British v. German Destroyers

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 90, 22 March 1916, Page 5

British v. German Destroyers

SOMEBODY TURNED TAIL!

Submarine Activity in the Baltic

RUSSIAN PROGRESS IN PERSIA

New German Fire Methods at Verdun

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

Actions speak louder than words, and while we must be pleased with tho unsolicited testimonial of the Hamburger Nachrichten regarding the superiority of the British Navy and ;ts effective work which has cut off German- from the sea since the beginning of the war, the practical side of the story is demonstrated by the most recent interchange of shots between the two Navies. To-day’s cables are spicy of the sea, carrying on their waves the ozone of a scrap off the Belgian coast, and which comes to us as a healthful tonic, hearing us up through dull days of the war epidemic of pessimism. No pharmacopoecia. contains such medicine to counteract the run down feeling as tho news that three ■ German destroyers “skedaddled” from four British destroyers when they met (unexpectedly, of course!) in the North Sea.' The enemy turned and ran for Zeebrugge, the port of Bruges : n West Flanders, firing as they.-...f1ed.; ( The official’report 1 states that sheik | were exchanged (hiring ’ a shprt/rifiw ning fight, and .two of the envoy’s boats were observed to have beep Our casualties amounted to four only wounded. Exactly what the enemy, suffered^,we, may never know—indeedas likely as. not, Berlin ; will wireless the makings of a victory for their side and give .details of the damage wrought by their superior, naval guns ujs*i the British! Truly, we shall see wljjafc we shall see! a t-.

The presence of British submarines in the Baltic; 1 is good for dome interesting eventualities. By the way, ‘as an instance of the alertness of members of the German secret is noticeable that this news first chines to us through the Hamburger Nachrichten. Though the Huns are champion liars, admittedly so, there i£v ; : often much to be said in support of the correctness of their reports, especially when the Allies suffer a slight reverse,.' of which the authorities are averse-hr neglect to send us information. . However, the news of the arrival of British submarines in the Baltic comes from Copenhagen, and it can, in fape of the previous statement be accepted ns thoroughly reliable. The Britishers' arrival in the Cattegat, the Sound between Sweden and Denmark, connecting the Skager Rock (North Sea), through The Sound, the' Great, and Little Belts, with the Baltic, is stated to have caused a sensation in Sweden, especially as one of the submarines when off An holt (an island in the middle of the Cattegat), stopped a Swedish steamer and searched her papers No doubt this is part of the new blockade policy to prevent vessels in any shape or form being used to assist the enemy. Additional interest is attached to the movement of the submarines by the announcement that large flotillas of German torpedoers had traversed The Sound proceeding in a northerly direction. What is sauce for the goose ,is sauce for the gander, and it would not be expecting too much to shortly hear that those self-same torpedoers had been given a taste of the latest make of British torpedo .condiment!

.The Germans arc keeping up the’n reputation well. As mentioned in a spirit of sarcasm in the above, the latest cable to hand just before going to press is on the ilnes expected. Tn fact, the Huns have gone one better, and ’ claim that 5 Britishers unsuccessfully engaged three Germans and then' broke off the fight and retired at full speed! Ha! ha! ha! Too funny for words!

The rapid progress of the Russians operating in Persia will be further welcome reading. r l be tow# of Ispa- , ban, the ancient capital of the conn try/ is in their bands, and they are distant from the shores of the Persian Gulf only about 200 miles. A short note on the town and its history appeared in this column a week or two I ago in anticipation of the event which is chronicled to-day.

From Verdun there comes reports of foot-to-fopt fighting west of the Meuse in the enemy’s attempt to get behind the fortress. For some tone he has,been across the river, and names such as Forges, Bethincourt, and Malancourt are now, no doubt, as familiar to the reader as Anterior Poliomyelitis. The first-named place is ten miles north of Verdun, and pushing on from there the enemy has fought extremely severe engagements, but always be has gained something, and now we learn that he is investing Avorcourt, which is about five, miles south-westerly of Forges and about ten miles north-west of Verdun. To the layman, the report is discomfiting, as Avorcourt is on the road Verdun to.Varennes, which, by the way, is famous as the scene of the arrest of Louis VI and his family while they were trying to escape. The desperate nature of the fighting is shown in the methods used by the enemy, the vombardment by heavy calibre shells being accompanied by jets of light thrown by detachments carrying spec- , i:d .apparatus., Despite heavy losses hip?;;states ,tho report,.he dvas’ enabiecl j' o ‘ occupy, of a wood ~an the. hf' tile \ Kjlied forces .'■TJiifc the. enemy\is- making slow but sure'progress /he can majpth,il|; ' VG^ hnd good fofi hi&, ’■ can be no, doubt that great trouble will issue in'keeping open his lines bf communication, and herein may be 1 found the salvation of the French troops and the opportunity to inflict such a defeat as to necessitate headlong retreat to the'Meuse, or behind it.- !'/

The Mesopotamian campaign extends a good way back no|y, and most people have not a very <#®ar idea of its general progress. Tpe following diary of, it| principal 1 ‘ ||ents may -clear lipi onp |r|two: perplexities that havppurred lately:— : - November 7, 1914.—British force ;lauds at Fao, mputh of the Shat-el- : Arab, at bead of Persian Gulf. November 21.—Basra (50 miles up Shat-el-Arab) occupied. December 9.—Kurna (60 miles) occupied. April, 1915.—General Nixon takes command. April 11-12.—Bombardment of Kurna (where Tigris runs into Shat-el-Arab),- Shaiba (a few miles southwest of Basra), and Ahwaz (on the Anglo-Persian oil line). April 13.—Enemy driven back at Shaiba, with 6000 casualties. May 31.—Advance up the Tigris from Kurna begun. Juno 3.—Surrender of Amara (160 .miles from head of Gulf). / n July 24.—Turks driven from Nasiriych (160 miles) and Suk-es-Sheyuk, both ou the Euphrates. September 29. Xut-el-Araara (240 miles up the Tigris) occupied; 1650 prisoners taken. ■ Turkish force m flight towards Bagdad. November 22. —Battle of Gtesiphon (300 miles up the Tigris, 18 miles from Bagdad). November 23-24.—Turkish counterattacks driven off. November 25.—Arrival of large Turkish reinforcements compels .General Townshend to fall back on Kutel- Amara. November 30-Deceraber I.—General Townshend fights rearguard action at Azizie, 20 miles below Gtesiphon. December 3.—General Townshend reaches Kut-el-Amara, and is besieg- ■ -ed there. December 12 and 25.—lurkish attacks at Kut repulsed. January 7-9, 1916. —General Aylmer, advancing up the Tigris to relieve General Townshend defeats Turks at Sheik Saad, about 25 miles from Kut. January 10.—Sir Percy Luke to succeed General Nixon in Mesopotamian command. ' January 1345.—General Aylmer defeats Turks at Wadi, about 2a miles from Kut. January 21.—Aylmer at Ihmm-el-Heuna, about 20 miles from Kut; checked here by floods. March 6.—Aylmer at Ks Sum, seven miles from Kut.