The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-18
German Fleet Thought They
Had Cornered Campus
49,, G1
Alone Off Falklands
BRITISH SQUADRON
RUSHED FROM PORT
Ships Were Taking on Supplies, and
Were So Short of Coal That It Was
Necessary to Burn the Boats for
Fuel

Necessary to Burn the Boats for
Fuel.
BUENOS AIRES, Dee. Il. = The
British squadron which sank that of
Admiral Won Spec off the Falkland
Islands on Dee. 3 went into action un-
eXpectcdlv and so short of coal that
some of them had to burn their boats
and everything else combustible that
could be spared, according to details
| of the battle furnished by the captain
| of the British steamship Orissa, which
arrived at Punta Arenas from the
| Falllands today.
On the other hand. the German
ships, which apparently Were bent OH
destroying the wireless station, blum
dered into Il fatal trap in the belief
| that they had cOrnercd the Canopus,
| the only vessel of the late Admiral
Cradock's squadron they had not en-
gagged.
ION the afternoon of the 9Th, -
said the Orissa S captain, IAN Eng
lish squadron arrived at Port Stanley,
! Falkland Islands, TO take on ceal
and supplies. 1t was commanded ny
Admiral Sturdee and consisted of the
battlesbip Campus, the battle cruisers
Invincible and InaeXible, aud the
cruisers Kent. Cornwall, Carnarvon,
Bristol and Glasgow. fhe squadron
was bound for the Pacific.
lon the morning OF the Sth.
while some OF the ships were in Port
Stanley taking On supplies and 9th
ers We're similarly busy at neighboring
islands, the Campus cruised outside the
barbor az Port Stanley on guard du-
". The crew Of the battleship made
out a warship nearing the bay. A few
minutes later they described four
more ships Of the German squadron
commanded by Vice Admiral Won Spec
and composed of the armored cruisers
Scharnhorst and Gncisenau. and the
cruisers Leipzig. Nurnberg and Ores
den. This division had left the Chill
can islands of Juan Fernando Nov.
i, heading for Cape Horn and the
Falklands. Apparently the plan Of
the German ships was to seize the is
lands and destroy The wireless sta
tion.
Seeing only the Canopus cluisine
along the coast. Admiral ven spec
must have assumed that she was alone
and he promptly disposed his squad
ron to cut off the battleship's escape
The Campus began the action as the
Germans closed in. In short while
however. the other British vessels
Jeanne around both sides of the island
At full speed and belching dense clouds
Of smoke Then the Germans realized
that instead Of trapping the Campus
they themselves had been trapped.
The Scharnhorst, Gneiseuau and
Leipzig formed in line of battle
while the Nurnberg and Dresden made
eff, in an attempt to get beyond the
range Of the British ships. Soon a
terrific duel was on between the
heavy cahbre guns splendid weather
contributing to the accuracy Of the
shooting.
The Glasgow at once engaged the
Leipzig. and after a running fight
sent her to the bottom Meanwhile
the other vessels devoted their attcn-
tion to the Scharnhorst which was
lying Admiral Won Spec 5 flag, and the
Gneiscnau. The Scharnhorst sank af-
ter a stubborn resistance lasting. near
y an hour. her flag still flying, aud
with the survivors OF her crew drawn
Iup in the how She had refused to
surrender The Gueisenau made a
desperate effort to escape and had
been battered into a helpless wreck
when she foundered two hours after
the fight began. The Nurnberg was
overtaken eighty miles from Port
STANLEY and quickly sunk.
1.-The Carnarvon went after the
Dresden. but was unable to overtake
her. \ transport that accompanied
the German squadron also got away.
The Golfers, refusing to surrender,
were sunk after their crews, consist
ing OF 100 men. had taken to the
boats and been picked up.
Throughout the action the British
ships were short Of coal. and used
their beats and everything else avail
abe for fuel. The Cornwall was dam
aged slightly below the water line, but
the remainder of the ships wero un-
seathed. The total casualties are re-
ported to have been only eight men
killed and four wounded On the
morning of the 10th the funeral Of the
eight dead was held. Commanders,
officers, and men of the feet were pres
4 ent and the ships had tlsir flags al
half past, ~ k.zzz
@Yle British Admirgft9 re4a1ft Of the
t,sls stated that onhf kseven men OF
Il the British squadron lost their lives