Maritime Activities

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 25 November 1914, Page 5

Maritime Activities

ACTIVITY AT EMDEN. GERMAN NAVY MAY FIGHT. Tiimes and Sydney Sun Services Received 24, 5.20 p.m. London, November 23. Reports from the north of Holland show that unusual activity prevails in the neighborhood of the port of Emden, and the impression prevails that the German fleet is preparing for a decisive action. Prince Henry of Prussia visited Emden on Saturday, and inspected the torpedo and submarine craft.

GERMAN FLEET OFF CHILI. SECRET NAVAL BASE. GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE. Received 24, 10.30 p.m. Washington, November 24. The State Department is informed that the German fleet in South American waters is maintaining a secret naval base on the Chilian eoast. Chili states that six; will immediately 'nvestigate the matter, and suppress any ' reach of neutrality, if proven. AUSTRALIAN PLUCK.

HOW THE EMDEN WAS SUNK. STORY FROM EYE-WITNESSES. GERMANS DENY USE OF JAPANESE FLAG. THE SYDNEY'S HEROES PRAISED. Received 24, 7.35 p.m. Colombo, November 23. The Sydney's wounded and the Emden's survivors landed and sent to hospital tell a gallant story. The 'Times of Ceylon publishes the following from eyewitnesses:—"At 7 on the morning of (November nth the Sydney got a wireless, saying that there was a German cruiser oft' Cocos Island. She went oft' so fast that we could not see her for the furrow cut in the water. At 9.40 we sighted the Emdon, which opened fire at 10,000 yards, carrying away the Sydney's foremast and range-finder. "The Sydney replied most effectively, and it did one's heart good to hear the yells of joy of our chaps as the shots went home. Most of our lads were quite young, but not the least afraid. They gloried in it.

I "The first, salvo damaged the Ennlen. We soon shot away successively her foremost funnel, the foremast', and , swond funnel. At each success our lads shouted 'Hurrah! There's another. She's a goner!' ".The Enufen, badly damaged, and afire aft, went ashore at 4.20 p.m. The Sydney chased and captured the collier lUiresk, but she sank, owing to the crew smashing the valves, and then returned to tho Emdon, sending boats to pick up the Germans in the .water, but as the German (lag was flying, and the Esi.ien lofused to answer the demand to surrenthe Sydney was compelled io lire again. Five minutes later the German ensign was hauled down.

"If it is true, as we have been told bv many of the German prisoners, that they fired no less than 1050 shots, then their shooting must have been very poor. Throughout the action it "was very clear tliat our shooting was far superior. The trajectory of the Emden's guns was more pronounced than ours. She seemed to drop her shots on board us when she was anywhere near us, while our shells went far straighter, and appeared to do a good deal more damage when they got home. The Emden's shells completely failed to penetrate our armor-plate. One shell came very near doing a lot of mischief. Tt struck tho edge of the armorplate, within inches of one of tho wardroom portholes. All the wounded were staff Wilr<l "™ oTn ' wiHl tllc surgeon and

"-Wonlintr tc.the German wounded, tlieEmden loft Tsmg-tao on July 31. ITer enirines had liofn workins: for three months without a break. They deny that she flew the Japanese flag when she entered Penang. They were dying t lie German fluff. The only thing they did iv as to put on a (lummy fourth funnel One man said, 'So far as 1 „ aw . cve'-y----iyr°A', s .v<lney proved Mnnelf'a rod little hero. They s^' Morkmg, , l n r. ti) o way tie .- ( 't! r -. tral ian pluck!"' S " " if A "^

GERMAN ARMED LINERS DEPREDATIONS. SUBMARINES IN BELGIUM. I GI'RMAN SUMRARINE SUNK ON scoTTryir coast. London, November 2:!. The Kronprinz Wilhelm (an armed liner of 15.000 tons) sank the. La. Correntina and the French barque Union. The passengers and crews were landed at Buenos Aires. Rotterdam, November 23. Six submarines have been brought overland to Zcebrugge. The strictness of the guard makes it impossible to say .vet whether they have been placed in the water. A Danish steamer collided with the. German destroyer 5124, which foundered. All the crew was lost. London, November 23. Mr M'Kcnna announced that British troops have occupied the Island of Helm, near Guernsey, It was leased in 1HS!I to a German company, and the house, and grounds were subsequently re-let to Prince Blucher. London, November 23. OfHcial: A British patrol vessel rammed and sank a German submarine oil' the Scottish coast. The British rescued the crew. RAMMED 'MIDSHIPS. CREW. RESCUED. Received 24, 10.30 p.m. n "rntinirrniiitoimiii««i—

RESCUE OF THE CREW. ONLY JUST IN TIME. Received 24, 10.20 p.m. liondon, November 24. The German submarine UlB was detected near the northern*part of Scotland during the morning, and the patrol reported the ramming at noon. The submarine was not again sighted for an hour, when the crew were (jeen on dock, flying the white flag. The destroyer Carry came alongside as the submarine foundered, and rescued three officers and twenty-three of the crew, one being drowned.