ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 April 1917, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

AN EPIC OF THE SEA. BRITISH DASH AND HEROISM. HOW TIIE GERMAN RAIDERS WERE t SUNK. A GRAPHIC ACCOUNT. Received April 26, 5.5 p.m.

London, April 20. Ihe Press Bureau furnishes details of the recent raid on Dover, showing that six German destroyer* participated. The British destroyer leaders, the, Swift and the Broke, were patrolling the Channel and sighted the enemy at 12.40 in the morning steaming at high speed. The night was calm and intensely dark. They were within six hundred yards when first sees, and simultaneously the German lire gongs sounded. The German* opened fire, and the Swift instantly replied. Commander Peek decided to rain the leading destroyer. The Swift, with everyone assembled on the bridge and blinded by the flashes, drove 'down straight unoi. the enemy. She missed tier prey but traversed the lines of the enemy unscathed, turned hawklike upon her quarry, and while turning torpedoed another boat. Again the Swift dashed at the leading enemy ve.»se\, which again eiuded her, and, without firing another shot, rushed away at full speed into the darkness, the Swift pursuing. Meantime the Broke, Commander Evans, wan steaming astern the Swift. On 'the latter altering hcrt course to ram the leader of the Germans, the Broke torpedoed a second boat of the line and opened fire with every gun. Then, gathering speed for the blow, she swung to port, and rammed a third German at full speed, fair and square abreast the aft funnel.

Thus locked the boats fought desperately in hand to hand conflict. The Broke swept tl'.e enemy's deel« nfc point blank range with every pro from the main armament to rifles and pistols The remaining destroyers of the German line then poured a devastating fire on the Broke;, and her foremost guns' crews were reduced from eighteen tr'six. Midi shipman Gyles, who was in charge of the forecastle, though wounded in tile eye, kept all the foremost guns in action, assisting tiie depleted cre>vs to load.

Meanwhile a number of lronziwl German? swarmed on to the Broke's forecastle from the ammed destroyer, and, amid blinding Hashes from the forecastle guns, rushed aft. Gyles, half blinded with blood, met the rush, single-handed, with a revolver, which on." of the Germans attempted to seize. Seam ait Ingleson promptly bayonetted him, und the remainder, except two, who were feigning death, were made prisoners or driven overboard.

The Broke, two minutes after the ramming, Wrenched herseJt free from lier sinking ndversarv and attempted to ram the last boat of the line. She failed, bui hi the latter's consort, on the stern with a torpedo. , The Broke next headed towards a two fleeing followed the Swift, but a shell struck the Broke's boiler room, disabling the -nain engines. The enemy vanished in the darkness.

The Broke hotly engaged with these destroyer heavily afite, whose crew were making loud appeals for mercy. Regardless of the danger of the enemy's mngazmw exploding, the Broke moved slowly towards her. The cries redoubled, but then the Germa'- unexpectedly opened fire. The Broke was uncontrollable, and unable to manoeuvre or extricat herself, but she silenced <the treachery with four rounds, then Bring a toruedo hit the destroyer amidships. 'Meanwhile the Swift, una'ble to maintain full speed, owin to the slight injury received earlier, abandoned the chase, but presently sighted an Outlying stationary destroyer and heard confused voices. " Warily* approaching with lier guns trained on the stranger, she found the latter iwas the sinking "estroyer rammed by the Broke. The crew bellowed in unison: "We surrender!" but, suspecting treachery, the Swift awaited developments. The German destroyer's crew stopped shouting nd she leeled glowly over and jß_k. The Swi£t, using her searchlights, rescued the survivors. The crews of the Swift and the Bro" cheered each otb in the darkness til; they were hoarse. The spirit of -he wounded is epitomised in the conduct of the Broke's helmsman, Bowles, who was hi' four times with shell fragments but remained at the wheel throughout the action, and only betrayed tlia. he was wounded by reporting to the Captain, "I am going off noi\v, Sir," then fainting. Commander Evans i 3 the well known Antarctic explorer.

THE WEEK'S TOLL. HEAVIER THAN USUAL. . ADMIRALTY REPORT. Recoived April 26, 6,15 p.m. London, April 25. . _ The Admiralty reports that the arrivals during the week were 2585 afid the sailings 2621; forty vessels over 1600 tons and 15 under that tonnage were sunk; 27 were unsuccessfully attacked; nine fishing vessels were sunk, - A SUBMARINE SUNK. AMERICA'S FIRST BAG. I Received April 20, 5.5 p.m. New York, April 29. Advices from London sta,te that tlio captnin of the armed American steamy Mongolia says that on April 19 he fires at a submarine which was preparing to attack the Mongolia at a range of 1000 yards. The periscope was hit and the submarine undoubtedly sunk. Governor Cox, of Ohio, has barrel Darcy from lighting in that Cor issued a statement that he desired to follow the example of.other IStates for the reasons ttffljjigave.