DESTROYERS' FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1915, Page 5

DESTROYERS' FIGHT.

NORTH SEA "INCIDENTS. ENEMY iLO.SE TWO TORPEDO BOATS. MiL\E_,SWKLTEI{'S PLUCK. A series of small all'airs took place in the neighborhood of the Galloper and ■North Hinder lightships on Saturday, May 1. During the forenoon lI.M. destroyer Recruit was sunk by a Mtbinarine, lour olljcers and '2d men being saved by the trawler Daisy. At .'! p.m. the trawler Colombia was attacked by two German torpedo boats, who approached her from the westward -and commenced action without hoisting their colors. The Colombia was sunk by a torpedo, only one deck hand being saved by 'other trawlers. A division 0 f British destroyers, comprising Laforey, Leonidas. Lawford and Lark, chased the two German vessels, and after a brief running fight about an hour sank them both. The British destroyers sustained no casualties. Two German officers and 41 mra were rescued from the sea and made, prisoners of war. On the. same day a British trawler rammed a German torpedo boat, causing some damage to the vessel. The torpedo boat made oil' on the approach of English warships. The following details of the operations are given in the Paris Figaro:—At 11.30 a.m., the. journal states, the Kecruit,while patrolling the Essex coast, came on four German submarines. The Recruit tried to run down the nearest, but two of the submarines attacked and from different points lired several torpedoes. Thanks io clever manoeuvring, the commander of the British destroyer avoided them. One shot struck an enemy submarine, which disappeared.

At that moment the fourth submarine fired a torpedo whic3i struck the Recruit obliquely, making a large hole, and the destroyer began to sink. The. steam trawler Daisy rushed to her aid, and, launching; several 'boats, succeeded in taking oil" 30 of the destroyer's crew of 03.

BUiBMARINE STRIKES A MINE. One sulbmarine fired a torpedo at the Daisy. which made off, abandoning one of her iboats. which was chased by a submarine. The enemy ship fired several times, and four men were wounded. The sulbmarine was preparing to fire again when she struck a mine and .sank in a few minutes. In response to the call for lielp from the Daisy, four British destroyers under Commander Edwards arrived upon the scene. They saw in the distance two German destroyers whicli appeared to have, accompanied the submarines. Thov gave battle in the neighborhood, of the North Binder lightship. The German vessels gave up the struggle and made oh", but were pursued by the (British shelled and sunk. The British destroyers at once lowered boats and saved 40 Germans, including two officers. These survivors were land, ed nt Rhotley, near Harwich. Tlie British commanders state that the enemy fought half-heartedly. During the fight the superiority in gunnery and speed of the /British ships was proved once again. A DRAMATIC EPISODE. Describing the. ramming of the German torpedo-boat, the Rotterdam correspondent of the. Paris Daily 'Mail says:— One of those minor hut dramatic episodes which add to the excitement and thrill of war occurred'in tUic North Sea when a Tiritisli minesweeper rammed a German torpedo-boat near the North Hinder ligntship. The full story of this thrilling incident was given me (by Captain Meland, in the cabin of the Varild, a Norwegian steamer which was in the vicinity. "We were on the wav from London to Rotterdam," he said. "When 14 miles from the English coast we were hailed by two German torpedo-boats, coming apparently from the direction of England. After learning our destination we were allowed to proceed.

"Several miles from the North Hinder we sighted three British trawlers sweepin" for mines, two from Grimsby and one from Cardiff. The, German torpedo, boats swooped down on the trawlers, and one, A 6, attacking the Cardiff boat and one Gnimslby trawler, and the other, whose number I could not see, oJiasing the second Grimsby mine-sweeper. CAUGHT AMiDSHIPS.

"The torpedo-boats came up firing ntpidlv, but their aim was bad and they did little damage. Afi was midway between the two Cardiff and Grimsby trawlers, and appeared to besitate which to attack. Suddenly the Cardiff trawler turned on AB, and before she could get out of the-way caught her amidships, carrying away the bridge and destroying the life-boat. "We were, less than a mile away, and could se one of the crew fall into the water. I sent tUic second mate an:', a sailor in a boat. They picked up a German officer, who was exhausted, and shivering, from swimming. He cotiH not talk" English- I Rave him a change of clothes, keoping his shouldcr-straa M a souvenir, and sent him aboard the Cardiff trawler. A German sailor was picked up by the Cardiff boat. "While the. men were, being rescued six \TsritisJi destroyers came racing to the scene, and the'two Gorman torpedoboats ran away, iAiG not having sustained serious damage."