Austrian Flotilla Sinks 14 Drifters

Waikato Times, Volume 88, Issue 13489, 21 May 1917, Page 5

Austrian Flotilla Sinks 14 Drifters

Two Enemy Sbips Badly Damaged BRITISH TRANSPORT SUNK SUBSTANTIAL ITALIAN ADVANCE KEY TO ENEMY'S DEFENCES TAKEN RUSSIAN SITUATION IMPROVING By Cable. —Press Association. — Copyright, IN THE ADRIATIC AUSTRIAN FLOTILLA SINKS 14 BRITISH DRIFTERS. ENEMY SHIPS CHASED BY WARSHIPS AND AEROPLANES. TWO AUSTRIAN SHIPS REACH PORT BADLY DAMAGED. BRITISH LIGHT CRUISER TORPEDOED, BUT RETURNS SAFELY. (Australian and New Zealand and Reuter.) Received Mj ■ 20, %.o p.m. LONDON, May 19. The Admiralty reports that on Tuesday Austrian light cruisers and destroyers raided the Allied drifter line in the Adriatic and sank 14 British drifters. They claim to have taken prisoners 72 members of the crews. Allied wars^ : i)S and destroyers chased off the raiders, and rh Italian airman attacked them off Cattaro, whence a cruiser badly afire and sinking was towed. The British admiral reports that a second was badly damaged, and adds: "While chasing the Austrians a submarine torpedoed the light cruiser Dartmouth, which returned to port. Of the crew three were killed, five are missing, and seven wounded.