The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-03 00:00:00

A NIGHT SURPRISE IN THE BALTIC.

A correspondent of the Daily News, writing from
Hamburg, on Tuesday, tells the following story :—" It
cannot be denied that the infant German navy is
animated with quite as much patriotic zeal as the army,
and, where it has the opportunity, shews sufficient pluck
and knowledge of warfare to entitle it to take equal rank
and hold its own amongst the other and older navies of
the world. A gallant if not foolhardy action has to
be recorded of the corvette Nymphe, stationed at Neufahr-
wasser, the port of Dansig, the particulars of which are
contained in a private letter from an officer of that ship,
which I have been permitted to read. After having left
the port almost every day for the last fortnight to look out
for the French fleet, and sometimes running along the coast
as far as I illau, but always in vain, three French iron-
clads were at length discovered about noon on the 21st
inst. to the north of the harbour, having in company a
small despatch-boat, all under steam. They approached
so near the batteries, but without coming within range of
the guns, that they could be plainly distinguished on
shore. In the afternoon, after cruising off the coast,
probably for the purpose of reconnoitring the strength
of the batteries, they steamed out to sea, and anchored
for the night at a spot called Putziger Wieck,
under the shelter of Hela Point, and about
twelve or fifteen miles from Neufahrwasser. This
was considered on board the Nymphe, whose presence on
the station must have been well known to the French
admiral, as an act of daring and presumptuous arrogance,
and the captain determined to spoil his night's rest for
him. Accordingly steam was got up on board the
corvette, and about half-past eleven o'clock, the obstacles
that block up the entrance to the harbour having been
removed, she steamed quietly out and proceeded
in • a northerly direction to Hela, there being no
lights on deck, and every chink below carefully
stopped up to prevent her being seen, while perfect silence
prevailed on board. To the north the sky was pretty
clear, and illuminated by the rays of the moon, whilst
behind them the horizon was dark and gloomy, and over
their heads masses of rain-clouds were gathering, under
cover of which they approached. About one o'clock
in the morning they came in sight of the
enemy's ships, which were lying at anchor in a line, the
despatch-boat, which they had hoped to run down,
placed for better security between two of the big
ironclads, and not a sound was to be heard on board any
of them. The corvette proceeded cautiously and quietly
at half-speed without being perceived or challenged till
within a distance of twelve hundred yards, when she
rounded off, the engines were stopped, and she delivered
her whole broadside from the port battery, then
put about and discharged her starboard broadside,
after which she retired. Full six minutes elapsed
before any reply was given, and then five or six
shots were fired, but so wide of the mark that ,
none of the balls were heard whistling through the air.
The French vessels appeared to have banked up their fires ;
but the order must have been given to put on fresh coals
and start in pursuit, for immense clouds of thick black
smoke were presently seen to issue from their funnels, and
the drums were heard to beat to quarters. The chase
then commenced, and from time to time shots were dis-
charged at the corvette from the French bow-chasers, but
without effect. One of the ironclads of greater speed than her
Consorts appeared for a while to be gaining on the
Nymphe, and perhaps in a longer run would have come

up to her ; but as the 'distance, was comparatively short,
she managed to make good her retreat, and about 4 aan,
just as it was beginning to get light, she returned in safety
to her anckorage ground at the mouth of the harbour.
The chase was commenced by the French so soon after
the attack made by the German corvette as to give rise t.
the supposition that they must have slipped their cables.
Whether the two broadsides of the Nymphe did any
damage to the enemy appears to be an open question;
several shells were seen to explode on the decks of some
of the ironclads, 'but,' as the writer of the letter himself
says, 'Ms so easy to be deceived in things one most
wishes for.' This much, however, he can assert as un-
deniable truth—that on the following day, after
the French had received reinforcements, amongst
the five vessels that, were seen cruising off
the coast they missed one of the ironclads that
had been there the day before, and formed part of
the squadron on which the night attack had been made.
Whether it had gone to some part to repair damages, or
was sent away for any other. purpose, must be open to
conjecture only. On the' following day they had all dis-
appeared, and found a mere quiet anchorage at RixhOft,
where they could sleep without fear of interruption ; but
they did hot remain there long, and the coast telegraph
reported their departure the next day, steering apparently
in the direction of the Island of Bornholm.