VALPARAISO SEA FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 158, 10 December 1914, Page 6

VALPARAISO SEA FIGHT.

STORY OF THE BATTLE. HOW THE GOOD HOPE SANK. CRIPPLED BY BROADSIDES. GLASGOW'S ESCAPE. San Francisco, November 14. Under date of November 5, a correspondent sent the following despatch from Valparaiso to San Francisco, giving gome details of tlie naval, engagebent, oil' the coast of Chili: —■ A wireless cry from the British cruiser (Glasgow—intercepted by the German victor;—was ihc last word received from Rear-Admiral Craddock's squadron following tile engagement oil the Chilian coast on 'Sunday.

The Germans saw the Monmouth sink, and heard an explosion on board the Good Hope that they believed sent the crippled liagship to the bottom. AH that night the German cruiser Xuruberg searched the seas unsuccessfully for the Good Hope. They picked up a radiogram directed to tlie flagship by the Glasgow. There was no reply.

There were about &VSO men on the Monmouth when she disappeared beneath the waves. Admiral Cradock had i.'Oi) men with him on board tlie Good Hope. •Whether the. Glasgow and the* transport Otranto, which escaped destruction, survived the damage suffered 'is not known. The .whereabouts also of the German cruisers Leipzig and Bremen remains in doubt.

First details of the first really important navar batle of the war became known, from statements made by German officers. The latter did not hesitate to commend the bravery of the Britishers, and initiated that e.n eli'ort to save lives would have been made if the weather had permitted.

;:0!H) i-iori: unable to get guns- 1 JaTU'ACI'IOX. The engagement was fought in the teeth of :i nortier lli:it assumed almost hurricane proportions. (Small boats could not live in the sea. The heavy weather militated against the larger ■ships, ami-tlio Rood Hope found her guns almost useless because of the ship's roll. The German China fleet, the cruisers Scharnhorst, Cneisenau, and Xurnbcrg, had joined the cruisers Leipzig and Bremen, which had been detached to patrol the coast north of Valparaiso. The unit proceeded southward, apparently well aware of tile, British off Conception Bay. At the same time, the British cruisers Monmouth and Glasgow, accompanied by the transport Qtranto, moved north to meet the llagship, the Good Hope. The Britishers evidently were not aware of the proximity of the Gern:a:u. and «tiicy met oil Coronel. It was 0 o'clock on Sunday when the Germans sighted the three British ships. The latter attempted to alter their course, evidently with an intention to approach the coast and gain territorial wa*ers, and so avoid the unequal match, The Germans, however, headed them oh, and forced the battle. , At the moment the Gorman guns were ' twined, the Good Hope --was seen coming 'at full speed, and ,through good seamanship, she managed to join the other British ships.

GERMAXS <:OXOEXTRATE FIRE OX THE GOOD HOPE.

Tlio Britishers hail come about, and the two squadrons sailed southv.r.rd in parallel lines, the Germans being nearer the coast. Gradually the two lines came narrer tp e.ich other, and the Schavnhorst and the Gneisenau simultaneously let go their twelve 8-inch puns, which they concentrated on the Good Hope. The German shots fell short, and the Good Hope had such a roll that slip could not reply. The smaller cruisers were far out of range. Slowly the sea fighters drew in nearer, and when the two units were about 6000 yards apart, the Good Hope fired her two nine-inch guns, which on the gun deck ' were so near the water-line that as the vessel rolled, they woer almost awash. A terrible broadside from the Scharnhorst and the Gneisenau crippled the 'British flagship, and her engines stopped. The Monmouth, recognising the distress of her companion, made a dash to cover the Good Hope, but by that time the distance separating the two squadrons had been reduced to ."lOOOyds., and the Germans were able to bring their ships into action, and to use all the'guns of the five vessels. These were directed against the 'Monmouth, Glasgow and Otranto. ,

OTRAXTO AND'GLASGOW ESCAPE. The Otranto, badly damaged, escaped in the gathering darkness, and soon afterwards was followed by the Glasgow, which had also been put out of action, but continued apparently seaworthy. The five German ships continued the attack on the Good Hope and Monmouth until within a few minutes the latter sank. By this time only 4500 yards separated the fighters. The Good Hope, badly damaged, hung on until an explosion occurred on board. She withdrew to the westward at 7.30 o'clock. As she disappeared, she wa.» seen to be in flames. Whether her crew was able to cheek the fire, or if the explosion finally sunk her, it is not known. The flames died down, and she was not seen again. The. Xurnbcrg searched until raylight for the wounded ship, when the German officers concluded that she, must have been lost .with all her crew. The only trace found of the Britishers was in the wireless message in which the Glasgow called unsuccessfully for the flagship.

.ADMIRAL CRADDOCK AX AMERICA> FAVORITE. The news of the loss of the Britisl cruisers (lood Hope, and Monmouth caused a profound sensation in Sai: Francisco, and when special editions o! the afternoon newspapers flooded tin streets, the half-million citizens of the Californian metropolis were astounded for it had been confidently asserted onlj a few days previously that the .Scharnliorst and the (ineisenau had been cap tured in the South Seas. That the Oermans were able to sink or scatter the British squadron with only minor damage, to their own ships, and a casually list of only two wounded was a subject of wonder. Details of the fight, picked up from conversations with German officers who went ashore at Valparaiso from the warships, showed that the Germans, owing to the superior range of the guns on the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, opened fire when six miles away from the Monmouth, Good Hope and Glasgow. A3 the jhips closed in and the range came down to four miles, the British ships were Mjtidn reply, /but, by that time they JiiMlMliiMMiflllnl.Y., il lV —' ''■'-