HEROIC NAVAL COMMANDER

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 128, 23 October 1914, Page 7

HEROIC NAVAL COMMANDER

LAUREL'S GAME FIGHT. Londion, 'September 2. Interest in our victory in the North Sea naturally centres in the 'two destroyers which 'ibore the brunt of Wie 'lighting, the Laurel and' the Liberty—■writes Mr H. F. Prevost Batters'by, to tlhss Morning Post. "Despite ;th o thick mist of the early morning ,t!ho- approach of our flotilla appeared to liavo been discovered mforo tlhc enemy-. was siginted, soma say 'by a wai.'crplanc Howevcir that may be, the Herman destroyers, on obtaining word of their approach, issued out, and Uw3 flotilla turned about and made at a leisurely pace for safety, senrl.iig word Acad by a'lich- wireless to thu nmbusned cruisers. There may' Jiave been some miscalculations as to the distance ol these, or the fog may have rendered their arrival later than expected,' for when tlhc division, led by the Laurel, ■turned about' to face the-oncoming destroyers, it not, only found itself untm/ppKirted l>y its own cruisers, ibut saw looming out of the., liaze ahead l of it shapes nliiat ircsolve-d ilhcmsethcs into light cruisers of the enemy. Nothing daunted, tho division opened out and opened fire, the I/aurel, which, was in the. inside berth, fliaving few some' time to face thu fire of one ciiudser Chd two destroyers.

"The mem engaged made light of ',ihe .Gorman marksmanship, 'declaring tlhat tliey ought to ha*'e been sent spccuny to the bottom, but (lie hull 'lt.--~ .ritnesH to tlhe fa v ct that, despite the sipc«d |. of 'thoeont€6t,lßie Ge j .rman gpinniers man- [ aged to get a certain proportion of j their shots Ihomc. The first- shell bo. hit j'the Laurel, unfortunately, found its way ■to the engine-room, killing four men, and doing a very 6e'!riouu amount of darnage. The second struck the forward gun, I jambiug -the charge which was just i•about"to b;> fired, disalbling the mounting and killing .ihrce men.

HEROIC ('O-u-VIANDER. j The third Shell to s-.irike her wounded I tlie comimunder, Frank Rose, seriously iln tihe left leg; but, though urged! by in men t» go below, Ihe Shifts! his ] weight on to I'ne ither leg. and cout'm- \ ued. to issue liia orders as if nothing Siad J happened, for all this time tihe Laurel t was making it desperately uncomfortable with Uio two. destroyers with wthidh she wa» engaged—one of which shortly J afterwards went to the bottom — andj giving as good as she was getting from j the cruiser as well. j "A piece of I'lie fourth shell s-tnics j tih-e commander again, tlhis timo on his j second leg, fund -brought him down to the bridge, but he still declined' to give / ■way, though Ms signalman insisted on i teairing off 'his trousers to prevent his wounds from being poisoned, an uct of j thoughtful devotiion to which lie mayi lia-vo owed his lifts, iie continued to fight his ship until (he -lost consciousness, just after he- had learned from, hia gunner tlhat tlhey had managed to extract tihe charge from the damaged gun. As he lay unconscious on the 'bridge, one Ox lliis petty offiews fastened tenderly a lifebelt' round him, for t»5" Dhis time only three rounds of ammunition remained, and though, the British ers 'had appeared on the scene, it an-, 'pearcd impossible that the Laurel could 'live much longer in the fire to which she was then exposed. Yv'AITING FOR THE KND. "A final slholl stattck her amidships, enveloping hei in a dense tlowd of dust , and'sirooikei, and all on 'board ware ccr- ' a;,iu that she was going to tihe bottom. ■ The last sJieii!, however, was. to prove j her salvation, fur the -dense «"d -incx- | plieable cloud stuck to m-r as she by | help-tee on the wul-r, and- though it; i vva,, split in ail'sl'inrtuns by the < 11- j 1 emy's fire, not one of tWni siv.caiv.v -I i ! in finding flier in the heart of it. At I ' that moment not a man exfftcied ai:.: i bettor fate than to be, sunk or bo talvMi. i but there was not tJie bligihtest. siiia ; j pi flurry, tihough even the satis[action |.of fighting had been taken from' them. ! 'Good-<l>ye,' said a bluejacket, bleeding | to deatih on the forecastle to -his mate ,' stwtcbcd on the deck 'beside hijn. 'My j tiiae'a up too,' replied, the otlhor calm--1 !y, reaching out a hand to-him, and ) wi'tlh that handclasp they died. "Twenty-two men were kilted ot ' wounded, and many had hair-breadth : escapes that left i»™ whole, tihe wireless • operator (having.life helmqt carried awav iby a shell, which left not, a scratch on him. But admirable as was the figlhtmg (behaviour of' the men, mosit touching wan their concern fur their >&ffic r.-s. .iind the sense, of brotherhood iln- wh''c.i all seemed hound -huge* her is v'sibl'e stj'.l in the tears tln'-'y 111? v.uaHe to rt»'.ra.:n \.MH!ii fjicaking of tX- duid."