GERMAN DESTROYERS RAID DOVER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3293, 25 April 1917, Page 19

GERMAN DESTROYERS RAID DOVER.

On the night of Friday, April 20 five German destroyers attempted a raid on Dover. They fired a number of rounds into ploughed fields a few miles from Dover, and then steered i& the direction £f some of our chipping, possibly with the itention of attacking it. They were met by two patrol vessels which in rive minutes sank at least two and possibly three ot them. The remainder fled, escaping m the darkness. The British patrols suffered no material damage, and the were exceedingly slight in comparison witn the results obtained. It was a very fine example of destroyer work. The Admiralty reports that the Germans saved m the Dover engagement were 10 officers and 108 The Germans began a bombardment near Dover at 12.50 a.m. on the 22nd. There is a consensus of opinion that the- raid was intended as a spectacular coup to interrupt Mr Llovd George's return from his Continental visit, but it proved premature. The five destroyers came from Zeebrugge. It ia unofficially reported that three of them were sunk and another was badly damaged. Star shells were tised by both sides, and the flashing guns lit up the surrounding district and awakened the inhabitants, lhe raid divided itself into two parts—a blind rush through the misty night, firing a few shells haphazard towards the land, and then the scurry back to sea. It was then that the British patrols intercepted the flotilla and played havoc with a superior force, lhe trawlers have landed 30 dead Germans There were 22 British killed as a result of the destroyer action. , . . The prompt hammering administered to the Germans in the Channel was due to the speed and armament of two of the newest British destroyers. The engagement occurred 80 minutes after the raid. GBS belonged to the newest German class, the fastest type, powerful, and heavily armed. Owing to the speed of the Germans magnificent skill was required to bring them into battle. Once that was done it was soon over, the fusillade lasting only 15 minutes. Two of the enemy were sunk within- fivo minutes. The British Admiralty now denies that any British vessels were sunk or even seriously damaged. The only British force that came into contact with the enemy consisted of two destroyers, which were in tho lead. The engagement lasted only a few minutes. A remnant of the enemy escaped by fleeing among merchantmen. The prisoners claimed by the Germans were three of the crew of an abandoned barge. _ The German official version of the raid is as follows: —"Our destroyers advanced towards tho mouth of the Thames and effectively fired 650 shots at short range a"' the Dover and Calais fortresses without sighting the enemy. On the return a portion of our force turned back, made a fresh cruiso, and encountered destroyers. Sharp engagements followed at short distances. One of tho enemy boats was torpedoed, and others were hit by our artillery and heavily damaged—one probably sunk. Portion of our forces advanced towards the Thames. They did not meet tho enemy, but only merchantmen. We captured prisoners. Destroyers GBS and G 42 are reported lost." German destroyers fired 100 shells at Calais on the night of April 20-21. Seven civilians were killed and a dozen wounded.