BRITISH NAVAL VICTORY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 111, 3 October 1914, Page 6

BRITISH NAVAL VICTORY.

THE HELIGOLAND FIGHT. TRADITIONS MAINTAINED*. HAVOC ON ENEMY'S SHIPS. Latest files to hand contain interesting details of the naval fight in Heligoland Bight during the. last week in August, which ended in a great victory for the British fleet. "With all the courage and fearless enterprise that distinguished our old officers who many times went in to the very jaws of the enemy, Vice-Admiral Beatty and Rear-Admirals Christian and Moore lia ve conducted' the combined operations in the. Bight of Heligoland, where the enemy had all its strength at command," said the Daily Chxonfctc. "The triumph was complete. Evidently a concerted attack had been planned just as our old seamen would have planned it—to begin in the dark and reach its decisive point at dawn. I "The attacking force was the organised battle cruiser squadron. The light cruiser squadrons and destroyers and submarine flotillas were engaged. To Rear-Admiral Beatty, the flag officer longest afloat, commanding the first battle cruiser squadron, comprising the Lion (flagship), Queen Mary, Princess Royal, and New Zealand, fell the opportunity and honor which will make him and his officers the. envy of the whole fleet.

BRITISH SUFFER LITTLE. Tho conduct of the operations were under the direction of Sir John Jellicoe, commander-in-chief. Sir David Beatty is one of tho most brilliant of our officers, and with him were rear-Admiral Moore and rear-Admiral Christian; also Commodore Keys, Commodore Tyrwhitt, Comniodoro Goodenough. Complete as was the victory, we have suffered little. All our ships and vessels afloat are in good order. We must officially note the high efficiency of our gunnery. Not a German cruiser escaped, and their destroyers wildly fled to shetcr. having had two of their number mink." British cruisers aud destroyers, some of them showing signs of the battle, arrived at Hawieh, Chatham, and Sheerncss. They had British and German wounded on board. The Germans were picked'up at sea after their ships went *,u the bottom. A number oi men died before the warships reached port and were buried at sea. Others died on the way to the hospital, and their bodies were taken to the naval mortuary. Most of the wounded were suffering from head injuries l>y shell, fire, but others had arms and legs shattered. White, clad bearers carried most of the wounded on stretchers to the hospitals, but some of them were occompaniud on yachts, which had been left for Red Cross Service. No one was allowed to board the damaged vessels, but from the shore it could been seen that some of thorn bore shell holes. Ono destroyer had so less than fourteen such holes, which had been plugged with cloth.

TERRIBLE BRITISH FIRING. British sailors who boarded the German cruiser Mainz after she was put out of action, say that the effect of the British gun lire was terrible. The masts were shot away and turrets wero battered in. The decks were a mass of wreckage and dead and dying sailors were lying all over the ship. The Herman wounded from the Mainz were roughly attired, none had a full uniform. Many had suffered frightful wounds. Tho Main quarter-master, who was a septuagenarian, was badly wounded.

FEARLESS TRUE TO HER NAME. The British light cruiser Fearless took a prominent part in the battle. She approached within ten miles of the German coast, and drew out the German iruisera, which attempted to surround 1 it. At one moment she waa engaged sin-gle-handed against four of them. One (i.me within 7'(X)oyds, when she. was struck and burst into flames.

After they had found tho range, the Herman marksmanship was good. The Fearless had her wireless shot away, and the Fearless stood by the disabled German, although she herself was in great danger of being sunk. The arrival of the other British cruisers speedily decided tho engagement. SURPRISE FOR GERMAN'S.

The Kvening News quotes from a noncommissioned officer, who was in the thick of the naval battle off Heligoland, and whoso destroyer picked up many German wounded, as folows: — "We came upon the German ships unawares. The action was very hot while it lasted, and we must have done a lot ol damage. Many of the Germans were .badly wounded; 12 of them died on the way, and were huried at sea." The crews of destroyers which took part in the.. battle said that at least eleven German vessels of various sizes were sunk in the engagement. Towards the end of the .battle some English pinnaces engaged in picking uj> Germans who were struggling in the water were followed by the German squadron, and had to beat a hasty retreat, leaving the men to their fate.

IMPORTANCE OF THE RAID. The importaneo of this daring, raid is the fact that tho British fleet passed behind Germany's heavily armed outpost of Heligoland Island and engaged the German fleet lying at the mouth of the Kibe, and tho entrance to tho Kiel Canal.

The British fleet 'had evidently tired of waiting for the German navy to wmc out into the open and fight, and planned the daring raid in to the heart of the tie.mian squadron clustering unden the shelter of the guns of the fortress of Heligoland. There would be nothing untoward in such a victory by the first battle cruiser squadron against the German ships of the Mainz and Koeln class if I'r/ugh.t in "the open, the ibattle cruisers of the first Rquadron being infinitely more powerful und speedier. It was in the sudden rush in the dark into the ll'gbt of Heligoland; the swift littering stroke, under the muzzles of the shore. guns, and the smashing of the panicslrickeneruisi is and destroyers, that illglory of victory lies.

OIIARACTKUISTIC OF OFFICER. The enterprise carried out by ViceAdmiral Beatly Ls characteristic of tliis youthful, dashing wealighter. Beatty's career is marked with such enterprises though by nature of conditions of smaller importance, and in canying out this plan the vice-admiral fully justified the confidence of siis superiors shown in his recent promotion.

The battle cruisers engaged are the finest of their type in the world. There was, of course, tiie ttsual smaller craft with the squadron. The Mainz and the other Gorman cruisers damaged and sunk were not very powerful vessels, but the tact tha-t the .Kritiiah Nnvy over-rrach- ! .the guns of Heligoland will have far reaching effect and has already disturbed the- belief of the. German fleet in the protection afforded ■ it by shore guns. The moral effect will also be great and will relieve the monoton? of the "watchful waiting" around tie doora