THE NAVAL WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17666, 19 December 1917, Page 7

THE NAVAL WAR.

TRAWLERS ATTACKED. ANOTHER RAID. BRITISH CONVOY CAUGHT. (Received December 18, 8.50 p.m-) LONDON, December 17. Rir Eric Geddes, in the House of Commons, stated that one British and five neutral merchantmen en route to Norway were, attacked on Decombei 12. Tho six merchantmen werei sunk anel one destroyer and four armed trawleis escorting them were also sunk. (A convoy in tho North Sea was attacked on October 17, and on that occasion nine neutral merchantmen and two British destroyers were sunk.)

(Received December 18, 10.45 p.m.) LONDON, December 17. Sir Eric Geddes stated that the convoy was bound from Scotland and aggregated 8000 tons. It was protected by an anti-submarine esc.ort, consisting of two destroyers, the Partridge and Hellew, and tour armed trawlers, lor some unexplained reason the force sent by the Oommander-in-Chief to securo the convoy against attack by surface vessels did not reach the scene of Action in time to prevent the convoys destruction. A second convoy, which was also being covered, was not attacked. Admiral Sturdeo was presiding at an inquiry into the circumstances. The Partridge sighted f.our enemy destroyers at about 11.45 a.m. on December 12. The- Pellow and Partridge engaged the enemy* while the convoy scattered. Shortly after the engagement began the Pel lew observed the Partridge heavily hit and a little later saw an explosion and the vessel sank. About this time tho Pellew was holed on the waterline. The engine-r.oom filled and the steam engines were partially disabled, but the vessel safely reached port. The enemy then attacked the convoy. Six merchantmen and four armed trawlers were sunk. Eighty-six Scandinavians, two of whom were women, and ten British survivors were rescued by four destroyers dispatched at full speed from the cruiser squadron, which was hastening to the scene. Other survivors reached Norway in their own boats. One trawler crew was saved in the vessel’s own boat. The Pellow had one officer and three men killed and two seriously injured. A report from Kiel states that three officers and twenty-one men of tho Partridge’s crew and twenty-six of the crews of the trawlers have arrived there. There were ten of these wounded. COPENHAGEN, December IS. Survivors from tho convoy state that the Partridge sank in ten minutes. The crow continued to serve the guns until she sank. The merchantmen sunk were the Norwegian Ballista and King tho Swedish Bothnia and Thorleaf. the Swedish Bothnia and TV horleaf. Fopr German cruisers with destroyers participated in tho action. The Germans offered to rescue neutrals, but the latter refused to enter the German ships. Lieutenant Grey, a nephew of tlie ex-Foreign Minister, was sub-com-mander ,of the Partridge. He was wounded and taken prisoner.

GERMAN DESTROYER SINKS ONE. • Reuter’s Tolegrsins LONDON, December 17. In the House of Commons Dr Macnamara announced that two trawlers wero attacked by destroyers off the Tyne. One was damaged and the other sunk. Eight of the crews were killed.

(Received December 19, 1.15 a.m.) LONDON, December 18. The inquest on the crew of the fisliin o- trawlers sunk on December 12 show that three German destroyers suddenly appeared at five o’clock in tho morning 200 yards distant. They sank the trawlers without warning and made off without assisting to rescue the crews. British destroyers took ,off the crews. Four other trawlers near-by were unharmed.