ON THE SEA.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 21 March 1917, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

ENEMY TORPEDOERS AT WORK. LONDON, March 19. The Admiralty report that enemy destroyers shelled undefended Ramsgate on the night of 17-lSth, and hurriedly escaped in the darkness. It was impossible to ascertain the damage inflicted on them. Our enemies engaged and torpedoed one of our destroyers eastward of Dover. .She returned their fire, but the result is unknown. There are eight survivors. All her officers were drowned. A second British destroyer- was torpedoed while picking up tlie survivors, but was not seriously damaged. A British merchantman was also torpedoed and sunk . THE GERMAN REPORT. LONDON, March 20. Berlin official. —A naval aeroplane on Saturday afternoon bombed the harbour and gasworks at Dover. Our naval forces on Saturday night again broke into the Straits'of Dover and the mouth of the Thames. They sank an enemy anc} seriously damaged another. They also torpedoed and sank a merchant ship of 1500 tons near the North Foreland, and by gunfire sank two enemy guardships. AMERICAN SHIPS SUNK. SUBMARINES' CALLOUSNESS. LONDON, March 19. Fifteen of the Vigillancia's crew were drowned. ■ Sixteen of the crew of the City of Memphis landed. Two submarines on Saturday evening ordered the abandonment of the entire crew of fifty-seven in boats within five minutes. The Germans refused to tow the boats which wer e adrift for fourteen hours. GERMAN HEARTLESSNESS. ADRIFT FOR FOUR DAYS.

Eeceived 9.45. LONDON, March 20. A German submarine abandoned a damaged open boat containing the captain, his wife, and eight of the crew of the Swedish Schooner Dag, sunk on the 13th, two-hundred miles west of the j Scillies. They were not allowed time to ecure sufficient rations. They, drifted four days, and wnen picked up. were on the verge 1 of starvation. This. is the second time this week the Germans abandoned an open boat containing women among a number of men. THE VIGILANCIA. Received 11.5. LONDON, March 20. Captain Middleton, of the" steamer Vigilancia, states the steamer foundered in seven minutes. She was painted with the American colours, and the American flag was hying. There were seven victims. GERMAN SUBMARINE AND DUTCH STEAMER. EIGHT OF THE CREW KILLED. Received 11.5. COPENHAGEN, March 20. A German submarine pursued and shelled the Dutch steamer Hallam, carrying food for the relief of the Belgians. Eight of the crew were killed. The Hallam escaped.