TORPEDO BOATS DESTROY MINE-SWEEPERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3312, 5 September 1917, Page 18

TORPEDO BOATS DESTROY MINE-SWEEPERS.

The British Admiralty reports: Our light forces destroyed four enemy mine-sweepers off tho coast of Jutland. The action took place on Saturday morning near Riukobing. The cannonade was exceedingly intense for about an hour. Four German trawlers were chased ashore in a burning condition. One hundred sailors and a number of wounded reached land. Many corpses were washed up. German aeroplanes and submarines participated in the fight. A Danish official communique confirms the details of the encounter. A Danish warship' was ordered to the scene. The British destroyers withdrew undamaged. _ Unofficial accounts state that the British pursued the trawlers, which trrounded 65 yards from the shore. The British then opened a violent fire, whereupon tho Germans jumped into the water; 128 were saved. All the trawlers were completely destroyed. One aeroplane was shot down. Only two Germans were killed, but several were wounded, and witnesses state that the trawlers blew up with a great noise, as a number of minw were still aboard. Many German warships and seaplanes afterwards visited the scene. Survivors state that the trawlers were carrying great quantities of food for submarincs. Suddenly they discovered that the British warships had surrounded them, and the only escape was into Dam'sh waters. The Bred 15C0 rounds. Two German submarines and two seaplanes participated. The fate of the submarines is not known.