GERMAN STEAMERS VENTURE INTO NORTH SEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16595, 19 July 1917, Page 5

GERMAN STEAMERS VENTURE INTO NORTH SEA.

FOUR CAPTURED BY A BRITISH NAVAL PATROL.

OTHERS REACH DUTCH COAST IN DAMAGED CONDITION.

Australian and N.Z. Cable and R«uter. (Received 9.50 p.m.) LONDON, July 17. An Admiralty communique states: A patrolling force in the North Sea yesterday sighted a number of German steamers. They disregarded the order to stop and headed for the Dutch coast, which two of the steamers reached, badly damaged by our fire. The remaining four-the Pellworm, Brietzig, Marie Horn, and Heinz Blumberg-were captured, and brought to port. The crews of two steamers were made prisoners. The crews of the other two vessels abandoned their ships and escaped.

'Received 1.20 a.m.) LONDON. July 18. ea i.ai a.m.) LONDON. July 18. The German prizes constitute a rich capture. They are trim, serviceable craft with valuable cargoes of coke, coal, and provisions. None of the British ships were damaged. It is believed that 17 German vessels, with two convoys, left Rotterdam for Denmark during the night. Twenty torpedo-boat destroyers surprised the second convoy. In addition to the four vessels captured, it is understood four were sunk, two were driven ashore, one ran ashore, and three escaped. Three returned to Holland.

The German ships stranded on the Dutch coast are the Magdalen, Ablumenthal, and Lavinia from Hamburg, and the Heidelberg from Bremen. A lifeboat brought ashore two dead Germans and a number of wounded.

THE HAGUE, July 17. The Dutch Government is inquiring whether the naval action was fought within Dutch territorial waters, as some eyewitnesses aver Ihe public are taking the matter coolly and hope the attack will end the traffic between Rotterdam and Emden.

Referring to the extension of the British danger zone in the North Sea he Amsterdam newspaper Telegraaf recently asserted that the area now includes the so-called "safe channel" left by Germany. • This action was due to the Ke r ZZrTZ S ?\ channel in order to maintain communication between Heligoland Bight, Zeebrugge, and Rotterdam and German harbours. Shiploads of coal from Rhineland and Westphalia, which could not be transported on the IT? ?r TV 6 "' t0 Rotterdam ' wh *nce German ships conveyed the "*Lv° r and Cu^ Ven - Obviously Britain could not tolerate such p.acta. Germany, not Britain, should be asked to change her methods. The Pellworm is a steel screw steamer of 1370 gross tonnage, built in 1904 and owned by the Hamburg-Manchester Line of Hamburg. The Marie Horn is a steel steamer of 1088 tons gross register, engines 93 N.H.P. built m 1896, and owned by H. C. Horn, of Lnbeck, Germany. The Heinz Blumberg n WOT" T eW LT e ° 1501 tonS gr ° regi6ter ' «*«• 120 N.H.P., built in 1906, and owned by Lionhardt and Blumberg, of Hamburg, Germany. The Brietzig is of 1495 tens, built in 1891, and is owned by a Hamburg firm