DESTROYERS' FIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15949, 21 June 1915, Page 8

DESTROYERS' FIGHT.

NORTH SEA INCIDENTS.

ENEMY LOSE TWO TORPEDO

BOATS.

MINE-SWEEPER'S PLUCK.

A series of small affairs took plaoe in the neighbourhood of the Galloper and North Hinder lightships on Saturday, - May 1. During the forenoon H.M. destroyer Recruit was sunk by a submarine, four officers and 21 men being saved by the trawler Daisy. At 3 p.m. the trawler Colombia was attacked by two German torpedo boats, who approached her from the westward and commenced action without hoisting their colours. The Colombia was sunK by a torpedo, only one deckhand being saved by other trawlers. A division of British destroyers, comprising Laforey, Leonidas, kawford, and Lark, chased the two German vessels, and after | a brief running fight for about an hour sank them both. The British destroyers sustained no casualties. Two German officers and 44 men were rescued from the sea and made prisoners of war. On the same day a British trawler rammed a German torpedo boat, causing some damage to the vessel. The torpedo boat made off on the approach of English warships. The following details of the operations are given in the Paris Figaro: At 11.30 a.m., the journal states, the Recruit, while patrolling the Essex coast, came on four German submarines. The Recruit tried to run down the nearest, but two of. the submarines attacked and from different points fired several torpedoes. Thanks to clever manoeuvring, the commander of tho British destroyer avoided them. One shot struck an enemy submarine, which disappeared. At that moment the fourth submarine fired £• torpedo which struck the Recruit obliquely, making a large hole, and the destroyer began to sink. The steam trawler Daisy rushed to her aid, and, launching several boats, succeeded in taking off 30 of the destroyer's crew of 65.

Submarine Strikes a Mine.

One submarine fired a torpedo at the Daisy, which made off, abandoning one of her boats, which was chased by a submarine. The enemy ship fired several times, and four men were wounded. The submarine was preparing to fire again when rfhe struck a mine and sank in a, few minutes. In response to the call for help from the Daisy, four British destroyers under Commander Edwards arrived upon the scene. They saw in the distance two German destroyers which appeared to have accompanied the submarines. They gave battle in the neighbourhood of the North Hinder lightship. Thj German vessels gave up the struggle and made off, but were pursued by the British, shelled and 6unk. The British destroyers at once lowered boats and saved 46 Germans, including' two officers. These survivors were landed at Shot-ley, near Harwich. ' The British commanders state that the; enemy fought half-heartedly. During the fight the superiority in gunnery and speed of the British ships was proved once again. • A Dramatic Episode. Describing the ramming of the German' torpedo-boat, the Rotterdam correspondent of the Paris Daily Mail says - One of those minor but dramatic episodes which add to the excitement and thrill of war occurred in the North Sea 4 when a British mine-sweeper rammed a German torpedo-boat near the North ■% Hinder lightship. » •>":% The full story of this thrilling incident ; was given me by Captaiu Meland, in the'"ga cabin of the Varild, a Norwegian steamer,' which was in the vicinity. "We were on jjS the way from London to Rotterdam," hesaid. " When 14 miles from the English. coast we were hailed by two German ||| torpedo-boats, coming apparently - from the direction of England. After learning our destination we were allowed to pro-'. £|? oeed. "i;% " Several miles from the North Hinder ft: ■we sighted three British trawlers sweeping for mines, two from Grimsby and one ,J£ from Cardiff. The German torpedo. j|f boats swooped down on the trawlers, one, /;• A 6, attacking th& Cardiff boat and one '!% Grimsby trawler, and the other, whose number I could not see, chasing the • second Grimsby mine-sweeper. Caught Amidships. "The torpedo-boats came tip firing rapidly, but their aim was bad and. they did little • damage. A 6 was midway between the two Cardiff and Grimsby V j trawlers, and appeared to hesitate which ij to attack. Suddenly the Cardiff trawler • turned on A 6, and before she could get out of the way caught her amidships, carrying away the bridge and destroying the life-boat. - " We were less than a mile away, and could see one of the crew fall into the water. I sent the second mate and a sailor in a boat.. They picked up a German officer, who was exhausted, and shivering, from swimming. He could not talk English. I gave him a change of clothes, keeping his shoulder-strap as a souvenir, and sent him aboard the Cardiff trawler, A German sailor was picked up by the Cardiff boat. "While the men were being rescued k six British destroyers came racing to tlo | scene, and the two German torpedo-boats * ran away, A 6 not having sustained serious damage."

TRAWLERS' ESCAPE.

LONG CHASE BY SUBMARINE.

Three Aberdeen trawlers, the Endocia., Bennington, and Aries, arrived at Aberdeen recently and reported having been, chased by a German submarine. They also reported having seen a submarine fire at and sink two. other trawlers, also believed to belong to Aberdeen.

The Endocia was fishing forty-five miles north and east of Aberdeen when a submarine rose to the surface between three and four miles off and opened fire - 011 another trawler, between which and the Endocia the hostile craft appeared. The Endocia hauled up her trawl and made off. ■ The captain heard four shots before he ordered the trawl to be hauled, and four others later. When the Endocia made off the submarine followed.

A chase of twenty miles followed, but IS the Endocia's crew worked so well that . f the enemy never got nearer than three or four miles. The Endocia hoisted a . >> danger signal to warn the Bennington. .) Another trawler belonging to Aberdeen, whose number or name is not known, was also warned, but before she could get away the submarine was upon her. VS| and sank her with a shell which appeared '0 to strike the boat on the waterline. This . occurred about twenty miles east of'iff Aberdeen at half-past two. "-WW The submarine resumed the chaso until the Aries came into sight. Then she chased the Aries until the trawler sighted i-fM a patrol boat and signalled her. Directly the submarine saw the patrol boat she submerged. - The crews of the trawlers are certain |f| that two other fishing boats were sunk, -mm