Maritime Activities

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 161, 14 December 1914, Page 5

Maritime Activities

THE HG;HT OFF (THE FALKLANDS BRITISH MISSES SLIGHT, WORLD-WIDE REJOICINGS. THE SWOOP SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. Buenos Ayres, December 11. The Minister of Marine lias receivet a wireless message tliat three Gcrmar i merchantmen were sunk oft' Terra-del-Fuego on Sunday. One belonged to -tb< Cosmos Line. Monte Video reports that the Germai auxiliary cruiser Prince Eitel is cruising in the South Atlantic, with fifteer hundred soldiers on board. London, December 11. Official.—Tho total British casualties in the Falkland Island engagement were seven killed and four wounded; no offi cers were injured. Tho Czar and the Archduke Nicholas on behalf of the Russian army and navy have congratulated the Admiralty or the brilliant British victory. ■Melbourne, December 12. Mr. Fisher's announcement of Admiral Sturdee's victory was greeted with enthusiastic cheers for the British and Australian navies. Vancouver, December 11. ' Wireless messages state that the Dresden and Nurnberg were hotly pursued in the direction of Port Santa Cruz, 240 miles west of the Falklands. A report from Buenos Ayres to the New \ork Stock Exchange says that both were overtaken and sunk. Times and Sydney iSnn Services. London, December 11. The Times, in a leader, says the Admiralty deserves credit for the rapid and thorough fashion in which it has accomplished the retrieval of the defeat of Admiral Cradock's squadron, A GERMAN EXPLANATION. VON SPEE LOOKING FOR THE CANOPU-S. THE END OF THE NURNBERG. ALL SUPPLY SHIPS SUNK. Received 13, 5.18 p.m. LONDON, December 12. A Berlin semi-official message suggests that Admiral Von Spee steamed southwards to seek the Canopus and Glasgow. Meanwhile a very strong British squadron was despatched. It must be remembered that the German squadron- had been four months on the high seas, and had no dock available for cleaning bottoms. New York, December 12. The British squadron caught the Nurnberg after an exciting chase. When summoned to surrender, the Nurnberg refused, and fought till she was sunk. All the German supply ships were sunk after the crews were removed, depriving the Karlsruhe and the Prinz Eitel Freidrik of means of re-provisioning or coaling. THE DRESDEN'S" WHEREABOUTS. Received 12. 12.20 a.m. New York, December 13. A Valparaiso message reports that the Dresden is taking refuge in an inlet in Patagonia. SCENE OF THE NAVAL VICTORY. The Falkland Islands are situated in the South Atlantic, opposite the entrance to the Strait of Magellan, and about 230 miles from the South American mainland. They form the most southerly colony of the British Empire. The islands, inclusive of rocks and reefs, exceed 100 in number, and have a total area of 0500 square miles. Only two are of considerable size. The largest of these, (East Falkland, is DS miles in extreme length, with an average breadth of 40 miles. The smaller, West Falkland, is 80 miles long and about 25 miles wide. The coastline of both islands is deeply indented, and many of the bays and inlets form secure and well-protected harbors. The population of the islands

slightly exceeds 2000. The predominating J element is Scottish, Scottish shepherds j having superseded the South American ( gauchos ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT. OFF THE CHILIAN COAST. ( Buenos Avres, December 12. It is reported that the Scharnhorst kept up firing until her guns were sub-' mergci Heavy firing was heard off the Chilian island of Mocha. It is believed that a British vessel was engaging the Prinz Eitel Freidrik. Amsterdam, December 12. The Yossische Zeitung states tliat two of Von Spee's sons were with his squadron. A MINE IX THE CHANNEL. Received 13, 6 p.m. London, December 12. A passenger steamer sighted a mine in the Channel. Soldiers aboard exploded it with liflea. THE KARLSRUHE ACTIVE. GERMAN TRADERS SHELTERING. New York, December IT. The steame/ Scottish Frince has arrived. She reports that the Karlsruhe is active along the South American coast. Over eighty ships are interned on the Brazil coast, owing to the presence of the British fleet. I TIIE DRESDEN INTERNED.

Washington, December 11. It is reported that tlic Dresden was interned at the Argentine, port of Santa Cruz on December 11. THE ATTACK ON DOVER. NO CONFIRMATION MET. Received 13, .5.5 p.m. London, December 12. There is no confirmation of the submarine attack on Dover. A similar attack on the Firth of Forth is reported, but this also requires confirmation. The destroyers which left Dover returned unsuccessful. London, December 11. On Wednesday night a steamer opposite Dover was stopped by a shot. It was supposed that • she was acting iri conjunction with the enemy's sub- ! marines.

STILL ANOTHER STORY.

THE DRESDEN ASHORE. Received 13, 1.5 a.m. Buenos Ayres, December 13. The Dresden is stranded on tlie Argentine coast, near Port Gallenos. GERMAN DESIGNS ON GIBRALTAR STRAITS. ANOTHER INTRIGUE DISCOVERED. Received 13, 5.5 p.m. London, December 12. The Daily Chronicle's Madrid correspondent states that the Admiralty frustrated a mature German plan to sow mines in the Straits of Gibraltar by means of a Spanish trawler. MINED IN THE BALTIC. Received 13, 5.5 p.m. Paris, December 12. The Ministry of Marine is informed that the cruiser Frederick Karl was sunk by a mine in the Baltic at the end of November, and most of the crew drowned. BRITISH AND GERMAN LOSSES. The British and German naval losses since the outbreak of the war may be stated thus; BRITISH. Armored cruisers—Aboukir, Cressy, Hogue, Good Hope, Monmouth .. 5 Light Cruisers—Ampliion, Pathfinder, Hawkc, Pegasus, Hermes 5 Auxiliary Cruisers 0 Destroyers 0 Submarines (one Australian) 3 Gunboats 2 Total vessels lost 15 Total tonnage of cruisers lost 81,285 GERMAN. I Armored Cruisers—Yorck, Soharnj horst, Grfeisenau 3 Light Cruisers—He] a, Magdeburg, I Ivoln, Mainz, Ariadne, Emden, Konigsberg, Leipsic, Nurnberg .... 9 | Auxiliary Cruisers—Kaiser Wilhalm I der Grosse, Cap Trafalgar, Konigin i Luisc 3 Destroyers 7 Submarines 1 Gunboats 8 Total vessels lost 37 Total tonnage of cruisers lost 00,450 Total tonnage "of auxiliaries lost 4(i,B'J7 In addition, the Russians claim to have destroyed a number of German destroyers, and one or two cruisers in the Baltic Sea. : The British pre-Dreadnought battleI ship Bulwark, 15,000 tons, was destroyed | by an aeciedntal explosion in lier magai zinc while she lay at anchor at Sheer- | ness.