THE DESTROYER ACTION.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15278, 14 May 1915, Page 8

THE DESTROYER ACTION.

TRAILERS ENGAGE TOBPEDO BOATS. ENEMY SHIPS SUNK. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON. May 13 (2.15 a.m*). The Admiralty announces that H.M. ships Barbados. Columbia, Miura, and Chirsit wore attacked on May Ist by two German torpedo boats.

The engagement lasted for a quarter of an hour, when the enemy brok© off the action.

The direction of their retreat was communicated to some British destroyers, which followed and destroyed the torpedo-boats.

The Columbia, however, was sunk, with the loss of sixteen officers and men. only one deck hand being saved.

The above message refers to the action of which some details were published on May 4th. The Barbados, Columbia, Chirsit, and Miura are trawlers belonging to Grimsby and Hull commissioned as H.M. ships and employed on patrol und niine-sweephi" duty in the North Sea. They are armed with quick-firing gups to deal with enemy submarines. After tho Columbia had been torpedoed, the German torpedo-boats were chased by the British destroyers Laforey, Lark, Lawford, and Leonidas, which sank' them after a running fight lasting an hour. The Germans, when overhauled, made an extremely poor fight, their shooting being erratic. Two German officers and 44 men were rescued. and made prisoners. It was reported that the German officers shot fiv© of-their men in the water.