OFF OSTEND.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 November 1915, Page 12 (Supplement)

OFF OSTEND.

FRENCH CRAFT'S WIN. A graphic account of tlie sinking of a fierman destroyer off Ostend in August by two French torpedo boat 3 is given in a letter by a naval officer who took part in the action. He says:— It wag shortly after 11 o'clock last night. I was on the deck of the torpedo boat "0," which was patrolling off Ostend with lights out. Torpedo boat "B" followed us at a short distance. It was a fine, bright, moonlight night and there was an almost dead calm. ' We were making circles in the ,vater, and were keeping a keen look-out, but then we had done that for 12 months without the enemy ever showing himself. Suddenly our commander, who was himself on the bridge, sighted a vessel ahead, which could only be a tlernian destroyer. She was larger, and was more heavily armed than we, and was steaming slowly, having apparently not seen us. In a minute all hands were on deck, and the gunners at their posts. Meanwhile torpedo-boat "B" had been warned by signal to clear for action. We were all ready to open fire, and were about to make certain regarding the identity of the stranger, when the latter fired a shot. A moment later both the French boats opened fire. Thanks to the searchlight, the enemy was as visible as in daylight at a distance of 2000 yards. He was firing away, too, and had a bigger gun than ours,' but he did not hit us. The "ping" of bullets from his machine guns lashed our ears, and it was ;; line time. At 11,20 his lire slackened, his searchlight no longer lit us up, and then, putting on full speed, he tried to seek safety under the Ostend batteries, which had begun to send up (lares, and to fire on us. "O," followed by "B," forcing the pace, got within a thousand yards of the lioehe, who was by now low in the water, and firing wildly. The finishing touch was given by "a torpedo from our forward tube, whose course I was easily able to follow in the brilliant light of the flares from the coast batteries. It found its mark; an explosion followed, then a spout of water, and two minutes later the Boche sank bv the stern. Tt was all over at 11.30. Not one of our men was wounded, and only insignificant damage was done to us. We should have liked to save the survivors, but the fire of the coast batteries was getting more accurate, and we had to make for the open aea. It was the finest iftight of eur live*. ••;