NAVAL WARFARE

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 59, 9 November 1914, Page 4

NAVAL WARFARE

THE VALPARISO JIbAGE- I MENT. I ADMIRALTY'S OFFICIAL REPORT. GALLANT FIGHT AGAINST DIG ODDS. GOOD HOPE SUNK AND MONMOUTH ASHORE. THE GLASGOW GETS AWAY. The High Commissioner reports, dated London, November 17th, as follows ; Official: —The Admiralty has now received trustworthy information concerning the naval action off the Chilian coast. During the first of November the Good Hope, Monmouth and Glasgow came up with the Scharnhorst, Gniesenau, Leipzig and Dresden. Both squadrons went south in a strong wind and considerable sea. The German squadron declined action until sunset, when the light gave it a considerable advantage. The action lasted an hour. Early in the action, the Good Hope and Monmouth took fire, but they fought on until nearly dark, when a serious explosion occurred on the Good Hope, which foundered. The Monmouth hauled off, making water badly, and appeared unable to steam away. She was accompanied by the Glasgow, which had, during the whole action, fought the Leipzig and Dresden. On the enemy again approaching the wounded Monmouth, the Glasgow, which was aL so under fire from one of the armoured cruisers, drew off. The enemy then attacked the Monmouth again, with what result is not definitely known. The Glasgow is not extensively damaged, and has very few casualities. Neither the Otranto nor the Canopus was engaged. The reports received by the Foreign Office from Valpariso state that a belligerent is ashore on the Chilian coast. It is possible that this may prove to be the Monmouth. Energetic measures are being taken on this assumption to rescue any survivors. The action appears to the Admiralty to have been most gallantly contested, but, in the absence of the Canopus, the enemy’s preponderance of force was considerable. SANTIAGO'S .REPORT. Santiago reports that no British war. ships entered a Chilian poitt. No wreckage was found on the coast. There is no confirmation of the disaster. The German steamer Santa Isabel departed for Valpariso on Saturday, declaring her destination to be Hamburg. It is believed she is to provision the German squadron.—Times and Sydney Sun Services. CHILIAN GOVERNMENT'S INFORMATION. j SANTIAGO DE CHILE, Nov. 7. The Government, replying to a question in Parliament, alleged that the engagement between the British and German squadrons was fought outside territorial waters. Search of the vicin. ity did not reveal traces of the fight. The Government has just received a telegram from the governor of Constituciom stating that it was reported a warship was ashore at Punta Carranga. Assistance had been sent. [The respective armaments of the. contending squadrons may be summar. ised as follows; —Germans; Dresden and Leipzig ten 4.1-inch (each); Scharnhorst and Gneisenaw, eight 8.2inch and six 5.9-Inch (each). British: Good Hope, sixteen 15-inch and tw* 9.2-inch; Monmouth, fourteen 6-inch; Glasgow, ten 4-inch.] [The Canopus, 12,950 tons, was launched in 1897. She has four 12inch and 12.6-inch guns.]

THE ELUSIVE EMDEN. BOLTS FROM BRITISH CRUISER. TWO OF ENEMY’S COLLIERS APPREHENDED. Press Association.— Copyright. (Rec. 9.15 a.m.) PERTH, Nov. 9. The steamer Paroo, from Singapore, reports that a British cruiser sighted the Emden near Penang, coaling from two storeships. The Emden bolted. The cruiser sank one of the storeships and captured the other—a Greek collier. A German naval reserve lieutenant was aboard. Replying to the suggestion that the Emden’s successful raids were duo to some one aboard being acquainted with the' eastern trade routes, he declared: “I’m the man!" HOIST WITH OWN PETARD. . GERMAN STEAMERS MINED. COPENHAGEN, Nov. 7. Two German steamers and two German trawlers were recently sunk by German mines in Kiel Bay. GERMAN MINES IN THE BALTIC. COPENHAGEN, Nov. 7. Fishermen report that German mines in the Baltic practically render navigation impossible. Explosions occur j*. V'"' '