ON THE SEA.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1917, Page 5

ON THE SEA.

GERMANY'S LATEST DEVICE;? ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED BOATS A DISASTROUS FAtLURE'' ; United Service. : '''!'.''''.'' Received Nov. 7, 5.5 ,p.m. London!' Nov. 0. H. is authoritatively stated that the electrically-controlled boat referred to recently was a large petrol-driven surface torpedo-like vessel, filled with explosives, paying out a thin 'wire, connected with the shore, whilst aircraft tonned the movements. The vessel was used a fortnight ago, when it 'dashed at high speed into neighboring harbor works. It was netx tried in the Channel. but was easily destroyed by British torpedocrs. The third and fourth attempts were similarly a fiasco. .. . '. NORTH SEA MASSACRE, CROWDED BOATS SHELLED. London, Oct. 22. The Times correspondent at Christian!*. states that the newspapers are filled with terrible details of the destruction in the North Sea of the convoy, "with the* total loss of 14 ships and about 250 persons, including two women. It appears from the report of a British officer who was rescued at Bc""ii tint the destroyer Mary Rose fought gallantly against overwhelming odds. The other destroyer was probably destroyed immediately fighting began. For hali an hour the.Mary Rose' was subjected to the most-terrific concentric fire. She replied with supreme coolness. The crew did not think of escape," and the boats were ultimately blown up. Ten survivors found themselves clinging to two big buoys—five to each—in a tremendous sea. The work was now easy for -the Germans, who commenced shelling the merchantmen. All reports agree that the. butchery was beyond description. The crews were killed,and mutilated indiscriminately aboard the ships or in the boats. Two women, who were wav-_ ing from a ship a white piece of cloth, at a distance of a few hundred yards,. and who must have been perfectly visible, were silenced by a volley" The Germans passed to and fro in their orgy of destruction. The naval correspondent of the Times states that the occurrence demonstrates that our scouting is defective. Manifestly the. raiders knew where to strike. All experienee of sea warfare was used by the enemy to cut out the convoy lest' our aircraft should have, spotted the Germans before they reached their quarry. Reuter's correspondent at Stockholm states that two German cruisers and three torpedo boats participated in the destruction of the convoy. They ruthlessly fired on the crowded lifeboats. Swedish and Norwegian papers bitterly denounce the German savagery.