On the Sea

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 126, 21 October 1914, Page 5

On the Sea

THE DUTCH COAST FIGHT. GERMANS FIGHT GAMELY. AGAINST 810 ODDS. BATTLING FOR AX HOUR AND A HALF.

Received 20, 8.15 p.m. London, October 19. Details of the sinking of the four German destroyers show that by fine seamanship the enemy was compelled to fight. Tliey faced the odds bravely, and opened fire at a runge of five mile 6. Then the Britishers closed in, and began a running fight. While the cruiser Undaunted devoted nor attention to the two destroyers, the British destroyers made line practice on the others. The Royal quickly shot down the funnel and wheel of one, and the Lance, Legion, and Lennox battered the other.

The German gunnery is described as poor. The British destroyers were al- - unscathed.

After half-an-hour's fighting the first of the enemy's craft sank, and at intervals the others, still fighting gamely, were sunk, maintaining their fire until the end. The fight lasted an hour and a-half. ) TOLD BY WIRELESS. "SUNK THE 1.0 T." Received 20, 11.25 p.m. London, October 10. The Undaiinted's first wireless on Saturday read: "Pursuing four German destroy ers.'The second read: "Sunk the lot."

The skipper of a Lowestoft trawler relates that he saw the destroyers off the Dutch coast. When the British anpeared the destroyers opened fire, but the Britishers' speed frustrated their move. The Undaunted fired her forward | guns, and one destroyer was blown out jof the water. The rest sank rapidly. | FRENCH FLEET ATTACKED. AUSTRIAN SUBMARINE SUNK. Received 20, 10.20 pjn. Cettinjc, October 11 Two Austrian' submarines atta'cted the French fleet conveying transports from Antivari to Dalmatia. One destroyer was sunk. PROGRESS OF TIIK SEA WAIT. OUR SCORE .MADE GOOD. IN THE OLD- RASII lON ED WAY. Times and Sydney Sun Services. Received 20, 5.50 p.m. London, October 20. The Times' naval correspondent says that during the progress of the *ca war of their own choosing the Germans succeeded in knocking off some useful vessels, their list of feats embodying a large amount of luck. Our score has been chiefly made good in the old, aboveboard fashion, although the British submarines have shown they can also play the other game successfully. The affair of Saturday was an illustration of what may happen to other warships trying to sneak up the Belgian coast.

PATROLLING THE NORTH SEA. A SUGGESTION FROM "THE TIMES." AUSTRIAN SUBMARINE SUNK. GERMAN OIL TANK CAPTURED. London, OctoVer 10. The Times, in a leader, says its one anxiety is that our naval men may meet the Germans in the open, and asks whether it is necessary or desirable to employ cruisers like the llawke to patrol and inspect commerce. Couldn't it be done better and more effectually by small merchant ships carrying a couple of Oin guns, faster than many of the cruisers now engaged? The loss of men and material would be relatively insignificant if they came to grief. Tlie commander at Dover ha? ordered foreign refugees to leave within a week, as there has been considerable trouble with suspected spies.

The Central Xew« states thai a warsliip and two destroyers captured a minelayer disguised as a hospital ship. The I'less Bnrenn does not confirm the statement. C'ettinje, October 19. The- French cruiser Waldeck ltousscau rank an Austrian submarine near the <Ju!f of ("attaro on Saturday. Ottawa, October 19. A warship captured the German nil lank steamer ISrencHlla after she had left New York and brought her to Halifax. Tho Brendilla was transferred to the American register after the declaration of war, and, it is be'ieved. carrlcj stores for the enemy's cruisers.