RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 October 1917, Page 5

RUSSIA.

RUSSIAN BATTLESHIP SUNK. DETAILS OP THE TIGHT.. RUSSIAN GUNS OUTRANGED. 55 ENEMY SHIPS PRESENT. I Received Oct. 19, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 18. A wireless Russian official report states: In the naval battle in the Riga Gulf the Russian 'battleship Slava was sunk. The enemy completely occupies Oesel Island. Wo destroyed everything of military utility. The enemy penetrated Riga Gulf after depriving us of control of the Irbe channel, and pressed back our patrols in Moon Sound. Our battleships Granzhbnnisi and Slava and the cruiser Hayan engaged the enemy and drove back his vanguard. Our ships engaged the principal fighting units, including two dreadnoughts of tho Grosser Kurfurst type. The enemy's artillery outranged that of our old ships, which defended the entrance for a considerable tima, till severe damage forced their retirement. The Slava received several hits beneath tho water-line Nearly all the crew were saved. Our coast batteries at the entrance of •Moon Sound dispersed torpedo boats attempting to approach. Afterwards an enemy dreadnought put the batteries out of action. Another detachment of our naval forces in Moon Sound kept back attacks from the north. Simultaneously a great number of aircraft dropped many bombs on our ships and harbors. The enemy landed small detachments at Dago Island, bub our fire forced them to return to the ships. Subsequently an enemy cruiser and a dreadnought bombarded the landing-place. Our patrols report fifty-five enemy ships in the neighborhood of Oesel and Dago Islands. GERMANS CAPTURE MOON ISLAND. Received Oct. 19, 9.30 p.m. London, Oct. 18. A wireless German official report states: We have captured Moon Island. (Moon Island is north-east of Oestl.)