END OF THE KONIGSBERG

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9095, 14 July 1915, Page 7

END OF THE KONIGSBERG

THE WORK OP MONITORS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright LONDON, July 12. The British monitors Mersey and Severn attacked the German cruiser Konigsberg on the Rufigi River on July 4th. The Konigsberg was set heavily afire amidships. Tho monitors resumed the attack on-the 11th, and completely wrecked the Konigsborg. SIX HOURS’ FIRING. (Received July 13, 8.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 13. The Admiralty announces that owing to the difficulty of reaching the KonigSberg, the monitors Severn and Mersey were dispatched two months a ~Aircraft accurately Jocated the Konigsberg, and operations opened on July tne fourth. The monitors entered the river and opened fire. The Konigsberg replied, firing salvoos from five guns with accuracy and rapidity,. , . _ , lt The Mersey was twice hit. One shell killed four men and wounded four. Owing to the enemy being surrounded by the jungle, the aeroplanes had difficulty in spotting our shots,, but the Konigsberg was hit five times early in tho action. The monitors kept up the fire tor six hours. Tho Konigsberg’s masts were still standing. A salvo then burst on her, and she became heavily afire amidships.

The. High Commissioner reports: LONDON, July 12, 10.40 p.m. The position of the Konigsberg, which since last October had been sheltering up the Rufigi River, in German Bast Africa, and was accessible only to shallow-draught vessels, was ascertained by aeroplanes. Two river monitors were sent into action on July the fourth, and the Konigsberg was probably incapacitated for further attack. She was yesterday rendered a total wreck. Uy Telegraph—Press Association—CopyrielU (Received July 13, 11 p.m.) LONDON, July 13. The Konigsberg continued to fire one gun intermittently for a while, but during the last part of the engagement she was silent, either through lack of ammunition or disablement. The Weymouth and Pioneer assisted the monitors, the former engaging small guns on the riverbank. The Pioneer engaged guns at the mouth of the river. A further attack was made on the eleventh, and the Konigsberg rendered a total wreck. . ' Our casualties in the last engagement were two wounded aboard the Mersey. [The German light cruiser Konigsberg, one of the German Pacific raiding squadron, was "bottled up ,J by the British cruiser Chatham in the Rufiji River, German East Africa, in October. A steamer was sunk across the river, preventing the cruiser from getting out, and the work of destruction was postponed.}