THE NAVY AVENGES ITSELF.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 196, 27 January 1915, Page 5

THE NAVY AVENGES ITSELF.

London, December 11 ■ Tie news of t,iie British Naval victoryoff the Falkland Islands is big news indeed. It has been received by the general public with great satisia ton , But the satisfaction with wtiicu the public has received it is positively faint compared with the thrill of passionate' relief with which the British Navy has received the news. The disaster thai overtook that gallant and trusted seaman, Admiral Cradoclc, off the coast of Chile caused bitter anger as well as profound grief in the British Navy. It was not only an unnecessary I:umili- - ation. Admiral Cradock was one of the most brilliant officers we had, The 2vavy realised that he had sacriheed to a hopeless fate by hopeless official ineptitude. But. now 'he and hjs brave men, and the reputation of the British Navy, have been avenged by Admiral Sturdee in very handsome style. Germany's Pacific squadron lias practicably ceased to exist. It has been wiped off the high seas. Admiral voa Spee'ii flagship, the crack gunnery ship of the Germ&n Navy, and two otheP cruisers have been sent to David Jones' locker, and Admiral Sturdee is hot on the track of the two remaining fugitive? German cruisers. Those arc fast boats. The Dresden is a sister ship of the Emden, and she has incidentally been guilty 'of at least two flagrant abuses of international law. The istec.'clad, hounds of justice are on her track. LAST OF THE BLACK EAGLE FREEBOOTERS. We may await, further news of these two German boats, the two last of any effective force that still float the e ßlack' Eagle on the high seas, with tranquility and confidence. It is inadmissib e tq> discuss the composition of the ]Jriti3li squadron that fought this successful action. But, the fact that soi formidable an enemy's squadron has been smashed up with trifling losses to ourselves is proof positive that some heavy metal fought under the white ensign this time. This victory may be regarded as the first fruits of Lord Fisher's retuTn as l'irst Sea Lord of the British Admiralty. That he was not recalled sooner* to the post for which Providence seems specially to have designed him in this crisis is a reflection on several people. The victory may have very important consequences on the militarnation as well as on our high seas *' rnercc. Some naval officers arc whe-. ther it may tempt the Gen. '"North! Sea Fleet to try a fall with Ad.u'ral JeV< I licoe in the belief that Admiral Sturdee has Dreadnoughts with him and that now is f(he time to strike. But it is probably too good to be tr--". The Germans know full well th*f Mie Torth. Sea yawns for them with f'r.i 'TcM jaws if ever they venture out mwa it wit)* a real determination to fight. THE FAXKLANps FIGHT. . RECEPTION TO ADMIRAL STURDEE. London, December I. A latn message from- Monte Video says:—"A British cruiser, which took part in the naval engagement off the ■ Falkland Islands on December 8, in wltic/h four German cruisers were gunk, arrived yesterday in the roadstead off this poTfc. Several interesting details of the recent naval battle off the Falkland Islands became known when Admiral Sturdee, the British commander', and his staff, came ashore to> atjtcnd a reception given by the Belgian and French Ministers. The naval officers were warmly received. It .is said that the cruiser which led * the attack on the Scharnhorst, Ad.nfral Von Spec's flagship, and after that vessel had been sunk, was also in at t'he death of the Gneisnau, was struck by twenty, projectiles, but sustained no serious damage. The vessel's casualties Were light, considering the number of times she was hit, only fourteen members of her crew having been wounded. When the battle began and while the Germans were firing at long range, it is sai 1 the British commanders reserved their fire and permitted their men to have br uikfast before answering the attack. Whcnl the British did come into action, however, little signalling was done, as eacjh vessel's officers'-already knew their task. When the Gniescnau sank she wao without ammunition, but had refused to surrender. Her officers aijd men stood i en the deck singing patriotic songs aB ' she took her plunge beneath the waves. A number of her crew, including several 'officers, were rescued. Some of those men died later from wounds or shoefe sustained by the submersion in the cold water. The Seharnhorat was ablaze when she sank with all hands, including Admiral Von Spee. Two sons of the admiral on hoard the Gniesenau and one on board the Leipsic also were lost. The corny mander of the Brjtish flagshin was slighf-' ly hurt on the foot by being struck flying splinters. Had he ordered' hid flin. guns to be manned there doubtlesswould have been fatalities aboard, as one of these guns was smashed by a German shell.