GERMAN SUBMARINE RAMMED.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 198, 29 January 1915, Page 5

GERMAN SUBMARINE RAMMED.

FRENCH PRAISE OF OUR FLEET. London, January 27. British destroyers on the German coast on Sunday saw the periscope of a. submarine and charged the spot. Afterwards they saw oil floating on the surface. Times and Sydney Sun Services. London, January 27. French papers are filled with laudatory articles on the British fleet. M. Hanotaux, in the Figaro, lays stress on the superiority of our tactics, gunfire and personnel. THE LOSS OF THE VTKNOR. London, January 27. Twenty-two officers perished aboard the Viknor, a British armed merchantman ,wbich struck a mine or was lost in a gale off the Irish coast.

The marked superiority of the British artillery in this action in the North Sea is very suggestive (says the military correspondent in the Wellington Times). It iB in fact the leading note of the action. It will be generally remembered that when the (Vrman High Seas Fleet was bottled up at the beginning of the war by Admiral Jcllicoe's North Sea Fleet, great activity was reported in the German: dockyards It was said that the German Admiralty having discovered that many of the new British capital ships were carrying 13in gunswas that another consequence of "incorrect information ?"—had ordered still larger guns to be supplied to some of their capital ships in place of the II and 12in guns mounted in their turrets. But it was pointed out at the time that the substitution would entail very extensive structural alterations which might endanger the safety of the ships very seriously. The Germans insisted, however, that the structure strengthening was an easy enough matter, and would be done. Now, in this

action, the newest and biggest of German ships, their "craok" ship, in fact, the "Derfflinger," did not carry anything heavier than the 12-in gun of her original design.

Now consider the character of the German sortie so handsomely stopped lij the British Admiral. It was not out for fighting. It was out for terrorising. As soon as it sighted the British squadron it made off at once, and being overtaken was forced to fight for its life! We can only hazard on these facts, the oonjecture that the German Admiralty has made up its mind that the High Seas Fleet cannot face the British North Sea battle fleet with any hope of success: that being decisively inferior in artillery, which at sea in modern war is when superior absolutely fatal, it must not be risked in battle. The prompt bolt of the German squadron shows that fairly strongly. Therefore, the decision is to keep the High Seas Fleet for purposes of terrorising, but on no account to risk it in bnttle against superior force. If this be the true reading of the situation, the High Seas Fleet will never come out to fight. Its chiefs have admitted that it is inferior. All Germany will know this presently, because it may now be considered doubtful if the High Seas Fleet will send out any more squadrons even for .' "terrorising." This action has proved that "terrorising" by killing women and children is a dangerous as well as a cowardly sport of that sort. All Germany "went wild," and it appeared that to select the big fast capital ships for this work was a fairly safe proposition. But the second raid on those lines has proved frightfully disastrous. It has convinced the enemy that the British sea-dogs are as watchful as they are strong. Germany will perhaps be disappointed with the High Sea Fleet. when this fact stopß the "terrorising," But Germans will have to admit that the ireat fleet so sedulouslv fostered by the great Naval League has been built in vain; not daring either to fight or to terrorise The action off Borkum has placed the big German fleet in a very ignoble position before the world. It is interesting to note the probable line of escape of this squadron. Borkum is the westernmost German island of the Friesian group. It command's — we take our information from Mr Archibald Hurd's book —the approach to the Ems. and would offer a convenient "point d'appui" for Tiaval operations against the German coast. It is strongly fortified and would he a difficult place to surprise, and the funs in position are big 'enoueh to seriously damage the larger warships. Kmden. the. southernmost German port on the North Sea, has of late vears acquired considerable naval importance, and harbor works have been ' recently constructed there on a grand scale, and it is a great mine station. 'The channel connecting Jade Bar with Wilhelmshavrn has been much improved by dredging. It is clear, therefore that a squadron refuging, would be able to pass by Borkum into the bay, that it would be mad" additionally safe by the mine field, and that it could get in bv the dmlgcd channel inside the island to Wilhelms"haven. which ranks "officially as Germany's second war harbor," and in fact is the principal base of a German fleet 'operating in the North Sea." The babilitv then, is that the squadron that escaped in a damaged condition out of the clutches of Sir David Beatty found its way from Borkum to Wilhelmshaven.