FIGHT IN THE CHANNEL.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1918, Page 5

FIGHT IN THE CHANNEL.

ENEMY TOBPEDO CRAKC SOKE.- ; BOTHA BAMS AN EKBMX. ■ ; In the dark hours preceding dawn/133$ Marcli 21 the British destroyers Botlmi (Commander fioger L'Ji M. Bade, RNJi and Morris (Lieutenant-CfonunSHidßS Percy K. 'P. Percival, RX), and three French destroyers, Mehl, TVfognri . and Bouclier, -were on patrol In th* eastern waters of the English channel when a sudden outburst of firing wa» ' heard to the northward. Vivid of gunfire out to sea made it plain that the enemy was engaged upon a fntiSj bombardment of the crumbling bathing'# sheds of deserted French waterings places.. v The Allied forcei promptly made foB the flashes at full speed, led by Both*, ■ Star-shell fired in an endeavour to lifi&t up the enemy and obtain Uiair rangfo > however, merely had the effect of qu3- ; ling the bombardment and scattering the raiders, who were never seen agtXijv The patrolling force then proceeded to search to the north-westward in the hope oi intercepting any divisions of the enemy who had ventured more into mid-channel; star-shell were fired at intervals, for the night was misty, and presently one of these, bursting ahead* revealed the shadowy outline of fc' force of enemy destroyers and torpedo* boats sneaking off through the darioiess in the direction of their base j The Botha challenged, and an u&j j familiar reply winked at them out <>! the night: the next instant British and French were pouring a heavy fire info = the enemy For a few mum tee a grin* little fight ensued. The AJEes rapidsoverhauled the raiders and set tKd darkness ablate with flashes of gunfire and blazing wreckage flying broadcast ' from shell bursting on impact A rat* ning fight between torpedo craft fe like a battle between scorpions—sffliSefc' ever gets a sting home first rarely h&s need to strike again. None of the Qep man torpedoes found their mark,- bttf the Morris, emerging from a : screen flung out by the fleeing enemjv cut off a German destroyer of a lart# type and torpedoed her at 600 range She blew up and sank almoM) ; immediately, heeling over amid clouds of steam and vanishing stern first In the meanwhile Botha's main steam-pipe bud been severed by a stray shell, arid she immediately commenced to lose her way through the water. Her commas der realising that if he was to finish his "cup of tea with the Germans," he mult needs drink it quickly, fired both torpedoes at the leading boats, and, put - ting his helm hard over, rammed tbei fourth boat in the line cleanly ami j. Bhips, His speed had dropped considerably, but it sufficed to drive the knife-* edged blows of the Botha clean through cutting the enemy completely in half,. " Botha then swung round and attempted to repeat the coup on the next a* 1 tern, The German succeeded in eluding f the Botha's crippled onslaught, but fell , a victim to the French destroyers. She lay disabled and ablaze, and they closed and pounded the flaming wreck with' torpedo and gun fire as a man grinds a / dead snaKe under his heel. Morris Dy this tiir"> ' - - reiinquished the pursuit, having lost the quarry In the smoke and mist She returned .to ; the scene of action and took her lanxo sister m tow, while the French destroy-: «rs circled round in the grey dawn pick-' ing up prisoners. From statements made by these it appears that no feWer than 18 torpedo craft had sallied forth for the raid. They were unhesitatingly attacked and rather badly mauled by two British and three French destroyers, and fled, as one of the British officers picturesquely described scalded dogs. The adventures of thef remaining 15 were by no means terminated. when they quitted French waters, leaving three of their number behind.'; A squadron of the R.N.A.S. bombing, machines, proceeding up the' coast 'Wt?' business, sighted the homing German flotillas and fell upon them, or, rather, suffered their bomb® to do so. They ireported having completely thrown the' enemy into disorder and scattered them In all directions A squadron of enfflny seaplanes that had gone out at dawn* to look for the wanderers then encountered the escort fighters of the bombing machines, and in a very short time had their numbers reduced by four. Of these, three were accounted for by one British pilot.