NORTH SEA DUEL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8463, 31 May 1916, Page 7

NORTH SEA DUEL.

A STiRRiNG FIGHT. ALCANTARA AND GREIF.. The full story is now told of the sinking of a. German raider in the i\'orth iii'ci by the Alcantara, one of our ji-rinocl: liners which also was sunk. i iuijj the attempt to get another Moewe out to sea was prevented. The nows wa-s- kept back by the Admiralty Tintii tho Germans, failing to hear of achievements at sea, were compelled to admit that- the ship had not got through the blockade. The ship in question was the Greif, and was a much more powerfully-armed vessel than the Moewe. According to the most reliable accounts, victory lay' with the Alcantara, when her rudder was completely smashed by a chance shot. As the Greif was sinking she torpedoed the Alcantara, which also sank.

Tho British official statement records that the Greif was sunk by gunfire, and the Alcantara, by a torpedo. Five Gorman officers and 115 men were picked up and taken prisoners out of a total complement that is believed to have been- oveY 300. The British losses .amounted to five '. officers and 69 men. "It 'should bo noted," states the Admiralty, '" that during the whole of the engagement the enemy fired over the Norwegian colours painted on the side of the ship. This news is now published, as it is made clear by receipt of the German wireless message that the enemy havo learned that the Greif, a similar ship to the Moewe, had been destroyed before she had succeeded in passing our line of patrols." The encounter took place off the uortn-east passage between Scotland and the Faroes. Tho British patrols j had been warned that a doubtful craft wfis about, find they were keeping a close look out for the suspected vessel. The Groif, later, hove in sight, but she did not in any way answer the description the patrol had of the enemy craft, and in tho light of subsequent happenings it is evident that she must have completely changed her disguise somewhere on the passage up the North Sea. She flew tho Norwegian flag and was painted with tho Norwegian colours. J !i" Alcantara- commander hoisted the familiar signal, " I'm going to board you." At that time only 800 yds soparatod them. The answer was, " I'm a peaceful merchantman flying the Norwegian flag." The captain of the Alcantara was determined to investigate, however, and ordered a boat to be lowered. The Germans then must \ h;ivo .realised that the daring 'gar they had undertaken was up, and thai the last cards in their hands were surrender or fight. The Moewe trick was i repeated, the merchantman became a j warship, and her guns were fired. But tho British gunlayers were all ready, and quick as thought a naval duel was in progress. The rango was so close that it --mounted to almost point-bland firing. | Tho German did try to stand off, but tho British auxiliary out-manceuvred him, and the great ships came so close O^t their blood tingled at tho prospect of actually boarding their enemy and having a go at hand-to-hand fighting in lhr> grand old fashion of the cutlass "•oiitfsits of the heroic days of Nelson .:>.7)d the wooden walls. Every shot that was fired struck its mark. From stov to stern they raked her, and the Geri,- „-, :i(K'k,-- wore soon a perfect shambles. The German gunnery was literally hopeless. Their shots went wide, and the few that did hit the British ship inflicted little or no serious damage. The Alcantara's guns simply pounded her adversary, and soon sho was afire aft. Never was the gamble in naval warfare more thrillingly illustrated. The steering gear of an auxiliary is not I protected in the same massive way as ;■> battleship, and with a rudden useloss the Alcantara could not manoeuvre. rHi" Greif, like the Moewe, was fitted with torpedo tubes. One of these she lot ko, and, at the range and the size of the Alpantara., poor gunners though thov were, they could not fail to find their mark. By now the German was '^eino; down, and a British light cruiser ivhi-^h appeared on the horizon put the fimshino; touch to her. A shot explodorl with terrific effect plumb amidships on the Greif. More shots followed from the same quarter. The German wont down, and soon after the Alcan-tnr.-i: shared her fate. , The British cruiser .and destroyers were soon on the scone, and every effort was made to resHin the crews of both ships, irrespective of their nationality.