THE IRISH S’EA. London, January 31. Submarine U2l torpedoed the coaster Ben Cruachan early on Saturday morning, 21 miles from the mouth of the Lune. The crew had ten minutes to take to the boats, and then the Ben Cruachan was blown up. A smack, later, picked up the crew. The submarine intercepted the Liuda Blanche (from Liverpool to Belfast) at noon, and hoisted the German flag. Officers, speaking English, English, boarded her, and ordered that two small boats should be lowered and the crew embark. The Germans 'fixed a mine on the Linda Blanche’s bridge, and another on the forecastle, and the vessel became a complete wreck in five minutes. The Germans told the crew of the trawler to proceed in a certain direction and they would be duly picked up. The crew reported that a third vessel was blown up two hours later. The Graphic states that the submarine was chased, but she turned windwards, and, putting on speed, escaped.

The steamer Graphic, from Belfast,

has arrived at Liverpool. She reports having seen the wreckage os a vessel, also of another vessel which foundered while a German submarine was alongside.

DAMAGED BY RAIDS. RUSSIAN TORPEDOERS IN THE BLACK SEA. (Received 8.50 a.m.) Petrograd, January 31. A Russian torpedoer raided Trebizond on Thursday and cannonaded the troops, who fled, and also damaged the barracks and stores. Another torpedoer silenced two batteries, damaged the barracks, and sank several vessels at Rizeh, near Trebizond.

GENERAL. London, January 30. A German officer’s notebook on the Gneisenau, just hefode the vessel sunk, reads; —‘‘5.10, hit, hit; 5.12, hit; 5.15. hit, hit, hit again; 5.20, after turret gone; 5.40. hit, bit, on fire everywhere; 5.41, hit, hit, burning everywhere and sinking; 5.45, hit, men dying everywhere; 5.46, hit, hit, hit.” A petty officer of the ill-fated Blucher, describing the North Sea fight, explained sadly: “Ours is a young navy, yours is more experienced/’ Berlin, January 30. It was a Parseval, not a Zeppelin, that attacked Lihau. Its non-ieturn is admitted.

denies the sinking of the Kolberg.