On the Sea

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 3, 4 May 1915, Page 5

On the Sea

IN THE DARDANELLES. ACCOUNTS OF THE LANDING. Onited Pkbbp Association. Athens, May 5. The newspapers, in publishing accounts of the landing, express the utmost admiration of the courage and determination with which the Australasians, the British, and the French fought through what was believed to be impregnable defences. Only four thousand French landed at Kuni Kale, although twenty transports were there with a view to giving the Turks the idea 1 that a great disembarkation was being made. The French are now advancing towards Erekeit. Several forts in the .Narrows have been sil'enced. The bombardment was incessant on Saturday. The Queen Elizabeth's guns did terrible execution in the enemy's trenches. The tremendous displacement of earth buried many. A 'desperate battle took place in the vicinity of Maidos, a Turkish battalion being captured.

THE ENEMY'S REPORT. Times ano Sydney Sun Service. Constantinople, May 2. It is officially stated that during the first battle at Knm Kale the Turks did not fire a single shot, but repulsed the enemy with the bayonet. The Turkish batteries'damaged the French cruiser Jeanne d'Arc, which retired ablaze, and sunk. An English destroyer was damaged. The warships Majestic, Triumph, Vengeance, sixteen armored warships, and many destroyers took part and fired thirty thousand shells. Only 'a few soldiers were slightly injured. The Turkish shells hit two transports. One ran ashore. They also sank several sailing boats filled with troops, which a destroyer was towing. THE DEAD AND WOUNDED. Melbourne, May 3. The first list of killed included W. V. Knight, originally of Waipara, New Zealand. All the deaths recorded in the Dardanelles arc hospital cases and were the results of wounds. No names of men actually killed in action have been received up to the present. Twenty-eight killed and thirty-seven wounded have been notified. A cablegram has been received stating that the progress of the wounded in the Dardanelles is generally satisfactory, except in the cases reported dangerously wounded. The Admiralty has acquired the steamer Karoola. She will proceed to the Dardanelles as a hospital ship. TURKISH WOUNDED NUMBER SCOO. Athens. May 3. Reliable advice from Constantinople says five thousand /Turkish wounded have arrived from the Dardanelles. THE NAVAL CASUALTIES. London, May 3. The naval casualties at the Dardanelles from April 25 to April 30 were: Twenty-six killed, sixty wounded. ADMIRALTY CONGRATULATIONS. Auckland, May 2. The Governor has reecived the following message from the First Lord of the Admiralty:—"On behalf of the Hoard of Admiralty, 1 desire to express my heartiest congratulations for hril liant and memorable achievement of Australian and Xew Zealand troops at Dardanelles. The Admiral telegraphs that the fleet is filled with intense admiration at the feat of arms accomplished by the army. (Signed) Churchill."

His Excellency has replied as follows:—"On behalf of myself, my Government, and the people of New Zealand, I desire to thank you and the Board of Admiralty for the very kind message of congratulations which you have sent. It is a source of great gratification to everyone in this Dominion to feel that their troops have been so closely connected in these arduous operations with officers and men of the Royal Navy, to whom the Kmpire owes so much. (Signed) Liverpool."

His Excellency lias also sent the following telegram to the GovernorGeneral of Australia:—"l desire on behalf of New Zealand to convey to you the pride which this Dominion feels in being so closely associated with the forces of the Commonwealth of Australia in the present great undertaking in the Dardanelles, and rejoice that the two forces have so signally distinguished themselves. (Signed) Liverpool."

SUBMARINE FIRES ON MEN TAKINXJ TO THE BOATS. (Received 9.5 a.m.) London, May 3. The submarine continued firing while the Svorono's crew were taking to the boats. Officers of the sunken torpedoer blew out their brains when imprisoned. TIRPITZ'S TRUMP CARD! (Received 9.0 a.m.) London, .May 3. Admiral von Tirpitz hopes that the constant British patrol of the North Sea will so effect the speed of the capital ships that the resting German ships will be enabled to make a grand sortie as their final trump card. TORPEDOERS V. DESTROYERS. London, May 3. Thirty-five of the Recruit's crew perished The submarine fired a torpedo at'the Daisy, but the latter steamed away, leaving the rescuing boat behind. The submarine chased the rescuing boat and fired, wounding four of the crew.

When the German torpedo boats sighted the destroyer they turned and ( fied. The Britishers' markmanship was excellent. One of the enemy's vessels was bit amidships, enabling the destroyer to approach and sink her. The prisoners were landed at Shotley this morning. The Admiralty announces that both affairs were in the vicinity of the Galloper and North Hinder lightships. The Recruit was sunk by a submarine during Saturday forenoon. The trawler Daisy rescued four officers and twenty-one men.

At 3 o'clock in the afternoon two German torpedo boats approaching from the westward attacked the trawlei Columbia without hoisting their colors. A torpedo sunk the trawler and only one deck hand was saved. The British destroyers Laforey, Leonidas, Lawford, and Lark chased the torpedo boats, and after an hour's running fight both the German vessels were sunk. Two officers and forty-four men were rescued and taken prisoners. The destroyers had one casualty.

(The lightships mentioned are hoth some distance off the mouth of the Thames.)

The submarine crossed the Recruit's how and manoeuvred into position. A missle crashed into the Recruit amiaships and she slowly heeled. Signals brought the Daisy, and the latter's j signals brought the destroyers. The Germans, when overhauled, made an extremely poor tight, and their shooting was erratic. Amsterdam, May 3. A Norwegian steamer picked up two officers of the German torpedo boat sunk in the light. The trawler Barbadoes brought to Jannouts the Columbia's survivors and a German bluejacket, who had fallen overboard. Seventeen members of the crew of the Columbia perished. The Barbadoes, with two guns, defended herself against the torpedo boat. The latter was hit, and, as steam escaped, the trawler's deck fittings were riddled. The captain was wounded in the foot. CHASING TRAWLERS. SWEDISH STEAMER SUNK. (Received 8.55 a.m.) London, May 3. A submarine sunk two trawlers in the North Sea, and it is believed all were drowned. Another chased three trawlers forty miles towrads Aberdeen, but they escaped. The Swedish steamer Elliba, timberladen, bound for Hull, was torpedoed in the North Sea, and sank in three minutes. The crew and two women were rescued. (Received 10.55 a.m.) London, May 3. Both trawlers were sunk by gun fire. They were not torpedoed. The crows were rescued. SATURDAY'S ENGAGEMENT WITH DESTROYERS. (Received 8.55 a.m.) Amsterdam, April 3. Prior to Saturday's engagement, German destroyers stopped the Norwegian steamer Yarild, examined her papers, and then allowed her to proceed. Presently three British trawlers appeared, one of which rammed the destroyer, which did not sink. Five of the destroyers' crew jumped into the yea. but were picked up. Then the British destroyers' were sighted. and the Germans fled. SUBMARINE VICTIMS. London, May 3. Submarines torpedoed the French steamer Europe, near Bishop's Rock. The crew was saved. Submarines also torpedoed the steamer Fulgent, near Skelligs. Most of the crew are missing. A trawler landed nine of the Fulgent's survivors and the body of the captain, who had been shot. A second boat with the balance of the crew is missing.

NEW FRENCH SUPER-DREAD-NOUGHT. Paris, May 3. The 25,000 ton super-Dreadnought, Languedoc, has been launched at Bordeaux. DANISH STEAMER'S EXPERIENCE, An anxious time was spent by the captain and crew of the Danish steamer Xatal while crossing the North Sea en route to Australia. The Natal, which belongs to the East Asiatic Line, arrived in Sydney last week. iUid from statements made by officers the steamer had some lively experiences dodging German submnrnes and floating mines. She loaded at Copenhagen and Frederikstadt, and crossed the North Sea with boats swung out and provisioned all ready for any emergency. She passed dangerously close to two mines, and on arrival at Frederikstadt two torpedo-boats put out and destroyed them. A ship's lifeboat, witli the name "Primo" on the stern, was picked up just after passing through a gale, and subsequent inquiries by Captain Dahl of the Natal showed that it belonged to a steamer of that name which had been sunk by a German submarine. THE QUEEN ELIZABETH. A gentleman at present in Hamilton has received an interesting letter from a nephew, who is a middy on board the Queen Elizabeth, £mng details of that vessel's departure from Portsmouth for the Dardanelles. The writer states that the greatest secrecy was observed as to the new guns on this vessel, and care was taken to mislead German spies. At the time of the vessel leaving Portsmouth it was thought that Portsmouth was surrounded by a flotilla of German submarines, therefore every precaution was- taken to secure the safety of the Queen Elizabeth. In the darkness she slipped out, surrounded by fiftyvessels, filled with German prisoners, and nothing further was heard of her | until she reached the Dardanelles.