NAVAL FIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 132, 28 October 1914, Page 7

NAVAL FIGHTING.

JJAIIIiATIVICS E'liUM. ISOT.It SEAS. j 1.011(1(111 Scptcm-ber 1.1. Evidence accumulates that, (he British 'Mi.mT Gi„-.:ccstir ..■iif. :l^l .,L both the IKe-.au .".lid 'ill,, gin no, (i(|[-!)cnii i n the Mediterranean: but the reason, for the. Goshen's failure to disjinsc. of an enemy jBO imieli smaller is still to seek. The i captuiy of a German ship, full of big- ' gnu ammunition, trvim. to run, Hie gauntlet of Gibraltar,' suggests that the Goebcn. which had 1ie.,,, oh a cruise to South America, had no shells for her biy guns. A Kussinn cinigratii. who saw the action from an Italian ship, writes: '•The captain on his bridge is looking at- ' tentively lit the newcomer*, shading his ' eyes with his hand. The lirst is the Goej hen, says the captain presently, the second I the llreslau. They are German boats, ,'ne explains, and he looks so delighted that one might think he had made, a j pleasant discovery. I ask him :how he i can recognise the boats. 'l've seen ! them before,' lie answers phlegmatically. j'The, V.rcs'a-ii isn't much of .a cruiser, | though her speed is good. But the Goej ben is one of the best the Germans have got.' Suddenly the dull boom of a j cannon shot shake? the air. The smoke ; eiiiues from.the horizon, and not from j either of the cruisers. The murky little j crowd vanishes gradually, and we see | another ship-narrow and long, like the j other two, but considerably smaller. 'An i English cruiser,' says the'captain. Xow we see clearly that the other two are . getting away, and that this liltle fellow iis lacing alter them. Thev are leaving ! us on one side, hut are' nevertheless suliicicntly near to bo distinguishable. 'The Uloucester,' announces (lie captain. "The Gloucester is pursuing the j eui'inv, and with a rapid turn gets her ,i " (,;i: ''" ! " on. Smoke am! lire come from the British vessel, and then again the) Gloucester is chasing the other two. Even to Uie most ignoraut.il was obvious that the Gloucester was anxious to getahead, of the German ships. At last the Gloucester caught up the Ihvslau. which was behind the Goeitcn. The Brcslau turned immediately and opened lire. Tim Gloucester turned'broadside on, and the Breslan, after getting a good, dose of bring, took to her heels, the Gloucester following and wullzing round, tiring at tin: I'.reslau first from one side and then from another. Then the enormous Goebcn turned and made for the Gloucester. Having sent a few shots at the Goebcn, the Gloucester began to make oil', the Goebcn following ami. shooting at random. The Gloucester continued to send a few well-placed shots as she retreated.

i in. t:!i,ijter then commenced to manoeuvre, tin; Herman cruiser first from one point then from another, and then suddenly eii-j uil : voring to get right away. IJut the Uoehcii was the taster of the two, and ; the distance between them diminished , rapidly. i "Unexpectedly the Gloucester stopped dead, and turning round proceeded to | Lombard the Gocben. . . . The thunder rolled awa;,, the smoke vanished, and we saw clearly that two fijnnels were missing 011 the tioelieii, and that the great ship, though not sinking, was lice I i i:y o\ er lu-aiilv on one side. T(ie cruiser turned slowly and rejoined the breslau. They tlie/i betfi steaded ol"l, increasing- their siic-.l

tiicv went. Tlie gallant little (Jloneestcr came straight; us. Wlieii ijuite close to iw tile vessel turned neatly and hoisted the English llag. We exchanged signals. Presently the crew of the Gloucester discovered iliat our passengers were mostly .Russians, and n's they prepared to depart thev gave us a warm and truly British, "Hip! Hip, Hurrah!"' RED-HOT FU.XXJILS. •hi.' of (he «w of the Sutilhaur, vr.le- of the action oil' Hcliyu'au.l. - "Tiff enemy tunica out to u,. a i::v, ... : n;■ i■ i'I!i"I cruiser, somewhat largir ii I '"'- ■' i: -' MelClMiiy We rill utr.i:!- , Wiiv <:! I t.» jav.k T.,.. y iieaiy i'i plii U ami steamed av. a\' Jroiu us. us, but «■•vtmiull.v 'fc ran' lei. I 'iiwugs iegau u, look lively, as we were j putting .-In-:!.-, into her at Mi.' rate ol live ; every ten seconds, and U-inch lyddite at that. The shells have a terrible ell'eet, ' and fumes from them kill anyone within a range 01" sixty ;\arjs, while tiiey set oil lire (\ erylh>ug UO ar tliem. Presently sue was seen to be on lire, and a few '. minutes afterwards-a beautifully-placed sheil put 'paid' to two of her'hmuels. j All amidships was now a raging lire, 3 and the end eame when her mainmast j : Weill, by t-iie board. We immediately eeased lire and altered our course "0ing e.'ose to her. ' , 7 —! What a'sight shi; was! The lire amidships Ijad made two of the miinels red-hot''and Names and smoke were pouring out from her, Her poll , side was like a sieve. Every giri ue.- | sma-hed and bent, some looking round coiner,-, some on their sides - in t'aet, her v.ho'e upper deck was chaos. 'the lorebridge was a tangled mass of ironwork, j white the wire stays from the foremast were swinging j n the air. What she was like inside, heaven only know... \ I ,Y passed within :2(JI) yards of her. and the oirly living beings 011 the utht ibi'i. I were one man 011 the (juai ter-deek ' ,n 1 what looked like a couple of o'lieers standing under what had been the f.ire--I"idge. Many of them had jumped oveiboar.l, and, of course, were rebelled, iiai, these only totalled seven ollieers and seventy-nine out of a crew of -101) or 50(1. After this heavy firing was heard ahead and we shot oil' again. The. enemy this time was another cruiser similar to the previous one, and, steaming in line, we repeated the operation, only she blew up and sank before anyone could be saved. While this was going 011 another siiip approached and gave ih a broadside, which was replied to with interest, to the ellect that, she left suddenly for a previous appointment in a siukiii" condition."