ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 October 1916, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

FUTILE RAID ON TRANSPORTS. TWO ENEMY CRAFT SUXKj ' BRITISH DESTROYER MISSING. Wellington, October 28. Tlie High Commissioner reports under date Loudon, October 27, 4.25 p.m.:— The Admiralty reports' that during last night ten enemy destroyers attempted a. raid on the cross-Channel transports, and failed. One empty transport was sunk, and the crew saved Iwo enemy destroyers were sunk, and the rest driven oIT. One BvitLh destroyer is missing, and it is feared she is lost. Nine of tlie crew were ssved. Another, disabled by a torpedo, was being towed when the tow rope parted owing to bad weather, and the destroyer grounded. -Now York.' Octohor 27. British and German destroyers bad a buttle in the English Channel. Two German boats were sunk, and one British was sunk and one disabled. London, October 27. The Admiralty report reads:—"Ten destroyers raided the Channel transport service yesternight. They sank an empty transport. Tlie destroyer Flirt is missing, and tlie Nubian is disabled. We sank two destroyers.'; THE FLIRT'S FIGHT. MOST AMBITIOUS RATD, GERMANY'S RISK. Received October 29, 5.5 p.m. London, October 2S The destroyer Flirt was last seen attacking four enemy ships. The light occurred between midnight and 1 o'clock. The Daily Telegraph says that the raid was the most ambitious pf its kind since the opening of the war. Germany employed ten. of her newest, speediest, and best-gunned destroyers, i:i order to make certain of achieving success, and she risked vessel; to the value of a million sterling, but their i operations merely resulted in the destruction of un empty transport j HINDENBURG RULES THE NAVY. jERMAN LOSSI BRITISH PATROL FULLY AWAKE. London, October 23. No further details have been published of the defeat of the attempt by German destroyers to hold up the crossChannel transport service. * Tho Admiralty do not desire the. exact locality to be mentioned. Tt is understood the German flotilla which usually consists of ten boats, came from Zeabrng-ge. Germany's loss of two destroyers brings her total loss of destroyers to SO, reckoning nine lost in the Jutland battle. The result of the fight show.< that Admiral Bacon's Dover patrol is fully awake. Since early on Friday morning a terrible gale has been raging in the Channel. In connection with this affair, it is recalled that fresh German naval measures were tho result anticipated since Field-Marshal von Hindenburg's assumption of the military command, as it Was asserted he would not allow the Heet to remain inactive, and it must attempt appreciably to assist the German armies. There is good reason to believe that he will insist on every effort being made to harass the Channel transport service. It is noteworthy that the Italian press to-day announce a German report that Hindenburg's power has been further extended, including a powerful measure of control ovor the navy, in order to ensure eo-ordinafion of the services, thus Hiudenburg lias been elevated to an unprecedented position, for hitherto only the 'Kaiser has combined high naval and military authority. THE GERMAN REPORT. Berlin, October 28. Official.—The story told by one of the raiders claims io have passed the Straits of Dover ami sunt eleven patrols, also two or three torpedoers, while others were damaged by torpedoes. All the German boats returned safely, FRENCH TRAWLER SUNK, Received October "0, 5.5 p m. Par:s, October ?8. Official.—A Channel raider, when returning, sank a French trawler. The crew were mostly saved.