Maritime Activities

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 227, 4 March 1915, Page 5

Maritime Activities

THE FALKLANDS FIGHT. IJOW VOX SPEE WAS BEATEN. AUMIKAL STCRDEE'S DESPATCHES. Received 3, 11.15 p.m. London, March 3. Vice-Admiral Sturdce's despatch stated that the Gneisenau and Nurnoerg were sighted eight miles away, and two other enemy vessels twenty miles away. The Gneisenau and Number" approached witli guns trained on the wireless station, until the Canopus . opened fire across low land at_ll,ooo yards. They eceined about to attack flic Kent when the Invincible and Inflexible were sighted. They immediately altered their course, and made speed to join their eonsorts.

The British left the harbor at 9.45 a.m. Visibility was at the maximum, the sea calm, bright and clear, with a light breeze. By 11 o'clock the enemy's funnels and bridges were just above the horizon. The Bristol and Macedonia were detached to destroy three transports reported at Port Pleasant. The enemy still maintaining his distance. I decided to attack with the Invincible, Inflexible, and Glasgow We opened fire at 1147 p.m. at 16,500 yards. The Leipzig turned to the southeast, with the Nurnberg and Dresden. The Kent and Glasgow followed. Battlecruisers, chasing the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, forced them to return their fire at 1.30.

The enemy, at 2 o'clock, turned 10 points to the starboard, and a second chase ensued, until they were forced to open fire at 2X55, when the Scharnhorst was afire forward, hut not seriously, though her fire was slackened perceptibly. She turned at 3.30 for the purpose of bringine her starboard guns into action. The effect of our fire was now apparent. At times a" shell would cause a largo hole to appear in the side of the ship, through which could be seen the dull red glow of flames. At 4 o'cloc'the Scharnhorst, whose flag had been flying to the last, suddenly listed heavily to port. Within a minute it was clear that she was doomed. The list increased verv ranidlv. until she lay on her beam ends, and she disappeared at 4 17 p.m. The Gneiscnau continued, a determined but" ineffective ficht against the two battle-cruiscTs. One shell struck the Invincible at 5.15. This was tne. Gneisenan's last effective effort. Soon she showed a heavy list to starboard, steam pouring from her escape nipes and smoke from shell fires everywhere. I ordered "Cease fire!" but the Cneisenau roonened with a single gun. Her flatr was flying" until s.s'rt. The Oneisenau heeled over at 0 o'clock very suddenly, showing the men gathered on her decks, and then walking along her side as she lav for a minute on her beam ends. The survivors had been ordered to secure hammocks and other floatable articles.! When the vessel sank probably 000 were unwounded. but the shock of the cold water drowned many within sight of the boats. Every effort was made to save life. The Tnviifible rescued 108, "but fourteen of these died before they could be brought aboard. Thev were buried the following day, with" 'full military honors.

Meanwhile the Glasgow, steaming ahead, forced the Leinzif; to alter h-r course, enabling the Cornwall to open fire. The Kent, owing to excellent and strenuous endeavours In the engineroom, got within range of the Xurnbcrg at five o'clock, and the Xurnbcrg was afire by (1.3 p ., n . When she sank at i .-'ll. a group of men could be seen on the deeif waving the Herman ensign. The Kent had four killed and twelve wounded mostly caused by one shell. The Dresden' escaped, owing to tiie necessity of the Glasgow stopping the Leipzig. T,y. weather changed at four o'clock to cloudy, assisting the Dresden to escape Admiral Rturdec adds: "Officers and men carried out orders with admirable efficiency and coolness."

.Sergeant Mayes, of the Kent, is recommended for the conspicuous gallantry medal. A shell bursting ignited the cordite charges in the casement. A flasn of flame went down the hoist into the ."•mnmntion nassiwo. Mavca picked up the charge of cordite, and threw it away, and then flooded the compartment, saving a disaster which might have lost the ship.

THE SUBMARINE BLOCKADE. AMERICA'S PROPOSAL Mu GERMANY. Received 3, 8 p.m. London, March 3. Reuter's Amsterdam correspondent reports that the American Note of the 22nd of February proposed that within gunfire of harbours,.submarines are not to attack merchant ships, except for the purposes of search; Britain to agree not to hold up foodstuffs addressed to the agencies in Germany which distribute exclusively to the civil population. Germany replies that she is prepared not to employ drifhting mines, and that submarines will only be employed in search. The suggested regulation of food supplies was generally acceptable, but should include fodder and raw material for manufactures.

AMERICAN CRITICISM. Received 4, 1.30 a.m. * New York, March 3. American opinion is highly critical'of Mr. Asquith's declaration, which many regard as tantamount to a paper blockade. The Times and Tribune consider the Government ought to try to hold the Allies to the accepted forms of blockade, in the interest of neutrals. GERMAN SLIMNES,*. Times and Sydney Su n Services. Received .'!.' 5.35 p.m. London, March 3. Investigations at New York show that German shipping agents are using a dummy corporation for the purposes of coaling and provisioning German raiders in the Atlantic, evading the law by means of false clearance papers anil manifests.

the mn.\ IXCIDKXT. Times and Svdnev Sim Services. Received :i, :..2.-) p.m. London, ATjircli 3. A correspondent shys oflieial Wnsliiiv,'- !■<>!> iiwjiils the derision of (lie Frcneli prize court vvitli ivuanl in tin- Dacia l.e----fo-v moving If France f;,i] s f„ ,-,■(■:.:,, liisc 11m. vj.li.lilv of 11,,. transfer it \ ii'M-oiialilv sure Hi:'* a nrotest will '»•■ Med. 'l'll,, owner of ili,. Daeia. proin.lillVn.m- i„ 11„. deri-ion. and Kay. lie oxpoeled ll,e ~ jznre I.V til,Freneli.

ADMIUALS' DESPATCHES ISSUED. Received 3, 5.5 p.m. London, March 3. Vice-Admiral Sir Frederick Sturdee's and Vice-Admiral Sir David Beattys despatches on the Falklands and North Sea engagements have been issued. Almiral Bcatty states that his squadron reached a speed of 28} knots, and that particular credit is due to the gunners of the New Zealand and the lndominitable. The only ships hit were the Lion and Tiger. Prisoners state that six hundred of the Gneiscnau's men had been killed fr wounded when the ammunition was expended.

THE SURREY STRIKES A MINE

BRITAIN'S BLOCKADE AND THE NEUTRALS. Sydney, March 3. Advices have been received that the steamer Surrey, well-known in the Australian trade, struct! a mine off Dover and was run ashore iiear Deal. She had no cargo aboard. [The Surrey may have been coming out in ballast. Slie is not one of the vessels expected to come to New Zealand.] Paris, March 2. A mine exploded on the coast of Kierkzee, Dutch Zeeland, killing five civilians. Another exploded at West Capelle. Copenhagen, March 2. Mr Asquith's statement lias caused a great impression in business circles, i'.s Britain's action is' calculated to wip-j out the transport trade and isolate, neutrals. Albert Jensen, ringleader in the copper smuggling affair, has been sentenced to sixty days' imprisonment.

NORTH SEA BATTLE.

ADMIRAL BEATTY'S DESPATCH. Received 3, 11.55 p.nt London, March 3. Vice-Admiral Sir David/ Beatty reports: "I was patrolling at daybreak, with the light cruisers Southampton, Nottingham, Birmingham, and Lowestoft disposed to port of the battlecruisers, with the Arethusa, Aurora, and Undaunted and destroyer flotillas ahead. The flash of guns was observed at 7.25, and the Aurora reported "engaging the enemy." I altered the course and increased the speed to twenty-two knots. Throughout the fight the light cruisers maintained touch with the enemy, and kept me fully informed. We were ready to attack any vessel which might fall out of the enemy's line. The wind was light, and there was extreme visibility. The enemy was seen steaming fast, steering to the' south-east, at a distance of fourteen miles. We settled down into a long stern chase. By nine o'clock we were within.twenty thousand yarls of the rear ships. The Lion made the opening hit on the Blucher. which was fourth in the line. The Tigei' opened fire on the rear ship, and the enemy returned our fire at 9.14. Soon the New Zealand was engaging the Blucher, which dropped astern with a heavy list. The Princess Royal attacked the third ship i n the line, which was afire by 0.45. Our cruisers and destroyers gradually manoeuvred away in order not to foul the battle cruisers' range with smoke, but the enemy's destroyers threatening attack the Meteor and the M division passed ahead, Captain Meade handling the division with conspicuous ability. The enemy's destroyers emitted vast columns of smoke to screen their battleships. The excellent stemming of the British ships was a conspicuous feature of the action.

Aboard the New Zealand, EnrrineerCommander Turner and Chief Engineroom Artificer Dand arc mentioned in despatches, and Chief Stoker James Sims received a distinguished service medal.