ON THE SEA.
HOSPITAL SHIPS TORPEDOED. SUNK WITHOUT WARNING. CONSIDERABLE L(lsS OF LIFE. GERMAN PRISONERS BEHAVE DESPICABLY. Received April 23, 9.30 p.m. London, April 22. The Admiralty /announces that the steamers Donegal and La France were torpedoed without warning on the evening of the 17th, while transporting w»unded to British perts. United Service. | Received April 23, 7.30 p.m. j London, April 22. The hospital ship La France has been sunk, with serious loss of life, including wounded Germans. Times l Service. London, April 22. One of the hospital ships was recently torpedoed at eight ."o'clock at night. She carried wounded Germans, captured during the recent British advance, including a party of officers, some of high rank. The only panic was due to the anxiety of the Germans to save their own skins. When the rescue ships appeared they thought them German, and shouted loudly to bring ( their supposed countrymen quickly to their rescue. Owing to the German practice of sinking hospital ships it is no longer possible to distinguish them, because they become conspicuous targets. Therefore the Donegal and La France were unmarked as hospital ships, but were provided with an escort. * The Donegal carried 29 slightly wounded men. Twelve of the crew are missing. The La, France earned 234 British wounded, 167 German wounded, 52 of a medical staff and 123 of a crew. Twenty-three British and fifteen British are missing. Patrol boats, at the imminent risk ol being torpedoed, rescued 152 Germaß wounded. (The Admiralty later corrects the above, stating that one ol the hospital' ships retained distinctive' marking). The Donegal was almost in sight of England when she was torpedoed in the stern. She carried lightly wounded men, not, requiring comforts aboard a hospital ship. There was a strong sea, and most of the -wounded were seasick and lying in their berths. There was no panic. The vessel floated for several hours, and then sank. For-ty-five minutes afterwards rescuing ships off the last man. The La France was attacked at eight o'clock in the evening in a heavy sea. A week previously she saw the Salta sink . nina minuted after striking a mine in the Channel. She carried no nurses during the passage to England, owing to the isubmarinc danger and the risks of torpedoing. i German officers indignantly denied that hospital ships bearing distinguishing marks have been torpedoed. The Daily Chronicle's correspondent interviewed members of the crew, and all agreed that some of the German officers behaved despicably, leading a panic rusk for the boats. COWARDLY BEHAVIOUR. GERMAN MORALE AT ZERO', . Received April 23, 10,15 p.m.; London, April 23. The La France survivors state that there were 200 Prussian Guardsmen aboard when the torpedo struck. The Prussians made a rush for the lifeboats, headed by, an officer. A British officer shouted: "Go back!" The Prussian officer scowled and said "You must save us," but he was told to wait his turn. Other Prussians dropped on their knoaj and implored pity. Meanwhile the stretcher cases were brought On, deck, and the first boats were lowered without delay. Many vessels were hurrying to the assistance of the La France. While the wounded Tommies, many of whom were helpless, lay on the decks the Prussian morale dropped to 2C'.! 1 . Some of the, Prussians made a crazy effort to get into a boat, which, when they lawered it, overturned. The Prussians were thrown into tie water, an.l fought each other in order to reach >irother boat containing a number o| gravely wounded. Britishers. One Britisher, whose leg had been severed, lifted himself up the La France staircase w his hands in order to summon holy U ike aid of a Prussian who wai caiiH* U atrrt, •TrJjg to i*ternal lajurlw. CREW'S SPLENDID GALLANTRY. FAILURE OF TUB ESCORTS. Received April 24, 12.40 a.m. London, April 23. The Donegal was torpedoed at eight o'clock on Tuesday evening in the Engllih ChMael, She went down la half U «4«r «*•*.
The torpedo caused an explosion iu tlia engine room. The ship's officers and crew displayed great gallantry, and the wounded men maintained wonderful calmness; otherwise it would have been impossible to cave practically all the wounded, an were in cots below. A large percentage of the' wounded were immersed, and their garments were still wet when they landed. Many others were without proper clothing, and suffering severely from shock. The newspapers sharply comment on the failure of the escort to protect the hospital ships. For threo years ships have been carrying troops daily across the Channel, but, none have been caught by the enemy, who must have been doing his best. DOVER BOMBARDMENT. . A BLIND RUSH. SiUTISH CASUALTIES. London, April 22. The. Germans began the bombardment near Dover at 12,30 in the morning. Tho consensus of opinion is tiiat the raid was intended as a. spectacular coup and to interrupt Mr Lloyd George's return from his continental visit, but-it ■proved premature. Five destroyers came from Zeebrugge, and it is unofficially reported that thre3 of them were sunk and another badly damaged. Star shells were used on both Bides, and the flashes pf the guns lit the surrounding district, awakening the inhabitants. The raid divided itself into two parts, a blind, rush through the, misty night, firing a few shells haphazard towards the land, then the scurry back to sea, when the British intercepted, and played havoc with the superior force. Trawlers landed 30 dead Germans. The British had 22 killed in the destroyer action, "PROMPT HAMMERING." speedy destroyers. _(' MAGNIFICENT- BRITISH SKILL, • Received, April 23, 9.20 p.m. • London, April 23. The prompt hammering administered to the Germans in the Channel was due to the speed and armament of two of the newest British destroyers. The engagement occupied only ninety minutes after the raid. The USo belonged to the newest German class of the fastest type, powerful and heavily armed. Owing to tho speed of tho Germans magnificent skill was Required to bring them into battle, which vas then soon oven, the fusiiade lasting fifteen minutes. Two of the enemy slips were sunk within five minutes. > OFFICIAL CONFESSION. , TWO DESTROYERS LOST. 1 ■ Received April 23, 6.30 p.m. 1 London, April 22. German official: After a naval engagement on the night of the 20th-21st, east of Dover, the destroyers GBS and G42 are reported to have been lost. Received April 22, 9.30 p.m. London, April 23. The German official version of tho raid is as follows: —Our destroyers advanced towards the mouth of the Thames and effectively fired 050 shots at short range at the Dover and Calais, fortresses. Not sighting the enemy on tho return a portion of our force turned bicjt and recruisci}, when they encountered the British destroyers. A sharp. engagement followed at short distances. One of the enemy was torpedoed and the others artelleried and heavily damaged; one was probably sunk. A portion of our forces advanced towards the Thames and did not meet any enemy ships only merchantmen from whlcn prisoners were captured. The British admiralty now denies that any of the British vessels were sunk or even seriously damaged. The only British contacting force consisted of two 1 destroyers and leaders. The engagement lasted a few minutes The remnant of tho. enemy escaped by fleelpg. The merchantmen prisoners claimed were three of tho crew of an abandoned barge. SUBMARINE MENACE. FRESH BATCHES WEEKLY. | DIFFICULTIES OF DESTRUCTION. London, April 22. The consensus of expert opinion 1« that the comparatively stationary numjher of weekly sinkings of British merchantman does not indicate any lack of (UOC4M in dealing with the submarine msiiaoe. On the contrary, it is belieTjd tilt ike Germans' are dispatching £r»sft batohes of submarines weekly, not waging for tidings of those sent previously, many of which never return. . Ger. many's obvious intention is tn maintain the campaign at the highest pitch of intensity for as long as possible. The Observer remarks that tho difficulty is not in destroying submarines, but in finding them" and getting them within range of the implements 'lt d»itrudon. „■
CULMINATION OF SAVAGERY. HUN MliNDAp'i'V. London, April 22. The A-ess Bureau says:—A German wireless message accused the British and French of employing vessels carrying tha markings of Belgian relief ships for the purpose of attacking submarine?. The allegation is untrue. It is merely a variation of the equally groundless assertion that the Entente is misusing hospital ships. It is 'evidently intended as a pretext for the torpedoing of Belgian relief ships without warning. The illegal and inhuman submarining of hospital ships is the culmination of savagery and has brought the world face to face with a situation unparalleled in civilised warfare. It has no justification in any conceivable distortion of international law or 'the most brutal weed Of necessity. Following the sinking of the Asturias and the Gloucester Castle, Britain decided to transport the wounded in vessels not betring distinctive markings and notified Germany of tho withdrawal of certain hospital ships. The fighting on the West front is leaving a very large number of wounded Germans on our hands, and practically all ships bringing wounded are bound to carry a proportion of Germans. It remains to bo seen whether this knowledge will deflect tho German Government from its abominable course. ,
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Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1917, Page 5
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1,533ON THE SEA. Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1917, Page 5
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