TRAPPING A CRUISER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 145, 13 November 1914, Page 6

TRAPPING A CRUISER.

AUSTRIAN- IX A IUXG OF .STKEL. A VIVID STOIIV. The following description of the sinking of the 'Austrian cruiser Zeuta by the French lleet in the Adriatic (announced by the Press Bureau 011 August IT) is taken-from a letter written liy a British naval oliieer in the .Mediterranean to his wife: —

When you read the pin cards about a great naval battle in the Alediterrancan and discovered it was Austrian and French, you were relieved, thinking it was only them, but it was not so. Ourselves and W and destroyers were in it;

We met the French admiral the -day before with his huge lleet. It happened to be a pea-soup "og 011 the morning of or.r meeting, and we got right among the Frenchmen in the thick fog, and had some close things. Two French cruisers suddenly loomed out of the fog right ahead of us anil we had to go full speed astern, which brought the W astern of 11s, right up and jolly near into the stern walk. However, it all panned oik right without actually touching.

Well, that night we started up I,'Adriatic, the battleships going up the Italian coast and crossing the Adriatic approaching Cattanv from the north Six French cruisers; the W , and ourselves, with the destroyers swept up tin 'eastern shores, arriving to the south 0 ,Cattaro (at Antivari), and so meeting at 9 o'clock in the morning. We counted on rounding up the Austrian lleet if it was there.

As we approached Cattaro we could see a, small cruiser and two destroyers going away from us to the north for all they were worth. However, soon they sighted the French lleet coming from that direction and realised that they were shut' in between two converging lines of battleships i-ml armoured cru iters, and were in a desperate case. They turned round and came in our direction again. We lost sight of the two destroyers, which made for what 111 the far distance looked like an entrance to a harbor. The light cruiser, after steaming towards us, made straight in for tlie shore, and looked as if she meant to beach herself. However, she never got there.

A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT. The sight of the fleet just now was magnificent. The French battle3hi;;s had divided into two squadrons. The first, and nearer division to us, was steaming full speed in a south-easterly direction nearing the coast everyminutn ana similarly the ill-fated Austrian light cruiser. Behind this was the other :ialf of the battleships rather inshore of them, steaming in much the same direction, while all the armoured cruisers were well out to sea, formed into two lines and steaming straight in towards the same spot on shore towards which the battleships pointed. The 'battle flags were flying. The French are great on battle flags, and had a huge national flag flying from each mast, as well as the ensign staff. They were led by the French flagship Courbet; it was a grand sight; At their best speed they throw up a bow wave which makes a: huge white ruffle round the fore part of the ship.,. The day was lovely; the picturosqueness of the scene charmed one until it was brought home that these wcr f> no peace manoeuvres of exercise, Thia deadly striking force waß in a savage mood, chafing at there being no enemy worthy of its steel, only one poor little light cruiser there. Suddenly the Fteneh flagship fired a gun from her foremost turret. The 12in. shell hurtled through the air and struck the water well aliead of the Austrian. Now was the time to recognise the futility of resistance and 1 to> haul down their colours —and hurry, for the moments were passing. But no—Austria has a tradition- that' no Austrian ship has ever struck her - colors; to< m enemy; so she awaited her fate.

. LIKE A BURNING HAYSTACK.. Ten minutes she-was given, »nd ; then the six French bittleehips opened fire on her. The shooting way very good'. What a raging, exploding-lielT it! most have been on l)oard'that poor little ship-. Six minutes and she was bunriog like a haystack, and 15* minutes after the action began an-explosion occurred on board, and 10 miimtes. rater site sank slowly by tho stern and'disappeared. lit the meantime Hie second 1 division had steamed north and were engaging some craft inshore, probably the destroyers, but we. could not see- for the- smoke made by firing and' the funnels. The cruisers did not 'come into action. No enemy was left' liy the time they came into shooting range. TTrcy had been kept out in deep water for fear of mineß nearer the shore!.

Their work being- fltifeM, the whole fleet steamed south again with a view to goirting out of' the narrow Adriatic, so f&vourable to dfestroyers and submarine actack, before darkness set in.

The French' sliowed by their accuracy and rabidity of fire that they live up to 'their old-time reputation as gunners. The little Austrian fiad answered pluckily as long as there was anyone left on board to fire. Small columns of water were observed showing where the Austrian 4in. shots felt short. She did her best and her end was honorable, her crew dying like heroes.