NORTH SEA SKIRMISH.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume 7, Issue 269, 13 August 1915, Page 5

NORTH SEA SKIRMISH.

BRITISH AND GERMAN PATROL STEAMERS SUNIv., The High Commissioner reports; LONDON, August 12. The Ramsey, a small patrol steamer, was sunk by the German armed steamer Meteor in the North Sea on Sunday. Four officers and 39 men neie saved. The Meteor’s commander subsequeiuly sighted a British cruiser squadron. Realising escape was imposible, he abandoned and blew up the Meteor. LONDON, August 12. The Meteor was formerly a Ham-burg-America liner. She had a powerful armament and quick-firers. GUN-FIRE HEARD IX HOLLAND. I AMSTERDAM, August 12. Advices from Delpijl report having heard gunfire in the North Sea this morning in a northerly direction. \ THE GERMAN ACCOUNT. (Rcc. 12.25 a.m.)* Amsterdam, August 12. ' Berlin Official: The Meteor, after | sinking the Ramsey, picked up forty of the orew, including four officers. Next day four British cruisers __ surrounded the Meteor. The latter’s commander sank the Meteor after the crew and the British prisoners and the crew of a sailing vessel previously sunk as a prize had been saved. The Meteor s crew reached a German port. *. MORE SHIPS SUNK..

LONDON, August 12

The Prancov.ee, a French barque from Australia., was sunk. The crew landed. Five other vesels and seven trawlers have been' sunk. The British steamer Oakwood has been sunk, and the Rosali beached. The Norwegian steamer . Geiranger. the-, barque Mornc, and the Russian barque BaJtzer. have been sunk. All the crews were saved, likewise the crews of three trawlers and three smacks. THE GOEBEN TORPEDOED. LONDON, August 12. Athens reports that the Goeben was torpedoed, and is aground in the Bosphorus. GERMAN FLEET IN BALTIC SEA. AMSTERDAM, August 12. German Naval Official: We attached on the 10th the fortified island of Uto at the entrance to the Alande Archipe?ago and compelled a Russian force, including a cruiser of thfe Makaroff class, to retreat. We also silenced the enemy's coast batteries. The same day our cruisers drove back the Russian destroyers in the Bay of Riga. One was afire. Hostile submarines repeatedly attacked U 3, but all torpedoes missed.

IMPROVISED DRY DOCK. (Rec. 12.25 a.m.) ATHENS, August 12. The Gioeben is aground in a narrow creek alongside the shore. In default of a dry dock, the Turks have built a dyke round her and pumped out the water. There are no details of the damage. AUSTRIAN SUBMARINE SUNK. % IN THE ADRIATIC. ROME, August 12. Naval Official: Two Austrian destroyers bombaTded Bari, Santospirit. and Mulaitta. One civilian was killed and seven wounded. One of our submarines torpedoed and sank the Austrian submarine Ul2 in the upper Adriatic. The crew perished. FIGHTING IN THE ARGONNE. GERMANS LOSE HEAVILY. FRENCH LOSE TRENCHES. PARIS, August 12. Official: The bombardment in the Argonne redoubled in intensity with a large use of asphyxiating shells. A violent German attack followed at dawn. At least three German regiments advanced on our position at Bunarville road to VienneSe Chateau and Houyette ravines. The Germans in the centre of this sector penetrated our position but were driven out by a counter-attack, retaining part of the first line of trenches. We took prisoners a number of Wurtemburgers. Farther east towards Fontaineaux and. Charmes the enemy launched attacks wliich were completely- repulsed.