On the Sea.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 69, 26 June 1916, Page 5

On the Sea.

I THE ZSEBRUCCE FLEET. REPORTS OF REINFORCEMENTS. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, June 25. i The German fleet at Zeebrugge has been reinforced, and includes twentytwo destroyers, several of which arc of a now type, with three funnels. The destroyers, when raiding, are ncooni.panied by reconnoitring seaplanes, mine-layers and armed trawlers. CAPTURED BY SIX DESTROYERS [Unitwp Prbh* AaanoiAHON.] (Received 9 a.m.) Loudon, June 25. The steamer Brussells left Rotterdam on Thursday laden with foodstuffs and passengers, mostly Belgian refugees. Six destroyers captured and took her to Zeebrugge.

BRUSSELL'S PREVIOUS ESCAPES

(Received 8.45 a.m.) London, Juno 25

Nine previous attempts have been made to capture the Brussell. Her escapes were due to superior speed. Since the outbreak of the war, torpedoers have been constantly hunting for the Harwich boats. Spies have beeri on the alert giving information of the sailings, cargoes, and passengers. BLACK SEA TRAGEDY. 400 LOST ON THE MERCURY. (Received 9 a.m.) London, June 25. The victims of the Mercury, which was sunk near Odessa by a mine, totalled four hundred. THE JUTLAND FIGHT. SOME INCIDENTS. Vancouver, June 12. The London correspondent of the New York Presß Association states that ho visited Rear-Admiral Sir David Beatty's battle-cruisers after the fight, and found the officers and men in splendid fettle. Instead of being depressed, they were tttclhied tci feel sorry for the'Germans'." ' ! "

J "It is impossible to speak too highlv lof the officers rind men oh the destroyers," he says. "They were simply wonderful. They consistently held the upper hand in the greatest battle ever engaged in by these little craft. Until we have Admiral Sir John Jellicoe's complete report, it will be out of the question to expect more connected details than have been already published. I can, however, relate incidents and give impressions that may show something of the spirit that animated our men.

"The fleet, itself is quite ready for another battle as big aB that of Jut° laud. The gallant exploi£ of the commander of one of the big destroyers is one of the striking incidents in an action, but kept ahead unswervingly,sent feats. The fifth in the line saw its' four file leaders indivfdually-put , '<3ut of act 7 ion, buljj kept theacl unswervingly, sent all its toipedoes home, anl then saw a great German battleship looming through the mist so closely that when .the enemy fired his big guns the blast from them blew over the funnels and masts of the little warship. The destroyer escaped further damage. "Another marvellous escape of one of our destroyers was discovered jwhen a stoker reported himself to be !wounded. No shell had apparently struck the vessel. The commander declined to believe the man, but he was reported next morning as a casualty case, and he showed the commander a 12-inch unexploded shell which had dropper through a hatchway into the hold.

"A similar incident occurred aboard H.M.S. Lion. Two middies in the fighting top saw an nnexploled 12-inch shell lying on the deck amongst rome burning debris. They ran and extinguished the fire and threw the projectile overboard." MMMMMM