ON BOARD ARETHUSA

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 93, 16 October 1914, Page 2

ON BOARD ARETHUSA

SEAMAN'S THRILLING STORY GERMAN TRIBUTE TO OUR NAVY. (PROM OUR OWN COhRKPONMNT.) LONDON, 2nd September. The Arethima, which played a prom' nent part in the battle off Heligoland, was only completed a few day* ago, and did not leave Chatham till la«t Monday. Four days later, on her maiden voyage, she received her baptism of fire. The Arethima, Liberty, Laurel, and Goshawk all returned to Chatham after the fight. A seaman off the AfetkusA said :— " We were lying off Harwich on Thurftday night, and about 4 a.m. on Friday were ordered to steam about twenty knote. The crew did not know whore' they were going, but the ship Was cleared for action Presently some of out chaps said: 'Why, that mu«t be . Heligoland?' It waa an ideal morning for such an adventure as we had embarked upon, as we soon discovered. A alight fog prevailed We saw an aero- ' plane, but, thanks to the mist, it apparently, at the height it was, failed to discern the British fleet. When it turned, our vessels, followed it into the bay. The destroyer Liberty, an oil-fuel boat, went ahead, with the object, 1 suppose, of enticing the German ships to come out. She fought splendidly, but ac she was returning she was peppered well by ' a fort. She discharged a, torpedo, which sank a large German ship. Unfortunately, the commanding officer, Lieut.-Commander Nigel Barttelot, was killed. The Liberty beat* the marks of "the fight. Her foremost mast i« carried away, and she has two holes in the foremost funnel. The destroyer Laurel also distinguished herself, and, of Course, did not come oft altogether scot free. I see her after funnel is carried away, and shells burst her main steam-pipe and ploughed Up a foot and a half of the deck. A shell entered her stokehold through two lots of gratings, but, strange to say, did no damage. I believe it was the Laurel which Bank the Mainz with a torpedo, and did so just as that cruiser was in the act of turning a broadside on to her. Our ship, the Arethusa, which was the Commodore's flagship, rendered » good account of herself. You can ccc by her condition that she was in the -thick of it. There are thirty holes in her side, some of them low down, too, half of her bridge is carried away, and one ot her torpedo tubes ie smashed. Her lifeboat is also 'holed. 1 The destroyer Goshawk came through scathlese, and didn't lose a man. The German gunnel's did one rare bit of execution' on ono of the British vessels. A shell burnt on a gun, and smashed it and killed everybody near—fourteen in *11." A FIGHT IN THE MIST. Several of the sailors at Harwich have a different story as to the origin of the fight. The Fearless, they say, went out from the main fleet with two submarines to act as a decoy, the idea being to tempt the German cruisers out. These boats set off at 4 o'clock in the morning in the da*]? and th«> mitt, ** slight swell being on the isea. According to some of the men, part of the engagement actually took place between the mainland and Heligoland, which shows the daring nature of the raid. The Fearless went forward to be shot at, and that she carried out her part of the bargain is showed by the fact that all the nineteen marks made by the enemy's shells are in her bows. At one time she was herself engaged with five German ships, but while the Fearless fired away, the Germane seemed to be afraid to use their gun 6 for fear of hitting each other. The gunners oh the! Fearless never lost their presence of mind or forgot their duty, and they pluckily fought all the time, luring the enemy cruisers out. They had the satisfaction of hitting one of the large German cruisers at an estimated distance of 6000 yatds, and the German cruiser burst into flames and sank The Fearless drew the German cruisers out of their hiding to the open sea, and when they appeared the British flotilla went for them. The men are all enthusiastic I about the daring and dash of their commander*. One of them said that they had to go and " nose " the Germans out before they would show fight But that when the fight did begin it was hot and furious, they do not deny. The British gunners have not very much respects for the German gunnery. "It takes them too long to find the range and the mark," is the general comment. TRADING SHIP'S ESCAPE. The Norwegian steamer Kong Guttorm arrived at Christia-nsund in a bad condition, having had a narrow escape near Heligoland, as she happehed to pass at a critical moment between the German and British fighting squadrons. The captain reports that hie steamer sailed on Wednesday for Krageroe, loaded with paving and sundry other goods from Bremerhaven. On Friday morning at 7 o'clock they arrived near the German coast, and heard a /violent oannonade approaching. Before they quite realised what was happening the Kong Guttorm was in the middle of the battle. The terrified crew feared that their steamer would be completely wrecked, ac missiles were pouring in from all sides. Shells exploded over their heads, and the vessel wa* hit several times. Many of her plates were completely riddled. One big shot penetrated the after-part of the ship. Finally she succeeded iv making her nationality known, and some English destroyers Approaching her immediately she. escaped further peril. GERMAN TRIBUTE. The German official version bear* out wliat we already know, except that they make out that ea-ch of their vessels was surrounded by a superior British force, and was only sunk after a heroic resist. ' ance. ' ' • The Berlin despatch adds i "It must be admitted that the British, without stopping to consider their own danger, sent out lifeboats in order to 6aVo our men." ' FUNERALS OF SOME VICTIMS. Lieutenant Eric W. P. Westmacott, of the cruiser Arethusa, has been buried at Heybridge, Essex, and LieutenantCommander Nigel K. W. Barttelot, of the destroyer Liberty, at Pulborough, Eight British and two German seamen were buried in Shotley parish churchyard. The coffins, covered with the* British and German ensigns respectively, were conveyed to the bunal ground ofc farm wagons, and were borne to the graveside by boys from the Shotley training establishment. The service was conducted by the chaplain of the barracks. No volleys were fired, but the "Last Post" was sounded. There was a large crowd of onlookers. Stokers Kulpman and Hantz* of tho German cruiser Mamz, which was suhk, were buried at the Isle- of Sheppey; Cemetery. There was no firing escort,' but the coffins, each wrapped in the German ensign, were born* \o the grave on gun-carriages drawn by gun crews from the Naval Sub-Depot and vessels under relit. The chaplain of Sheemesa Dockyard read the service.