RAID IN DOVER STRAITS.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 May 1918, Page 5

RAID IN DOVER STRAITS.

BRITISH DRIFTERS SUNK. , PANDEMONIUM OF FIRE, London, Feb. 17. During the raid into the Dover Straits, when enemy destroyers sank a trawler and seven drifters, the gunfire lasted an hour, and the flashes were plainly seen in the darkness from the shore. The raiding destroyser were evidently from Zeebrugge, and aimed at attacking our supply ships or transports plying between England and France. The enemy dashed up at the highest speed, and vtas favoured by a haze in the' Channel. The crews of the drifters behaved with splendid gallantry. In one

case an .enemy shell set fire to a drifter, forcing the crew to take to the boats. Later the men pulled back to the drifter, boarded her, extinguished the fire, and brought the vessel safely to port. The enemy was quite unsuccessful in raiding supply ships or transports, and was forced to return to Zeebzrugge directly the British warships appeared. There were paihetie scenes at the landing of in. bodies. Covered with a Union Jack they were brought to the market hall, which was converted into a temporary mortuary. The majority of the victims were fishermen before the war. A seaman has given a thrilling description of the raid. He. says that this was his fourth raid in the Straits of Dover, but that it was the worst, because it was so terribly one-sided. The night was fine, with bright starlight, when the four destroyers received instructions to patrol for submarines. The seaman was lying in his bunk off duty when he was startled by heavy and rapid firing. At first he believed it was an engagement with a submarine. The noise on deck was deafening. Suddenly a neighbouring drifter blew up like a huge rocket, and was enveloped in a great tongue of flame. He distinctly saw two masts and a funnel hanging for a moment in mid-air. The thunder of the guns from all quarters made if clear that it was something bigger than a submarine “scrap.” The seaman went on; —“Suddenly a searchlight flashed out immediately against our stern from the dark hull of a German destroyer which was bearing down upon us at full speed. Had she continued her course she would have cut us in two like a huge knife. She was firing at us continuously, and we escaped by a miracle, because we were too close to be hit. We managed to dodge the destroyer, which headed northward, amid an awful din of shells, banging and banging on . all sides. . The enemy plugged, blowing up our drifters like shuttlecocks. The drifters had not the ghost of a chance”