Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-09-01
BATTLE OF HELIGoLAND
British Attack German Ships Under
Stronu Fort.

London, August 30.-An official state
ment issued tonight says that Of
twelve hundred men comprising the
crews of the five German warships
sunk off Heligoland only $50 were saw
ed
Twenty mine killed and thirty eight
wounded was the price in men paid by
the British for the naval action against
the Germans in the Heligoland fight
Friday.
The admiralty today announced the
casualties as follows:
The light cruiser Arethusa lost
Lieut.. Eric Westmacott and nine men
killed, four men seriously wounded
and Lieut.. Robinson and eleven men
wounded but not seriously.
The torpedo boat destroyer Liberty
lost Lieut.. Commander Bartellot and
six men killed, one man who since has
died from wounds, one dangerously
wounded, five seriously wounded and
five slightly wounded.
The destroyer Lauren suffered ten
men killed, one has since died Of his
wounds, two men dangerously wound
ed, seven seriously wounded and two
slightly wounded.
The Liberty, British destroyer, was
hit by a shell, which shattered her
smashed her search lights and killed
her commander, Lieut.. K. w. Bartel-
lot, and William Butcher, his signal
man.
Accounts Of the battle say it was
rerfect in execution as well as in plan.
Led at dawn by a fearless small de-
tachment, the destroyers crept within
the German lines, between Heligoland
and the German boats.
An aeroplane sighted them and gave
the news to the Germans, whose de-
stroyers came out. The British de-
stroyers lured the Germans to the
open sea. where other destroyers were
waiting, spread out in fan shape. A
small engagement followed and then
the German cruisers came out. The
British light cruiser Arethusa, after
a sighting shot, got her range splen-
didly and hit the foremost gun Of one
Of the German cruisers, demolishing It.
The Arethusa then fired a few broad
sides at the enemy. Her aim was eX-
cellent. She hit a German cruiser,
which at once burst into smoke and
flames. but soon afterwards a German
shot did some damage to the engine
room Of the Arethusa.
The destroyers Liberty and Laertes
fought a grand fight. A shell brought
down the mast or the Liberty. The
Laertes was hit amidships, a hole was
shot through her funnel, her forward
guns were damaged and she received
also a shell in the dynamo room and a
shot aft, which wrecked her cabin.
1t was hot work, but at that moment
the British light cruisers and battle
cruisers appeared. 1t was at the mo-
ment for which they had been wait
ing. The first shot from one Of the
British battle cruisers sank a German
cruiser. which had been battering a
destroyer.
The German fleet then turned and
fled in the direction Of Cuxhaven, but
was pursued by British destroyers,
which did terrible execution with their
four-inch guns.
Many of the Germans landed after
the battle from the British ships were
wounded by revolver bullets. 1t is de-
clared the revolvers were used by Ger
man officers to prevent their men sur
rendering to the British boats which
had put off to save their drowning OPP
ponents. Some Of the boats lowered to
the rescue Of the Germans. 1t is said,
were fired on by German cruisers.