RAIDS IN DOVER STRAITS.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11478, 5 March 1918, Page 6

RAIDS IN DOVER STRAITS.

BRITISH DRIFTERS SUNK. PANDEMONIUM 03? FIRE. London, Fob. IT. During the raid into the Dover Straits, when enemy destroyers sank a trawler and seven drifters, the gunfire lasted an hour, and the flashes were plainly seen in the darkness from the shore. The raiding destroyers were evidentlyl'from Zeehrugge, and aimed at attacking our supply ships or transports plying between England and France. The enemy dashed up at the highest speed, and was favoured by a haze in the Channel. The crews of the drifters behaved with splendid gallantry. In one j case an enemy shell sot tiro to a drifter, forcing the crew to take to their boats. Later the men pulled back to tho drifter, boarded her, extinguished the tiro, and brought the vessel safely to port. The enemy was quite unsuccessful in raiding supply ships or transports and was forced to return to Zeebrugge directly the British warships appeared. There were pathetic scenes at the landing of tho bodies. Covered with a Union Jack they were 5 brought to tho market hall, which was converted into a temporary mortuary. The majority of the victims were fishermen before the war. ■

A seaman has given a thrilling description of the raid. lie says that this was his fourth raid in the Straits of Dover, but that it was the worst, because it was so terribly one-sided. • The uight'.was fine, with bright starlight, when the four destroyers received instructions to patrol for submarines. The seaman was lying in his bunk oil; duty when he wss startled by heavy and rapid firing. At first ho believed that it was uu engagement with a submarine. The noise on deck was deafening. Suddenly a neighbouring drifter blow up like a huge rocket, and was enveloped in a great tongue of flame. He distinctly saw two masts and a funnel Changing for a moment m mid-air. The thunder of the guns from all quarters made it clear that it was something bigger than a submarine “scrap.” The seamun went on: —“Suddenly a searchlight flashed out immediately against our stern from the dark hull of a German destroyer which was bearing down upon us at full speed. Had she continued her course she would have cut us in [two like a huge knife. She was firing at us continuously, and wo escaped as by a miracle, because we were too close to bo fait. Wo managed to dodge the destroyer, which headed northward, amid an awful din of shells, banging and banging :,on all sides. The enemy plugged, blowing up our fleet of drifters like shuttlecocks. The drifters had not the ghost of a chance.”