THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 January 1917, Page 5

THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.

STORY OF THE FIGHT. TnE GERMAN LOSSES. Lon<lon ; Jan. 24 The Daily Chronicle says the Ymuiden action took place within a few hours- of the anniversary of the Dogger Rink engagement, and the Germans, again suffered a severe blow on the sea, and were sternly taught that raids eani.ot always be undertaken without grove losses. The engagement occurred on a bitter morning a few miles from the coast. The fight was sharp and sudden. Curious as it appears, Zeebruggc Harbor was freezing, and the German flotilla feared to be frozen in, running great danger of destruction from long range fire. They were ordered quickly to make f(r a German harbor. The flotilla numbered twelve or fourteen, and all went well until Hearing Sobomven Bank, when they suddenly encountered a terrific fire from a large number of British warships. Some of tic wounded' say there were twelve British ships; others excitedly estimate fleni at a hundred The coast dwellers heard deep heavy Bring at 4 o'clock in t!-e morning, which woke up the coastal papulation. i lie first news that reached the land was by the Kerns, which brought ten dugcrously wounded and announced *. ?c\cre German defeat. The Kerns' crew stated that they were fishing slightly north of Ymuiden and were hailed by a badly-damaged | Ceiman torpedo-boat, U6fl, which transpired ten wounded wrapped in blankets and placed on planks, all terribly in'nred. The wounded narrated part of t'-c battle in fragmentary sentences, frequently voicing disgust at the whole , war business. They said they had been ! taken by surprise and knew nothing of llit- proximity of the British fleet until shots shattered the bridge, killing the commander aiid two officers. The captair's legs were shot. away. Ufi!) lay helpless five miles from l Yiiiuiden. Dutch tugs and torpedoboats nastened to her rescue. an» brought her to harbor. She now lies the!.- with her stern almost submerged .".nil kept afloat with difficulty If the flotilla consisted of twelve vessels there cannot be many left, as only iwo arc unaccounted for. The presence among the survivors of men belonging to several sections of the German fleet stggests that they had been taken out of the water, which apparently confirms t! is view that several vessels were sunk. The wounded say the flotilla was so quickly surrounded that there was little hope of many escaping. Another account from Ymuiden states that UG!) collided with a British destroyer. There were gruesome scenes owing to the The dead were frozen to the deck and freed with axes. The Times' correspondent at Ymuiden states that Commander Boelm, of the tnpedo flotilla, was not killed. Four of'-cers of the Ufi!) and 80 of the crew out of KiO are missing. German wounded admit that ten German vessels were si'iik. THE GERMAN VERSION. Admiralty, per Wircle33 Press. Received Jan. 25, 10.55 p.m. London, Jan. H. German, Official.—Our torpedo boats encountered English torpedoers in Hoofden. We sank ono destroyer, and observed another, by'acrpplanc, in a sinking condition, and one of our torpedo boat, damaged and unscaworthy, ran into Ymuiden. All ,e other ships reI turned with slight losses. ! THE DUTCH AND SUBMARINES. I Ymuiden, Jan. 24. I The Dutch coastguards saw a German | sil.marino in the vicinity of the battle | and expelled her from territorial waters. THE SUBMARINE TOLL. London, Jan. 24. The British steamer Treamnndow (CiiPi tons), the Danish Klaperborg (1785 tons), and the Norwegian Reiniirpa (1147 tons) have been sunk. The Daily New 3 calculates that in tin: ftfi days to January 23, 470 vessels lifcve been submarined, including IS7 British.